1959 All-Star Game

1959 All-Star Game

When the Midsummer Classic came to the Steel City in 1959, the fans were expecting a game worthy of the title "All-Star". After all, the previous year's thirteen-hit sleeper had left the fans with a lot to be desired.

In an attempt to rejuvenate their interest, the league administration had decided on a doubleheader (over a two day period) which seemed like a good idea at the time.

Game 1 featured spectacular pitching by the National League's Don Drysdale who was making the first of eight All-Star appearances. He worked three hitless innings while striking out four. Unexpectedly, the National League took a 3-1 lead into the ninth, only to have the American League score three runs. However the National League came back to win it against Whitey Ford in the ninth. First, Ken Boyer singled and moved up on a sacrifice. Then, Hank Aaron tied it with a single, scoring Boyer. Finally, Willie Mays stepped up who was 3-for-3 against Ford in three other All-Star Games. He made it four-for-four with a triple that scored Aaron. Don Elston came in for the National League in the ninth and retired the side.

Game 2 of the doubleheader was played on August 3. For this game, the managers were not bound to a voted-in starting lineup. They could start whomever they pleased from the All-Star rosters.

Unlike the first game, the American League took a lead into the top of the seventh and scored another run as Tony Kubek walked and advanced to second on an errant pickoff attempt. Kubek reached third and Pete Runnels reached first on an Ernie Banks fielding error. Next, Nelson Fox singled Kubek in for a 4-2 lead. The National League tightened it on Jim Gilliam's homer in the bottom of the seventh, however the American League quickly got it back on Rocky Colavito's homer in the top of the eighth.

Both fans and press shared mixed emotions about the new "doubleheader" format, but they were happy that both games had exceeded the pace of the year before. Some felt it was a meaningless series as both teams walked away with a victory.

"This ball club (Tigers) has been so fair and decent to me that I'd prefer to have you give it (his salary) to me when I rate it." - Al Kaline

1959 All-Star Game #1 The 1959 Midsummer Classic At-A-Glance
1959 All-Star Game #1 Fast Facts
Game Number	26
Date / Box Score	07-07-1959
Location	Forbes Field
Attendance (Rank)	35,277
M.V.P. Award	Not Awarded Until 1962
League Items	A.L.	N.L.
Starting Pitchers	Early Wynn	Don Drysdale
Managers	Casey Stengel	Fred Haney
Coaches	Harry Craft	Danny Murtaugh
	Tony Cuccinello	Eddie Sawyer
1959 All-Star Game #1 Fast Facts

1959 All-Star Game #1 Line Score
1959 All-Star Game #1 Capsule
League	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
American	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	3	0	4	8	0
National	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	x	5	9	1
A.L. Pitcher(s)						N.L. Pitcher(s)
Early Wynn Ryne Duren (4th) Jim Bunning (7th) Whitey Ford (L, 8th) Bud Daley (8th)						Don Drysdale Lew Burdette (4th) Roy Face (7th) Johnny Antonelli (W, 8th) Don Elston (S, 9th)
A.L. Home Runs						N.L. Home Runs
Al Kaline (4th)						Eddie Mathews (1st)

1959 All-Star Game #1 American League All-Star Squad
Lineup	Name	Team	Position	Notes
8.	Luis Aparicio	Chicago White Sox	SS
	Yogi Berra	New York Yankees	C	Did Not Play
	Jim Bunning	Detroit Tigers	P
5.	Rocky Colavito	Cleveland Indians	OF
	Bud Daley	Kansas City Athletics	P
	Ryne Duren	New York Yankees	P
	Whitey Ford	New York Yankees	P
2.	Nellie Fox	Chicago White Sox	2B
3.	Al Kaline	Detroit Tigers	OF
7.	Harmon Killebrew	Washington Senators	3B
	Harvey Kuenn	Detroit Tigers	OF
	Sherm Lollar	Chicago White Sox	C
	Frank Malzone	Boston Red Sox	3B
	Mickey Mantle	New York Yankees	OF
	Gil McDougald	New York Yankees	SS
1.	Minnie Minoso	Cleveland Indians	OF
	Billy Pierce	Chicago White Sox	P	Did Not Pitch
	Vic Power	Cleveland Indians	1B
	Pete Runnels	Boston Red Sox	2B
	Roy Sievers	Washington Senators	1B
4.	Bill Skowron	New York Yankees	1B
6.	Gus Triandos	Baltimore Orioles	C
	Hoyt Wilhelm	Baltimore Orioles	P	Did Not Pitch
	Ted Williams	Boston Red Sox	OF
9.	Early Wynn	Chicago White Sox	P	Starting Pitcher
BOLD = Manager / player / coach choice to start the game.

1959 All-Star Game #1 National League All-Star Squad
Lineup	Name	Team	Position	Notes
3.	Hank Aaron	Milwaukee Braves	OF
	Johnny Antonelli	San Francisco Giants	P
5.	Ernie Banks	Chicago Cubs	SS
	Ken Boyer	St. Louis Cardinals	3B
	Lew Burdette	Milwaukee Braves	P
	Smoky Burgess	Pittsburgh Pirates	C	Did Not Play
6.	Orlando Cepeda	San Francisco Giants	1B
	Gene Conley	Philadelphia Phillies	P	Did Not Pitch
8.	Del Crandall	Milwaukee Braves	C
	Joe Cunningham	St. Louis Cardinals	OF	Did Not Play
9.	Don Drysdale	Los Angeles Dodgers	P	Starting Pitcher
	Don Elston	Chicago Cubs	P	Replaced Mizell
	Roy Face	Pittsburgh Pirates	P
	Dick Groat	Pittsburgh Pirates	SS
2.	Eddie Mathews	Milwaukee Braves	3B
4.	Willie Mays	San Francisco Giants	OF
	Bill Mazeroski	Pittsburgh Pirates	2B
	Vinegar Bend Mizell	St. Louis Cardinals	P	Replaced - Injury
6.	Wally Moon	Los Angeles Dodgers	OF
	Stan Musial	St. Louis Cardinals	1B
	Vada Pinson	Cincinnati Reds	OF	Did Not Play
	Frank Robinson	Cincinnati Reds	1B	Did Not Play
	Hal Smith	St. Louis Cardinals	C	Did Not Play
	Warren Spahn	Milwaukee Braves	P	Did Not Pitch
1.	Johnny Temple	Cincinnati Reds	2B
	Bill White	St. Louis Cardinals	OF	Did Not Play
BOLD = Manager / player / coach choice to start the game.

1959 All-Star Game #2 1959 All-Star Game Official Program
1959 All-Star Game #2 Fast Facts
Game Number	27
Date / Box Score	08-03-1959
Location	Memorial Coliseum
Attendance	55,105
M.V.P. Award	Not Awarded Until 1962
League Items	A.L.	N.L.
Starting Pitchers	Jerry Walker	Don Drysdale
Managers	Casey Stengel	Fred Haney
Coaches	Frankie Crosetti	John Fitzpatrick
	Cookie Lavagetto	Billy Herman
1959 All-Star Game #2 Fast Facts

1959 All-Star Game #2 Line Score
1959 All-Star Game #2 Capsule
League	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
American	0	1	2	0	0	0	1	1	0	5	6	0
National	1	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	3	6	3
A.L. Pitcher(s)						N.L. Pitcher(s)
Jerry Walker (W) Early Wynn (4th) Hoyt Wilhelm (6th) Billy O'Dell (7th) Cal McLish (S, 8th)						Don Drysdale (L) Gene Conley (4th) Sam Jones (6th) Roy Face (8th) -
A.L. Home Runs						N.L. Home Runs
Frank Malzone (2nd) Yogi Berra (3rd) Rocky Colavito (8th)						Frank Robinson (5th) Jim Gilliam (7th) -

1959 All-Star Game #2 American League All-Star Squad
Lineup	Name	Team	Position	Notes
	Bob Allison	Washington Senators	OF	Did Not Play
8.	Luis Aparicio	Chicago White Sox	SS
4.	Yogi Berra	New York Yankees	C
	Rocky Colavito	Cleveland Indians	OF
	Bud Daley	Kansas City Athletics	P	Did Not Pitch
	Ryne Duren	New York Yankees	P	Did Not Pitch
2.	Nellie Fox	Chicago White Sox	2B
	Elston Howard	New York Yankees	C-OF	Did Not Play
	Al Kaline	Detroit Tigers	OF
	Harmon Killebrew	Washington Senators	3B	Did Not Play
	Tony Kubek	New York Yankees	SS
	Sherm Lollar	Chicago White Sox	C
7.	Frank Malzone	Boston Red Sox	3B
5.	Mickey Mantle	New York Yankees	OF
6.	Roger Maris	Kansas City Athletics	OF
	Cal McLish	Cleveland Indians	P
	Minnie Minoso	Cleveland Indians	OF	Did Not Play
	Billy O'Dell	Baltimore Orioles	P
	Camilo Pascual	Washington Senators	P	Replaced - Injury
	Vic Power	Cleveland Indians	1B
	Pedro Ramos	Washington Senators	P	Replaced Pascual
	Bobby Richardson	New York Yankees	2B	Did Not Play
1.	Pete Runnels	Boston Red Sox	2B
	Roy Sievers	Washington Senators	1B	Did Not Play
9.	Jerry Walker	Baltimore Orioles	P	Starting Pitcher
	Hoyt Wilhelm	Baltimore Orioles	P
3.	Ted Williams	Boston Red Sox	OF
	Gene Woodling	Baltimore Orioles	OF
	Early Wynn	Chicago White Sox	P
BOLD = Manager / player / coach choice to start the game.

1959 All-Star Game #2 National League All-Star Squad
Lineup	Name	Team	Position	Notes
3.	Hank Aaron	Milwaukee Braves	OF
	Johnny Antonelli	San Francisco Giants	P	Did Not Pitch
5.	Ernie Banks	Chicago Cubs	SS
2.	Ken Boyer	St. Louis Cardinals	3B
	Lew Burdette	Milwaukee Braves	P	Did Not Pitch
	Smoky Burgess	Pittsburgh Pirates	C
	Orlando Cepeda	San Francisco Giants	1B	Did Not Play
	Gene Conley	Philadelphia Phillies	P
8.	Del Crandall	Milwaukee Braves	C
	Joe Cunningham	St. Louis Cardinals	OF
9.	Don Drysdale	Los Angeles Dodgers	P	Starting Pitcher
	Don Elston	Chicago Cubs	P	Did Not Pitch
	Roy Face	Pittsburgh Pirates	P
	Jim Gilliam	Los Angeles Dodgers	IF-OF
	Dick Groat	Pittsburgh Pirates	SS
	Sam Jones	San Francisco Giants	P
	Johnny Logan	Milwaukee Braves	SS	Did Not Play
	Eddie Mathews	Milwaukee Braves	3B
4.	Willie Mays	San Francisco Giants	OF
	Bill Mazeroski	Pittsburgh Pirates	2B	Did Not Play
	Vinegar Bend Mizell	St. Louis Cardinals	P	Replaced - Injury
7.	Wally Moon	Los Angeles Dodgers	OF
6.	Stan Musial	St. Louis Cardinals	1B
	Charlie Neal	Los Angeles Dodgers	SS
	Vada Pinson	Cincinnati Reds	OF
	Frank Robinson	Cincinnati Reds	1B
	Hal Smith	St. Louis Cardinals	C
	Warren Spahn	Milwaukee Braves	P	Did Not Pitch
1.	Johnny Temple	Cincinnati Reds	2B
BOLD = Manager / player / coach choice to start the game.

During Game #1, Don Drysdale dominated the mound pitching three spectacular innings: no hits, no runs, no walks, and four strikeouts. On the other team, Hall of Fame pitcher Whitey Ford pitched one-third of an inning, allowed three hits, two runs, and a game winning triple hit by Willie Mays.

Game #2 was the first Midsummer Classic ever played during the month of August, the first ever played on the west coast of the United States and the first to have the same pitcher start both ends of a doubleheader (Don Drysdale) All-Star contest.

Was the two game format a good idea? Should they bring it back or was it a huge mistake to begin with? Voice your opinion on our baseball message boards.

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