For a period of four years, 59-62, there were two All-Star games played a year. The reason was because the owners wanted to put more money in the players pension fund.
On July 7th, 1959, the first game that year was played at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. The starting pitcher for the NL was Don Drysdale. Wally Moon was the starting left fielder.
Early Wynn was the starting pitcher for the AL. The NL would win the game, 5-4 with Johnny Antonelli of the Giants as the winner, Whitey Ford took the loss. Four weeks later, the second game was played at the LA Coliseum.
On Monday, August 3rd, once again the NL started Don Drysdale. The starting lineup was basically the same except in this game, Stan Musial started at first base over Orlando Cepeda, and Ken Boyer started at third over Eddie Mathews.
Big D took the loss as he gave up 3 of the AL’s 5 runs. The win went to the Orioles Jerry Walker. There were 5 home runs, Malzone, Berra and Colavito for the AL, Gilliam and Frank Robinson for the NL. It was one of only two All-Star games not played in July.
In 1960, the first game was played on July 11th at Kansas City’s Municipal Stadium. There were four Dodgers on the team, Podres, Stan Williams, Neal and Norm Larker. None were in the starting lineup.
The NL scored all of it’s runs in the first three innings and won 5-3. Bob Friend was the winner, and Bill Monbouquette took the loss. Kaline homered for the AL, and Banks and Del Crandall for the NL.
Two days later at Yankee Stadium, they met again. The rosters were the same. Whitey Ford started for the AL and Vernon Law of the Pirates started for the NL. They will meet again in October.
The NL’s pitchers shut down the AL squad for a 6-0 win.
Mathews, Mays, Musial and Ken Boyer homered for the winners. If you are wondering about MVP’s. That did not start until 1962.
The first All-Star game of 1961 was played at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. The starting pitchers were Warren Spahn of the Braves and Whitey Ford of the Yankees.
There were three Dodgers on the team, Wills, Roseboro, and on his first All-Star team, Sandy Koufax. Wills was the starting SS.
The AL was held scoreless for the first five innings. They then scored 1 in the 6th and 2 in the 9th to tie the game. The NL had scored single runs in the 2nd, 4th and 8th innings. In the 10th, the AL scored the go ahead run. In the bottom of the inning, the NL scored 2 runs for a 5-4 win. What is impressive is that they scored them off of Hoyt Wilhelm.
Stu Miller got the win. Harmon Killebrew and George Altman, a Cubs outfielder, hit homers. Don Zimmer, who the Dodgers had traded to the Cubs, was also a member of the NL squad. What is also strange is that the winning team in all five of these games scored 5 runs.
The next game was played in Boston one July 31st. Bob Purkey of the Reds started and Jim Bunning of the Tigers for the AL.
Bunning threw three perfect innings. Colavito hit a first inning homer to put the AL ahead. But the NL tied the game in the sixth on a single by Bill White. But this time there would be no winner. The NL mustered 5 hits and the AL 4. Koufax saw his first action and gave up a hit.
The game was called because of rain and ended in a 1-1 tie.
The first game in 1962 was played on July 10th in Washington D.C. The starting pitchers were Don Drysdale, who was in the middle of his Cy Young season, and Bunning of the Tigers. Tommy Davis was the only other Dodger in the starting lineup, but Koufax, Wills, and Roseboro were also on the team.
Roberto Clemente would get three hits, but the game belonged to Maury Wills. He entered the game in the 6th inning pinch running for Musial. He stole second then came in to score the first run on a single by Dick Groat. In the 8th inning, he singled, then went to third on a single by Jim Davenport, and then moments later, scored on a foul ball out to right.
He was named the MVP of the game, becoming the first player to be awarded that honor. The NL won, 3-1. The second game was played on July 30th at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
The starting pitchers were Johnny Podres of the Dodgers and Dave Stenhouse of the Senators. Davis was the other Dodger in the starting lineup. The NL jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning. But after that, the AL broke out of their slump and ended up scoring 9. They got homers from Runnels, Colavito and Leon Wagner of the Angels. The only NL homer came off of the bat of Johnny Roseboro.
The loss went to Art Mahaffey of the Phillies and Ray Herbert of the A’s got the win. After the game, the first Arch Ward MVP trophies were awarded. Leon Wagner was named the MVP of the second game, and Wills received his for the first.
For those of you who do not know who Arch Ward was, he was the man who founded the All-Star game in 1933. 62 was the last season that two games were played. After the season the owners agreed to give the pension plan more revenue from a single game.
I hope this post has been informative. If you go back and look at the rosters of those teams, there are many who are now in the Hall of Fame. Mantle, Banks, Aaron, Mays, Mathews, Koufax, Drysdale, Clemente, Wynn, Berra, Spahn, Ford and a few others.
No game yesterday. What a bummer. Supposed to rain here today. Dodgers-Angels. Ohtani against his former team. Bet there are a ton of reporters at this game. Angels are 7-3, 3rd best record in the Cactus league and they have won 5 in a row. They have scored 48 runs and have a run differential of +7. Dodgers have won 4 in a row, scored 87 runs, and have a run differential of +39. They have not lost a game at Camelback. Bobby Miller starts for the Dodgers, Silseth for the Angels. Dodgers have hit 17 homers, the Angels 11
Maybe someday Andre Lipcius will be an all-star. Maybe someday we’ll look back on the next few years as the Lipcius Era of Dodger history.
Acquired from the Tigers for cash, Lipcius is the third SS the Dodgers have added in the off-season, joining Sweeney from the Yankees and young Noah Miller from the Twins.
Good to see the brass is shoring up a weakness in the system. But the top SS prospect, Jeondry Vargas, is still about 4-5 years away.
He hasn’t played SS since 2019. More of a utility guy.
Thanks Bear
great job as always
I would add that although Big D was the loser in game two, I seem to recall that he threw 3 perfect innings in game one in Pittsburgh.
Thanks Bob. Yes, he threw three scoreless innings. Starters now go less than 2.
Great write up on the All-Star Game.
Heck of a list there Bear. I like keeping tabs on what former Dodgers are doing with other teams. I think Trayce Thompson is with the Mets and Joey Gallo with the Nationals.
Exe Dodgers on 40-man rosters courtesy of Bear.. Yankees: Jones, Verdugo, Ferguson, Gonzales, Beeter, Kahnle, Vivas. Baltimore: Coulombe, Kimbrel, Kremer. Toronto: Garcia, Pop, White, Turner. Tampa: Clevinger, Elfin, Pepiot, DeLuca. Boston: Jansen, Martin, Wong. Twins: Stewart, Farmer, Margot. Tigers: Maeda, Leonard, McKinstry. Astros: Alvarez. Rangers: Eovaldi, Heaney, Sborz, Scherzer, Seager. Mariners: Raley. Angels: Anderson. A’s: Stripling, Wood, Noda. Phillies: Turner. Mets: Bickford. Marlins: Chargois, Amaya. Nationals: Floro, Gray, Ruiz. Reds: Montas, Cubs: Bellinger, Busch, Almonte, Pirates: Joe. D-Backs: Pederson. Padres: Darvish, Machado. Several more are NRIs
Thompson is a non-roster guy with the Mets. Gallo signed after the list I had came out. I did not put all of the non-roster guys, but there are a lot. Wong, Orioles, Hagenman and Eddy Alvarez, Red Sox, Dennis Santana, Downs, Yankees, Uceta, Rays, Knebel, Nastrini, Pillar, White Sox, Mann, Royals, Scott, Suero, Astros, Fulmer, Kolarek, Calhoun, Marisnick, Angels, Hembree, Miller, Ravelo, Mariners, Duffy, Green, Rangers, Barnhart, Garlick, D-Backs, Giles, Holmes, Williams, Braves, Andreise, Miami, Bannon, Thompson, Mets, Dahl, Phils, Bruihl, Wynns, Reds, Hernandez, Brewers, McKinney, Lamb, Pirates, Zimmer, Rockies, Locastro, Padres, Tsutsugo, Diaz, Giants.
Thanks Bear. I hope Thompson can catch on somewhere.
Me too, I have always liked the guy, I really thought he would be a solid contributor last season, especially after his three-homer game. But he got totally lost after that.
Went to one AS game.1967 at Anaheim Stadium.15 innings (I think).
2-1 NL in 15 innings.
haha awesome. The only one I did was 2 years ago at Dodger Stadium. That and the HR contest were fun to watch.
Been to a lot of World Series games, but never to an All Star game.
Pitchers dropping like flies:
Lucas Giolito – Partial UCL tear
Sonny Gray – Hamstring Strain – Will probably start season on IL
Justin Verlander – Shoulder sprain – Will probably start season on IL
Braxton Garrett – Shoulder soreness – Not expected to be ready for Opening Day
Kevin Gausman – Shoulder soreness – No structural damage
Alek Manoah – Shoulder soreness
And then there are the Giants. Alex Cobb and Robbie Ray are out until at least the All Stae Break. Tristan Beck had a aneurysm in his upper right arm that had to be removed surgically. He cannot throw for at least 8 weeks. Keeton Winn who was slated to be the #4 SP, was shut down for a short while with elbow soreness. He is expected to be able to go 70-80 pitches before the end of camp and join the rotation. Sean Hjelle who was expected to fill in for Beck and Winn has been diagnosed with elbow sprain.
Then there is Philadelphia’s Zach Wheeler who just inked a 3 year extension for $126MM…$42MM AAV.
This was the largest contract extension in the sport’s history and the fourth-largest AAV on any contract ever. Only Shohei Ohtani, Max Scherzer, and Justin Verlander have larger AAV’s. Let’s see if Boras can get a contract anywhere near this for Snell or Montgomery.
Wheeler is a Wasserman client, so Boras is not the only one who can get this level of contract for his clients.
The pitching injuries are certainly prevalent throughout the MLB. One of the reasons I didn’t like the signings of Ohtani, Yamamoto and the Glasnow extension. Yamamoto is new to the MLB and a 5 man rotation, while the other two have a history of poor durability. Right now all three look great, and Dodger nation should be excited about the team this year. But the problem with long term contracts to pitchers is that injuries are inevitable.
I thought the pitching clock might cause some casualties. I might be right.
I do not think that is the reason. There were a ton of pitchers going down before the pitch clock was implemented last year. Arm injuries have increased over the last several years.
On the other hand, with a long term contract you can blow a year to TJ and still have most of the contract left.
In a situation like Wheeler’s 3 year extension, if he were to have TJ in year 2 you’ve lost a third of the contract.
Braves signed a guy with one of the best names ever for a ballplayer: Skye Bolt. 4-0, no big deal. One week before they head to Korea.