1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game (first game)


The 1959 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 26th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League, the two leagues composing Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 7, 1959, at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, home of the Pittsburgh Pirates of the NL. The game resulted in a 5–4 victory for the National League. An unprecedented second game was scheduled for later in the season in Los Angeles, California.

Background

In a break from tradition, the league scheduled a "doubleheader" as part of an effort to boost the players' pension fund. The first game was held on July 7 at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League. The second game was held on August 3 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, the home of the Los Angeles Dodgers also of the NL. The first game resulted in a 5–4 victory for the NL. The AL won the second game by a score of 5–3. The experiment of staging two All-Star Games each year continued through the 1962 season, after which the playing of one annual game resumed.

Rosters

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

American League

National League

Umpires: Al Barlick, Home Plate ; Ed Runge, First Base ; Augie Donatelli, Second Base ; Joe Paparella, Third Base ; Shag Crawford, Left Field ; Johnny Rice, Right Field

Starting Lineups

Game Summary