The 1933 World's Fair in Chicago, also called A Century of Progress, included baseball's first All-Star Game, an assumed one-off benefit that became MLB's annual midseason event thanks to vigorous fan response. Discussions from April to May coalesced into a real game by June and team owners rearranged all scheduled games for July 6, allowing top stars to face off that day in Chicago, where the AL triumphed 4-2.
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| Full ticket auctioned for $4300+ in 2004 |
Breathless pregame coverage included complete position-by-position and "who will pitch first?" analysis, echoing what you hear from today's sports reporters. Fans chose each starting nine via newspaper ballots, with pitchers and reserves falling to legendary managers Connie Mack and John McGraw.
As the multi-franchise host city, Chicago assigned on-field staff by league affiliation, so the NL team photo included Cubs batboy Gilbert Hasbrook and team trainer Andy Lotshaw. Almost everyone wore matching "National League" uniforms, perhaps as mandated by McGraw.
Another, crisper view of this august assemblage, sans chapeau. (Credit Wally Berger as the sole player to spot this photo's camera head-on.)
Some names faded faster into baseball history than others, so let's spell them all out.
- Back row, left to right, standing: Gabby Hartnett (Cubs), Jimmie Wilson (Cardinals), Frankie Frisch (Cardinals), Carl Hubbell (Giants), Bill Walker (Cardinals), Paul Waner (Pirates), Woody English (Cubs), Hal Schumacher (Giants), Pie Traynor (Pirates), Andy Lotshaw (trainer in Cubs jacket)
- Middle row, seated on chairs: Bill Hallahan (Cardinals), Dick Bartell (Phillies), Bill Terry (Giants), Bill McKechnie (Braves as coach), John McGraw (Giants manager in suit), Max Carey (Dodgers as coach), Chick Hafey (Reds), Chuck Klein (Phillies), Lefty O'Doul (Giants), Wally Berger (Braves)
- Front row, seated on ground: Gilbert Hasbrook (Cubs batboy), Pepper Martin (Cardinals), Lon Warneke (Cubs), Tony Cuccinello (Dodgers)
Non-All-Star Bill Walker stands out from that crowd in his distinctive Cardinals "birds on a bat" uniform. Based on 1933 game splits, he pitched four-plus innings in Pittsburgh the day prior (July 5), so I think St. Louis player-manager Frankie Frisch brought him along to toss National League batting practice.
The American League team stuck to original team uniforms for their photos, with Comiskey Park's clubhouse attendants (three Colledge brothers, all nicknamed "Sharkey") crashing its photo.
This photo from The Sporting News did a better job than Goudey identifying peripheral participants William Conroy, an 18 year-old future catcher who Connie Mack brought to throw batting practice, and those three "Sharkey" brothers (Ephraim, Art, and Harry Colledge).
- Back row, standing: Sharkey (clubhouse staff), William Conroy (A's uniform), Lou Gehrig (Yankees), Babe Ruth (Yankees), Oral Hildebrand (Indians), Connie Mack (A's manager in suit), Joe Cronin (Senators), Lefty Grove (A's), Sharkey (clubhouse staff), Bill Dickey (Yankees), Al Simmons (White Sox), Lefty Gomez (Yankees), Wes Ferrell (Indians), Jimmy Dykes (White Sox), Sharkey (clubhouse staff)
- Front row, kneeling: Al Schacht (The Clown Prince), Eddie Collins (Red Sox as coach), Tony Lazzeri (Yankees), General Crowder (Senators), Jimmie Foxx (A's), Art Fletcher (coach), Earl Averill (Indians), Ed Rommel (A's as coach), Ben Chapman (Yankees), Rick Ferrell (Red Sox), Sam West (Browns), Charlie Gehringer (Tigers), John McBride (White Sox as batboy)
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| 1958 Topps #256, White Sox team with Colledge & Cuccinello |
2 comments:
I never knew the original All Star Game was part of a World's Fair. I forgot there was one in Chicago in '33.
Imagine if the All-Star Games had been linked with less-frequent Worlds Fairs instead! It would feel more like the World Cup for baseball.
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