1942 All-Star Game

By the time that the tenth All-Star Game was played in 1942, the United States had been at war for seven months. Military enlistment and the draft had not yet begun the serious depletion of big-league teams that would take place over the next several years. However, enough players had entered the service to warrant a game July 7 in Cleveland between the winning All-Star team and the Service All-Stars, with proceeds going to the Army-Navy relief fund.

American League manager Joe McCarthy and National League manager Leo Durocher went into the game with very different strategies. Durocher used virtually his whole squad, all twenty-two players, while McCarthy played only eleven. McCarthy used only two pitchers, while Durocher used four. Lou Boudreau led off the first inning with a home run and Tommy Henrich doubled. Mort Cooper looked impressive when he retired Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio, but Rudy York sliced a line drive down the right-field line and into the bleachers. The American League maintained their lead and went on to win for the seventh time in ten All-Star Games.

"All managers are losers, they are the most expendable pieces of furniture on the face of the Earth." - Ted Williams
1942 All-Star Game

Polo Grounds

The 1942 Midsummer Classic At-A-Glance

Game Number

10

Date / Box Score

07-06-1942

Location

Polo Grounds

Attendance (Rank)

33,694

M.V.P. Award

Not Awarded Until 1962

Starting Pitchers

Spud Chandler

Mort Cooper

Managers

Joe McCarthy

Leo Durocher

Coaches

Art Fletcher

Bucky Harris

Bill McKechnie

Frankie Frisch

 

1942 All Star Game

Line Score

League

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E

American

3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 7 0

National

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 6 1
Spud Chandler (W)
   Al Benton (5th)
   -
   -

Mort Cooper (L)
   Johnny Vander Meer (4th)
   Claude Passeau (7th)
   Bucky Walters (9th)

Lou Boudreau (1st)
Rudy York (1st)
Mickey Owen (8th)
-

 

1942 All-Star Game

American League All-Star Squad

 

Jim Bagby Cleveland Indians P Did Not Pitch

 

Al Benton Detroit Tigers P  

 

Tiny Bonham New York Yankees P Did Not Pitch

1.

Lou Boudreau Cleveland Indians SS  

9.

Spud Chandler New York Yankees P Starting Pitcher

 

Bill Dickey New York Yankees C Replaced - Injury

 

Dom DiMaggio Boston Red Sox OF Did Not Play

4.

Joe DiMaggio New York Yankees OF  

 

Bobby Doerr Boston Red Sox 2B Did Not Play

6.

Joe Gordon New York Yankees 2B  

2.

Tommy Henrich New York Yankees OF  

 

Sid Hudson Washington Senators P Did Not Pitch

 

Tex Hughson

Boston Red Sox P Did Not Pitch

 

Bob Johnson Philadelphia Athletics OF  

7.

Ken Keltner Cleveland Indians 3B  

 

George McQuinn St. Louis Browns 1B Did Not Play

 

Hal Newhouser

Detroit Tigers P Did Not Pitch

 

Phil Rizzuto New York Yankees SS Did Not Play

 

Buddy Rosar New York Yankees C Did Not Play

 

Red Ruffing New York Yankees P Did Not Pitch

 

Eddie Smith Chicago White Sox P Did Not Pitch

 

Stan Spence Washington Senators OF Did Not Play

8.

Birdie Tebbetts Detroit Tigers C  

 

Hal Wagner Philadelphia Athletics C Replaced Dickey

3.

Ted Williams Boston Red Sox OF  

5.

Rudy York Detroit Tigers 1B  

BOLD = Fan's / manager's choice to start the game.

 

1942 All-Star Game

National League All-Star Squad

1.

Jimmy Brown St. Louis Cardinals 2B  

9.

Mort Cooper St. Louis Cardinals P Starting Pitcher

7.

Walker Cooper St. Louis Cardinals C  

 

Paul Derringer Cincinnati Reds P Replaced - Injury

 

Bob Elliott Pittsburgh Pirates 3B  

 

Billy Herman Brooklyn Dodgers 2B  

 

Carl Hubbell New York Giants P Did Not Pitch

 

Danny Litwhiler Philadelphia Phillies OF  

 

Ernie Lombardi Boston Braves C  

 

Willard Marshall New York Giants OF  

 

Frank McCormick Cincinnati Reds 1B  

6.

Joe Medwick Brooklyn Dodgers OF  

 

Cliff Melton New York Giants P Did Not Pitch

8.

Eddie Miller Boston Braves SS  

4.

Johnny Mize New York Giants 1B  

 

Terry Moore St. Louis Cardinals OF  

5.

Mel Ott New York Giants OF  

 

Mickey Owen Brooklyn Dodgers C  

 

Claude Passeau Chicago Cubs P  

 

Pee Wee Reese Brooklyn Dodgers SS  

3.

Pete Reiser Brooklyn Dodgers OF  

 

Enos Slaughter St. Louis Cardinals OF  

 

Ray Starr Cincinnati Reds P Replaced Derringer

 

Johnny Vander Meer Cincinnati Reds P  

2.

Arky Vaughan Brooklyn Dodgers 3B  

 

Bucky Walters

Cincinnati Reds P  

 

Whit Wyatt Brooklyn Dodgers P Did Not Pitch

BOLD = Fan's / manager's choice to start the game.



Did you know that this game was originally scheduled to be played in Brooklyn? Larry MacPhail moved the game to the Polo Grounds due to its larger capacity and the fact that the proceeds from the game were to aid the war effort.

What happened to the three inning rule regarding pitchers? It was suspended because the winning team was scheduled to play an All-Star team made up of Army and Navy serviceman.

The run scored by the Nationals came in the eighth inning when Mickey Owen pinch-hit one into the left field stands. However, he had not and would not hit another home run during the entire regular season.