Controversy surrounded the 1957 outing as the fanatical Cincinnati voters stuffed the ballot boxes and elected nearly their entire team (minus first baseman George Crowe & the batboy) onto the National League's starting roster. This upset Commissioner Ford Frick greatly and he responded by removing Gus Bell and Wally Post from the starting nine. He also transferred the responsibility for All-Star voting to the players, managers and coaches the next year.
For only the second time in eight years, the American League came up a winner in what was a "one-inning" game (meaning the ninth inning). The American League took a 3-2 lead into the ninth. With Clem Labine pitching, Billy Pierce led off for the junior circuit with an infield single. Then, Gil McDougald was safe when Red Schoendienst fumbled his grounder. Nelson Fox sacrificed the runners up one base and Al Kaline delivered them with a single. Minnie Minoso, who had entered the game defensively in the eighth, drove in Kaline with a double for a 6-2 American League lead.
The National League was determined to mount a comeback as Pierce walked Stan Musial. Then Willie Mays tripled to right, scoring Musial. Mays scored a moment later on a wild pitch to Hank Foiles. He singled and Gus Bell walked. Don Mossi replaced Pierce and struck out Eddie Mathews for the first out. Ernie Banks singled, scoring Foiles and making it 6-5. When Bell tried to go to third on the play, Minoso fielded the ball and fired to Frank Malzone, getting Bell for the second out. Banks went to second on the throw. Gil Hodges was chose to pinch hit for Labine as Bob Grim came in to pitch. He sent a shot to left-center, but Minoso made a spectacular running catch to end the game.
"I can take it if we lose, but I strongly object to our league making a burlesque out of the All-Star Game. I never want to see such an exhibition again." - Commissioner Ford Frick in The Sporting News (Frederick G. Lieb, 07/18/1970)
1957 All-Star Game1957 All-Star Game Official Program |
||
1957 All-Star Game Fast Facts | ||
Game Number | 24 | |
Date / Box Score | 07-09-1957 | |
Location | Busch Stadium | |
Attendance (Rank) | 30,693 | |
M.V.P. Award | Not Awarded Until 1962 | |
League Items | A.L. | N.L. |
Starting Pitchers | Jim Bunning | Curt Simmons |
Managers | Casey Stengel | Walter Alston |
Coaches | Frankie Crosetti | Bobby Bragan |
Jim Turner | Bob Scheffing | |
1957 All-Star Game Fast Facts |
1957 All Star GameLine Score / Box Score |
||||||||||||
1957 All-Star Game Capsule | ||||||||||||
League | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
American | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 0 |
National | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 1 |
A.L. Pitcher(s) | N.L. Pitcher(s) | |||||||||||
Jim Bunning (W) Billy Loes (4th) Early Wynn (7th) Billy Pierce (7th) Don Mossi (9th) Bob Grim (9th) |
Curt Simmons (L) Lew Burdette (2nd) Jack Sanford (6th) Larry Jackson (7th) Clem Labine (9th) - |
|||||||||||
A.L. Home Runs | N.L. Home Runs | |||||||||||
None | None |
1957 All-Star GameAmerican League All-Star Squad |
||||
Lineup | Name | Team | Position | Notes |
7. | Yogi Berra | New York Yankees | C | |
9. | Jim Bunning | Detroit Tigers | P | Starting Pitcher |
Joe DeMaestri | Kansas City Athletics | SS | Did Not Play | |
2. | Nellie Fox | Chicago White Sox | 2B | |
Bob Grim | New York Yankees | P | ||
Elston Howard | New York Yankees | C | Did Not Play | |
3. | Al Kaline | Detroit Tigers | OF | |
8. | George Kell | Baltimore Orioles | 3B | |
1. | Harvey Kuenn | Detroit Tigers | SS | |
Billy Loes | Baltimore Orioles | P | ||
Frank Malzone | Boston Red Sox | 3B | ||
4. | Mickey Mantle | New York Yankees | OF | |
Charlie Maxwell | Detroit Tigers | OF | ||
Gil McDougald | New York Yankees | SS | ||
Minnie Minoso | Chicago White Sox | OF | ||
Don Mossi | Cleveland Indians | P | ||
Billy Pierce | Chicago White Sox | P | ||
Bobby Richardson | New York Yankees | 2B | Did Not Play | |
Bobby Shantz | New York Yankees | P | Did Not Pitch | |
Roy Sievers | Washington Senators | OF | Did Not Play | |
Bill Skowron | New York Yankees | 1B | ||
Gus Triandos | Baltimore Orioles | C | Did Not Play | |
6. | Vic Wertz | Cleveland Indians | 1B | |
5. | Ted Williams | Boston Red Sox | OF | |
Early Wynn | Cleveland Indians | P | ||
BOLD = Fan's choice to start the game (Manager chooses pitcher). |
1957 All-Star GameNational League All-Star Squad |
||||
Lineup | Name | Team | Position | Notes |
2. | Hank Aaron | Milwaukee Braves | OF | |
Johnny Antonelli | New York Giants | P | Did Not Pitch | |
5. | Ed Bailey | Cincinnati Reds | C | |
Ernie Banks | Chicago Cubs | SS | ||
Gus Bell | Cincinnati Reds | OF | ||
Lew Burdette | Milwaukee Braves | P | ||
Gino Cimoli | Brooklyn Dodgers | OF | ||
Hank Foiles | Pittsburgh Pirates | C | ||
7. | Don Hoak | Cincinnati Reds | 3B | |
Gil Hodges | Brooklyn Dodgers | 1B | ||
Larry Jackson | St. Louis Cardinals | P | ||
Clem Labine | Brooklyn Dodgers | P | ||
Johnny Logan | Milwaukee Braves | SS | Did Not Play | |
Eddie Mathews | Milwaukee Braves | 3B | ||
4. | Willie Mays | New York Giants | OF | |
8. | Roy McMillan | Cincinnati Reds | SS | |
Wally Moon | St. Louis Cardinals | OF | ||
3. | Stan Musial | St. Louis Cardinals | 1B | |
6. | Frank Robinson | Cincinnati Reds | OF | |
Jack Sanford | Philadelphia Phillies | P | ||
Red Schoendienst | Milwaukee Braves | 2B | ||
9. | Curt Simmons | Philadelphia Phillies | P | Starting Pitcher |
Hal Smith | St. Louis Cardinals | C | Did Not Play | |
Warren Spahn | Milwaukee Braves | P | Did Not Pitch | |
1. | Johnny Temple | Cincinnati Reds | 2B | |
BOLD = Fan's choice to start the game (Manager chooses pitcher).Game / Box Links: 1957 Box Score | 1957 Play-by-Play |
The quotation made by Ford Frick at the top of the page was in reference to Rip Sewell's "eephus" pitched used during the 1946 All-Star Game.
Total Baseball (1996) wrote, "Cincinnati fans stuffed the ballot boxes." Do you believe the current voting process is fair? Share your opinions with serious fans on our baseball message boards.
The player who was elected by the fans to center field was Gus Bell and the player selected to right field was Wally Post. However, due to the unexpected avalanche of votes Commissioner Frick named Willie Mays and Hank Aaron to the starting positions on his authority.