Let’s Revisit the Classic 1941 All-Star Game!

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Ted Williams and 1941 All-Star game Photo Gallery
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 Let’s Revisit the Classic 1941 All-Star Game!

“That home run was the most thrilling hit of my life!” –Ted Williams, speaking of his homer to win the 1941 All-Star game.

Before we put All-Star week completely into our rear-view mirrors, here’s one last look at what is considered the most electrifying finish ever to an All-Star game: Ted Williams’ walk-off homer to win the 1941 Midsummer Classic.

As some of you remember from my last post, the idea for an All-Star game was the brain-child of Arch Ward, the sports editor of the Chicago Tribune. It was originally Ward’s intention that the game be a one-time event to boost morale during the Great Depression in 1933; but, as we know, it proved to be so popular that it became an annual event, the greatest All-Star game of any professional sport. And because of the intense rivalry between the two leagues, the game grew to hold immense importance throughout the baseball world.

That brings us to 1941 and the ninth All-Star game, played at Detroit’s Briggs Stadium on July 8, 1941. There were 18 future Hall-of-Famers on the field that day, eight for the National League and 10 for the American League. Ted Williams was having a season for the record books, on his way to a .406 batting average, the last player to hit over .400. In his second All-Star game, he was hitting .405 at the break.

The starter for Del Baker’s American League was the great Bob Feller; while Whit Wyatt took the mound for Bill McKechnie’s National Leaguers. The Senior Circuit held on to a 5-3 lead as the American League came to bat in the bottom of the ninth, with the Cubs’ Claude Passeau on the mound hoping to close out the game.  Here’s what happened next:

With one out, Ken Keltner and Joe Gordon singled, followed by a walk to Cecil Travis, loading the bases for always dangerous Joe DiMaggio, with Ted Williams on deck. DiMaggio hit what appeared to be a certain double play ball that would have ended the game. But fate intervened and Billy Herman’s wide throw to first allowed Joe to reach on a force out…and so the game continued. Keltner scored on the play, making it 5-4.

That errant throw set the stage for Ted Williams’ heroics. He proceeded to send a Passeau fastball into the upper right-field stands. 54, 674 ecstatic American League fans erupted into cheers as the 5-4 National League lead quickly turned into a 7-5 American League win!

Here’s how Ted Williams remembered the dramatic homer:

“It was the kind of thing a kid dreams about and imagines himself doing when playing those little playground games we used to play in San Diego. Halfway down to first, seeing the ball going out, I stopped running and started leaping and jumping and clapping my hands…I’ve never been so happy and I’ve never seen so many happy guys. It was a wonderful, wonderful day for me.”

Ted Williams finished the game 2-4, with a home run, double, walk, and 4 RBIs, negating a two home run day for Arky Vaughan. American League manager Del Baker actually hugged and kissed Ted in the locker room following the game.

Of course, this was back in the days when victory in the All-Star game actually  meant something to the fans and the players!

Gary Livacari

Photo Credits: All from Google search

Information: Excerpts edited from the 1941 All-Star game Wikipedia page.

Check out my two books, both now available on Amazon in e-book and paperback:  “Paul Pryor in His Own Words: The Life and TImes of a 20-Year Major League Umpire” and “Memorable World Series Moments.” All profits go to the Illinois Veterans Foundation