1951 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
Encyclopedia
The 1951 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 18th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars
of the American League
(AL) and National League
(NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball
. The game was held on July 10, 1951, at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan
the home of the Detroit Tigers
of the American League. The game resulted in the National League defeating the American League 8-3.
. The City of Detroit was celebrating the 250th anniversary of its founding in 1701 and requested to host the year's All-Star Game. Although the National League was scheduled to host the game in '51, the game was moved to Detroit. The Phillies hosted the 1952 Game
.
Long-time Tigers player Harry Heilmann
died at age 56 in Detroit the day prior to the game. A moment of silence was observed in Heilmann's memory prior to the game's start.
The American League was 7-5 favorites to win the game. The ceremonial first pitch was delivered by Ty Cobb
. Chico Carrasquel
became the first Latin American player in Major League history to start in an All-Star game.
{| cellpadding="10"
|- align="left" style="vertical-align: top"
|
{| cellpadding="1" width="500px" style="font-size: 90%; border: 1px solid gray;"
|- align="center" style="font-size: larger;"
| colspan=2 | National League
|| ||American League
|- style="background:lightblue;"
| Player || Team || Pos || Player || Team || Pos
|-
| Richie Ashburn
|| Philadelphia Phillies || CF || Dom DiMaggio
|| Boston Red Sox || CF
|-
| Alvin Dark
|| New York Giants || SS || Nellie Fox
|| Chicago White Sox || 2B
|-
| Stan Musial
|| St. Louis Cardinals || LF || George Kell
|| Detroit Tigers || 3B
|-
| Jackie Robinson
|| Brooklyn Dodgers || 2B || Ted Williams
|| Boston Red Sox || LF
|-
| Gil Hodges
|| Brooklyn Dodgers || 1B || Yogi Berra
|| New York Yankees || C
|-
| Bob Elliott
|| Boston Braves || 3B || Vic Wertz
|| Detroit Tigers || RF
|-
| Del Ennis
|| Philadelphia Phillies || RF || Ferris Fain
|| Philadelphia Athletics || 1B
|-
| Roy Campanella
|| Brooklyn Dodgers || C || Chico Carrasquel
|| Chicago White Sox || SS
|-
| Robin Roberts || Philadelphia Phillies || P || Ned Garver
|| St. Louis Browns || P
|-
|}
|-
! colspan="10" style="background-color: #A50024; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: center;" | 1951 National League All-Star Game roster
|-
| valign="top" | Pitchers * * * *
Catchers *
| width="25px" |
| valign="top" |
Infielders
Outfielders
| width="25px" |
| valign="top" |
Manager
Coaches
|-
|}
{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! colspan="10" style="background-color: #0d2b56; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: center;" | 1951 American League All-Star Game roster
|-
| valign="top" | Pitchers * * *
Catchers
| width="25px" |
| valign="top" |
Infielders
Outfielders *
| width="25px" |
| valign="top" |
Manager
Coaches
|-
|}
|valign="top"|
{| cellpadding="10"
|- align="left" style="vertical-align: top"
|
|
{| cellpadding="1" width="350px" style="font-size: 90%; border: 1px solid gray;"
|- align="center" style="font-size: larger;"
| colspan=6 | How the runs scored
|- style="background:lightblue;"
| Team || Inning || Play || NL || AL
|- align="center" style="vertical-align: middle;" style="background:lightblue;"
|-
| NL || 1st || Ashburn scored on E4 || 1 || 0
|-
| AL || 2nd || Fain tripled, Berra scored || 1 || 1
|-
| NL || 4th || Musial homered; Elliott homered, Hodges scored || 4 || 1
|-
| AL || 4th || Wertz homered || 4 || 2
|-
| AL || 5th || Kell homered || 4 || 3
|-
| NL || 6th || Hodges homered, Robinson scored || 6 || 3
|-
| NL || 7th || Robinson singled, Ashburn scored || 7 || 3
|-
| NL || 8th || Kiner homered || 8 || 3
|-
|}
Play-by-play at Retrosheet
All-star game
An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league, except in the circumstances of professional sports systems in which a democratic voting system is used...
of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
(AL) and National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
(NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. The game was held on July 10, 1951, at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
the home of the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
of the American League. The game resulted in the National League defeating the American League 8-3.
Summary
The 1951 game was originally awarded to the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. The City of Detroit was celebrating the 250th anniversary of its founding in 1701 and requested to host the year's All-Star Game. Although the National League was scheduled to host the game in '51, the game was moved to Detroit. The Phillies hosted the 1952 Game
1952 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1952 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 19th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 8, 1952, at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania the home of...
.
Long-time Tigers player Harry Heilmann
Harry Heilmann
Harry Edwin Heilmann , nicknamed “Slug,” was a Major League Baseball player who played 17 seasons with the Detroit Tigers and Cincinnati Reds . He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1952.Heilmann was a line drive hitter who won four American League batting crowns: in 1921, 1923, 1925 and...
died at age 56 in Detroit the day prior to the game. A moment of silence was observed in Heilmann's memory prior to the game's start.
The American League was 7-5 favorites to win the game. The ceremonial first pitch was delivered by Ty Cobb
Ty Cobb
Tyrus Raymond "Ty" Cobb , nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," was an American Major League Baseball outfielder. He was born in Narrows, Georgia...
. Chico Carrasquel
Chico Carrasquel
Alfonso Carrasquel Colón, better known as Chico Carrasquel was a Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Chicago White Sox , Cleveland Indians , Kansas City Athletics and the Baltimore Orioles...
became the first Latin American player in Major League history to start in an All-Star game.
Opening Lineups
{|{| cellpadding="10"
|- align="left" style="vertical-align: top"
|
{| cellpadding="1" width="500px" style="font-size: 90%; border: 1px solid gray;"
|- align="center" style="font-size: larger;"
| colspan=2 | National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
|| ||American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
|- style="background:lightblue;"
| Player || Team || Pos || Player || Team || Pos
|-
| Richie Ashburn
Richie Ashburn
Don Richard "Richie" Ashburn , also known by the nicknames, "Putt-Putt", "The Tilden Flash", and "Whitey" due to his light-blond hair, was an American center fielder in Major League Baseball. He was born in Tilden, Nebraska...
|| Philadelphia Phillies || CF || Dom DiMaggio
Dom DiMaggio
Dominic Paul DiMaggio , nicknamed "The Little Professor", was a Major League Baseball center fielder. He played his entire 11-year baseball career for the Boston Red Sox...
|| Boston Red Sox || CF
|-
| Alvin Dark
Alvin Dark
Alvin Ralph Dark , nicknamed "Blackie" and "The Swamp Fox", is a former shortstop and manager in Major League Baseball who played for five National League teams from 1946 to 1960. Named the major leagues' Rookie of the Year with the Boston Braves when he batted .322...
|| New York Giants || SS || Nellie Fox
Nellie Fox
Jacob Nelson Fox was a Major League Baseball second baseman for the Chicago White Sox. Fox was born in St. Thomas Township, Pennsylvania. He was selected as the MVP of the American League in...
|| Chicago White Sox || 2B
|-
| Stan Musial
Stan Musial
Stanley Frank "Stan" Musial is a retired professional baseball player who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals . Nicknamed "Stan the Man", Musial was a record 24-time All-Star selection , and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball...
|| St. Louis Cardinals || LF || George Kell
George Kell
George Clyde Kell was an American baseball third baseman who played for the Philadelphia Athletics , Detroit Tigers , Boston Red Sox , Chicago White Sox , and Baltimore Orioles in the American League, who went on to become a baseball broadcaster for 40 years.-Playing career:In college, Kell...
|| Detroit Tigers || 3B
|-
| Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
|| Brooklyn Dodgers || 2B || Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
|| Boston Red Sox || LF
|-
| Gil Hodges
Gil Hodges
Gilbert Ray Hodges was an American Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. During an 18-year baseball career, he played in 1943 and from 1947–63, spending most of his career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
|| Brooklyn Dodgers || 1B || Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
|| New York Yankees || C
|-
| Bob Elliott
Bob Elliott (baseball)
Robert Irving Elliott was an American third baseman and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played most of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Boston Braves. He contributed some of the happiest memories to the Braves' final Boston years, winning the 1947 National League Most Valuable...
|| Boston Braves || 3B || Vic Wertz
Vic Wertz
Victor Woodrow Wertz was a Major League Baseball first baseman and outfielder. He had a seventeen year career from 1947 to 1963. He was signed as a free agent by the Detroit Tigers in 1942 and played for the Tigers, St...
|| Detroit Tigers || RF
|-
| Del Ennis
Del Ennis
Delmer Ennis was an American left and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Philadelphia Phillies. From 1949 to 1957, Ennis accumulated more runs batted in than anyone besides Stan Musial and was 8th in the National League in home runs...
|| Philadelphia Phillies || RF || Ferris Fain
Ferris Fain
Ferris Roy Fain was an American first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for nine seasons in the American League with the Philadelphia Athletics, Chicago White Sox, Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians...
|| Philadelphia Athletics || 1B
|-
| Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella
Roy Campanella , nicknamed "Campy", was an American baseball player, primarily at the position of catcher, in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball...
|| Brooklyn Dodgers || C || Chico Carrasquel
Chico Carrasquel
Alfonso Carrasquel Colón, better known as Chico Carrasquel was a Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Chicago White Sox , Cleveland Indians , Kansas City Athletics and the Baltimore Orioles...
|| Chicago White Sox || SS
|-
| Robin Roberts || Philadelphia Phillies || P || Ned Garver
Ned Garver
Ned Franklin Garver was an American League pitcher playing from 1948 to 1961 winning 129 games in his major league career. Most of his career was spent playing for perennial second-division teams like the St. Louis Browns and Kansas City Athletics.In 1951, Garver fashioned an outstanding season....
|| St. Louis Browns || P
|-
|}
Rosters
{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%;"|-
! colspan="10" style="background-color: #A50024; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: center;" | 1951 National League All-Star Game roster
|-
| valign="top" | Pitchers * * * *
Catchers *
| width="25px" |
| valign="top" |
Infielders
Outfielders
| width="25px" |
| valign="top" |
Manager
Coaches
- Did not play
|-
|}
{| class="toccolours" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! colspan="10" style="background-color: #0d2b56; color: #FFFFFF; text-align: center;" | 1951 American League All-Star Game roster
|-
| valign="top" | Pitchers * * *
Catchers
| width="25px" |
| valign="top" |
Infielders
Outfielders *
| width="25px" |
| valign="top" |
Manager
Coaches
- Did not play
|-
|}
Line Score
{||valign="top"|
{| cellpadding="10"
|- align="left" style="vertical-align: top"
|
|
{| cellpadding="1" width="350px" style="font-size: 90%; border: 1px solid gray;"
|- align="center" style="font-size: larger;"
| colspan=6 | How the runs scored
|- style="background:lightblue;"
| Team || Inning || Play || NL || AL
|- align="center" style="vertical-align: middle;" style="background:lightblue;"
|-
| NL || 1st || Ashburn scored on E4 || 1 || 0
|-
| AL || 2nd || Fain tripled, Berra scored || 1 || 1
|-
| NL || 4th || Musial homered; Elliott homered, Hodges scored || 4 || 1
|-
| AL || 4th || Wertz homered || 4 || 2
|-
| AL || 5th || Kell homered || 4 || 3
|-
| NL || 6th || Hodges homered, Robinson scored || 6 || 3
|-
| NL || 7th || Robinson singled, Ashburn scored || 7 || 3
|-
| NL || 8th || Kiner homered || 8 || 3
|-
|}
Play-by-play at Retrosheet