1959 All-Star Game #2
About 10 days ago I posted a photo from the first of the two 1959 All-Star games, which was played at Forbes Field. The National League won that game 5-4. Here’s a photo from the second game which came to me from Jon Oye via Jan Finkel:
L-R: Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Stan Musial, Willie Mays.
Game #2 of the All-Star “Doubleheader” was played on August 3 at Memorial Coliseum, home of the newly-transplanted Dodgers in front of 55,105 fans. For this game, the managers Casey Stengel and Fred Haney were not bound to a voted-in starting lineup. They could start whoever they pleased from the All-Star rosters.
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, Nellie 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, but the American League quickly got it back on Rocky Colavito’s homer in the top of the eighth and hung on to win.
The winning pitcher was Jerry Walker of the Orioles and the loser was Dodger Don Drysdale (Drysdale was the winner of the first game). Home runs were hit by Frank Malzone, Yogi Berra, Rocky Colavito, Frank Robinson, and Jim Gilliam.
Game #2 was the first Midsummer Classic ever played during the month of August, and the first ever played on the west coast.
Information: Excerpts edited from Baseball Almanac, 1959 All-Star Game page.
Gary Livacari
