American League Prevails in Closely Fought
All Star Game, 5-4
Rowe strikes out Ott, Hartnett and Waner to close out game in ninth
(July 10th, New York) The weather was not cooperating for today's "All Star" game. The game was only first played last year. This year's game was in New York at the Polo Grounds, home of the defending World Champion New York Giants. Despite the rain, over 48,000 turned out to root for this year's finest ball players.
The game was a closely fought one, with the National League taking an early lead on a two run blast by Giants' outfiedler Mel Ott. Nationals' outtfielder John Stone tied the game at 3 with a two run blast, however, in the seventh inning.
The game remained tied going into the 9th. Reds' pitcher Dan Brennan allowed a single by A's first baseman Jimmie Foxx and then walked Averill and Cronin to load the basis. With the game on the line, Pittsburgh shortstop Arky Vaughan developed butterflies and booted a grounder from Tiger catcher Mickey Cochrane allowing the goahead run to score. On the very next play, Vaughan made an errant throw allowing another run to score.
Cardinals' first baseman Ripper Collins hit an opening home run in the 9th to bring the game back to within one, but Detroit Tigers' starting pitcher Schoolboy Rowe settled down and fanned three Ott, Cubs backstop Gabby Hartnett and Pirates outfielder Paul Waner to win the game for the American League.
The following is a blow by blow account:
Top of the first
Chicago Cubs pitcher Lon Warneke set the AL down 1-2-3 in the first. Charlie Gehringer opened for the AL with Lon Warneke on the mound. Gehringer hit a sharp line drive that was snared by a jumping Frankie Frisch for the first out. Bill Werber flew out to Mel Ott for the second out. Bob Johnson fanned for the third out.
Bottom of the first
Pepper Martin punched a liner into left for a leadoff single. NL Manager Terry called for the hit and run, and Pirates Shortstop Arky Vaughan advanced Martin to second on a ground out to AL first sacker Jimmie Foxx. Gomez got Martin's teammate, Rip Collins, to chase a slider for a strikeout. Mel Ott, however, was not fooled so easily. He connected on a Gomez fast ball and sent it flying into the lower deck in right field to give the National League a 2-0 lead.
Cubs Catcher Gabby Hartnett drew a walk. Braves outfielder Wally Berger hit a sharp grounder to Bill Werber at third. Werber, who leads the AL in errors, fielded the ball cleanly, but his threw drew Foxx off the bag at first, putting runners at first and second with two out. Werber was charged with an error on the throw. Cardinals outfielder Joe Medwick laced a single to right scoring Hartnett and sending Berger to third. AL Manager Joe Cronin ran to the mound from his position at shortstop, chatted briefly with Gomez, laughed at whatever Gomez told him, and then went back to his position. Cronin then fielded the next ball, a sharply hit grounder from Cards second baseman Frankie Frisch, cleanly and threw over to Foxx to end the inning.
Top of second
Jimmie Foxx led off with an infield single up the middle. Although Vaughan was able to scoop it up before it went to the outfield, he held the ball as he saw there was no play on Foxx. Earl Averill then grounded the ball at Frisch, who neatly turned it into a 4-6-3 twin killing. John Stone then grounded to Collins at first for the third out.
Bottom of second
Lon Warneke opened up and hit a slow roller to Bill Werber. Werber fielded the ball and this time his throw across the diamond was accurate for the first out. The rain apparently becoming a factor, Pepper Martin was able to draw a walk as ball four really got away from Gomez. Gomez, however, retained control. Seeing Martin eagerly leaning toward second, Gomez settled, and then pivoted and rifled a throw to Foxx, picking off Martin. Martin then made a jestful protest to NL umpire Cy Pfirman at first, and then trotted off the field. Arky Vaughan then authoritatively rapped a single to right. Collins grounded to Foxx for the third out, however.
Top of third
Carl Hubbell took over mound duties for the National Leaguers at the top of the third. Hubbell got Cronin to fly out to Medwick in left. He followed by getting Detroit catcher Mickey Cochrane to ground to first. The Browns' only All Star Sammy West pinch hit for Gomez, and hit a roller to Frisch, whose throw beat West by a step for the final out.
Bottom of third
Monte Pearson came in to pitch for the AL. Mel Ott hit a screamer at Cronin who made it look easy. Hartnett hit a bloop single into left, putting one on with one out. Wally Berget hit a fly to Averill in center, who made the catch after bobbling to ball once for out number two. Joe Medwick ripped a Pearson slider, but Werber speared it at third for the final out.
Top of fourth
Charlie Gehringer led off the 4th with a walk after Cy Pfirman confirmed that Gehringer did not go around on a Hubbell fast ball the was just outside. Bill Werber then rapped a single into left, putting runners at first and second with no one out. Hubbell induced a double play ball from Bob Johnson, who hit a hard ground right at shortstop Vaughan, who was able to turn the 6-4-3, putting Gehringer at third with two down. A Hubbell screwball was also turned into a grounder to short by Johnson's teammate, Jimmie Foxx, for the final out.
Bottom of fourth
Frisch opened the bottom of the inning with a ground out back to the mound. The NL sent Cubbie Kiki Cuyler up in place of Hubbell, but Cuyler flew out to left field for the second out. Pepper Martin flew out for the final out.
Top of fifth
Terry called on Cards' reliever Jesse Haines in the fifth. Averill greeted Haines with a homer than just cleared the right field wall, making the score 3-1 in favor of the NL. Nationals' outfielder John Stone then drove the ball to left, but Joe Medwick was there with a diving catch for the out. Joe Cronin was up next, and drew a walk, AL umpire Brick Owens having called a breaking pitch down low for ball four. Cochrane hit a sharp gounder to third, and Collins handled it easily. Cronin advanced to second. Lou Gehrig was called to pinch hit. He harmlessly flew to center field for the third out.
Bottom of fifth
Joe Cronin made some managerial moves, keeping Gehrig in a first and placing Foxx at third, relieving Werber. Red Ruffing, the Yankee starting pitcher, was called in to pitch. Ruffing began the inning by fanning Vaughan. Collins then laced a hit into right field. Mel Ott drew a walk after third base umpire Dolly Stark from the NL ruled than Ott did not go around. Gabby Hartnett then stepped in and drove a Ruffing curve down the right field line. The ball missed being a three run home by only a few feet. Hartnett grounded to Cronin on the next pitch for the final out.
Top of sixth
Bill Terry called for Dizzy Dean to replace Dean's teammate on the mound. He also brought in Pirate right fielder Paul Waner and sent Mel Ott to Center, sending Berger to the showers. Gehringer led off for the AL. Although Collins made an amazing stop, he couldn't flip to ball to Dean who had covered the bag in time, and Gehringer had an infield single. Cronin then called on Babe Ruth to pinch hit for Ruffing. No longer the feared hitter of old, though, Ruth grounded into a 4-6-3 double play. Bob Johnson then grounded out to Frisch, who went deep into the hole to make the play.
Bottom of sixth
Cronin called on Mel Harder to pitch. Charlie Gehringer made a fine play on a hard hit Paul Waner grounder for the first out. On a Medwick grounder to third, however, Jimmie Foxx threw into the dirt and Gehrig was unable to scoop it out. An error was charged to Foxx. Frisch then drew a walk, putting two on with one out. Bill Terry decided to let Dean hit, but Dean fanned for the second out. A walk to Pepper Martin loaded the bases. Cronin went to have a word with Harder. Vaughan ripped a liner at Gehnringer who was able to make a fine play for the third out.
Top of seventh
Dean remained on the mound to face Foxx, Averill and Stone. Foxx grounded back to the mound for out number one. Averill, however, drew a walk. Stone then got ahold of a Dean fast ball and sent it into the right field seats to knot the game at three. Cronin drew a walk, but Cochrane was caight looking for the second out. Gabby Hartnett leaned into the stands to draw out a Lou Gehrig foul for the final out of the inning.
Bottom of seventh
Rip Collins led off with a grounder to the hole at short. Continuing to play solid defense, Joe Cronin backhanded it and threw across the diamond for the first out. Mel Ott then drew his second walk of the game. Hartnett followed with another walk, and Paul Waner stepped to the plate. Cronin walked to the mound, talked things over with Harder, and signalled for Nationals' pitcher Earl Whitehill. Waned ripped a Whitehill pitch to first, but Gehrig was able to pull it down for the second out. Medwick flew out the center for the final out.
Top of eighth
Terry called on teammate Freddie Fitzsimmons to pitch the 8th inning. Gehringer opened by grounding to second. Down to only Schoolboy Rowe in his pen, Cronin decided to let Whitehill hit. Whitehill struck out after Hartnett appealed to third base umpire Stark, however. Bob Johnson popped up for the last out.
Bottom eighth
Whitehill began the 8th by inducing Frisch to ground to short. Terry brought in Philly Ethan Allen to pinch hit for Fitzsimmons. Allen bounced out to third. Pepper Martin blooped a single to left. He was unable to get a big enough lead to steal, however. Vaughan took a called third strike that ended the inning.
Top of ninth
Terry called upon Reds' relief ace Dan Brennan in the 9th. Jimmie Foxx opened by driving a hit past a diving Martin at third. An always dangerous Earl Averill then worked Brennan for a walk. John Stone hit a grounder to third. Martin scooped it and fired to Vaughan, but the relay was not in time, putting runners at the corners with only one out. AL manager Cronin stepped up to the plate as Bill Terry brought his infield in. Cronin worked a walk to load the bases. Tiger catcher and manager, Mickey Cochrane stepped up to the plate. Cochrane, 0-3 on the day, dug in. Cochrane hit a bounder to short and Vaughan came in to field it, but muffed the pickup allowing Foxx to score the go ahead run. Lou Gehrig hit another grounder at Vaughan, who made a throw bringing Collins off the bag, allowing another run to score. Charlie Gehringer then drilled a ground ball at Frisch, who was able to flip to Vaughan who completed to DP to Collins for the final out.
Vaughan's two errors, however, had allowed the AL to take a 5-3 lead.
Bottom of ninth
Cronin brought in his last pitcher, Lynwood "Schoolboy" Rowe, the Tigers starter. Red Sox catcher Rick Ferrell also came in to allow Mickey Cochrane to watch his Detroit batterymate from the bench. Rip Collins turned on a Rowe slider and sent it into the right field seats to make the game 5-4. Rowe responded, however, by fanning home town favorite Ott. As the Polo Grounds bugler sounded "charge," Cubs' catcher Hartnett approach the plate. He fanned mightily, however, for the second out. Paul Waner came to the plate, and Rowe fanned him as well to win the game for the American League, 5-4!
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