1946 Major League Baseball All-Star Game


The 1946 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 13th playing of the "Midsummer Classic" by Major League Baseball's American League and National League All-Star teams.
The All-Star Game was held on July 9, 1946, at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts the home of the AL's Boston Red Sox. The game resulted in the American League defeating the National League 12–0. This was the game when Ted Williams hit the only home run against Rip Sewell's famed "Eephus Pitch."

Red Sox in the game

The Red Sox hosted the game and were well-represented. Red Sox infielders Bobby Doerr and Johnny Pesky, along with outfielders Ted Williams and Dom DiMaggio, were in the AL starting lineup, while pitchers Dave Ferriss and Mickey Harris along with first baseman Rudy York and catcher Hal Wagner were also named to the team.

Starting lineups

Players in italics have since been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

National League

The umpires changed assignments in the middle of the fifth inning – Summers and Goetz swapped positions, also Boggess and Rommel swapped positions.

Synopsis

The NL threatened in the top of the 1st inning, having two men on with one out, but were unable to score. The AL scored two runs in the bottom of the 1st, on a home run by Charlie Keller. There was then little activity until Ted Williams hit a home run in the bottom of the 4th, followed by the AL sending 9 men to the plate in the bottom of the 5th while scoring 3 runs. The AL later added 6 more runs, with the NL never threatening.
Ted Williams still holds five single-game All-Star Game Records, which were set in this game: hits, home runs, runs, RBI, and total bases. Note that MLB did not name an All-Star Game MVP until 1962.
Because the 1945 All-Star Game was canceled, Boston Braves manager Billy Southworth, who had managed the St. Louis Cardinals in 1944, was named a coach under Charley Grimm, while Steve O'Neill named Luke Sewell of the St. Louis Browns as one of his coaches.