As a child, the Major League All-Star Game was always special.
With the 60-game season now in place for this year, hopefully, everything works out and there will be a World Series.
Growing up in the Midwest during the 1970s, I was able to listen to a lot of different teams on the radio. However, we were limited to local television, which meant my favorite team the Cincinnati Reds.
The other TV option was the national games on Saturday and Monday, so there wasn’t a lot of opportunity to watch the teams I followed on the radio. Therefore, the All-Star Game was my only real opportunity.
Earlier this month, it was a bummer to hear that the 2020 All-Star Game in Los Angeles wasn’t going to happen. The Dodgers will now host in 2022, while the Atlanta Braves are still on track for next year.
Since the world seems to be a mess, it’s understandable. I would rather have whatever season we can get through.
For just the second time since the Midsummer Classic began back in 1933, there won’t be a gathering of the best players from each league.
In 1945, travel restrictions due to World War II forced the cancellation of the All-Star contest that was to be in Fenway Park.
The reality of the situation was that there would be no official all-stars named for that season. The Associated Press announced a team and The Sporting News had its usual post-season squad.
There was even reports in early July that the game could be played in Europe since Germany had surrendered. Ultimately what happened was that several teams scheduled exhibitions with the money headed to the American Red Cross.
Never Really an All-Star
Without the all-star game, several players missed out on what turned out to be their once in a lifetime opportunity, while at least one was able to shine in the moment.
Cleveland Indians pitcher Steve Gromek was listed on both the AP and Sporting News teams as he finished with a career-best 19-9 mark.
Unfortunately for Gromek, it would be the only time in his 17-year career that he would be named to an all-star squad even though it’s unofficial. Although the 2020 season will have just 60 contests, I’m hopeful that the powers that be in baseball will make sure there’s an official squad this year.
Despite never making another all-star squad, perhaps Gromek’s top moment was a complete game 2-1 victory in game four of the 1948 World Series as the Indians were on their way to the title. He gave up seven hits and a homer to Marv Rickert in the seventh.
Both Cleveland runs were driven in by future Hall of Fame inductees. Larry Doby hit a solo homer in the third to give the Indians a 2-0 advantage, while player-manager Lou Boudreau knocked in the other run with a RBI double in the first.
After the contest, there was a famous photo that served as an important moment for the integration of baseball with Gormek and Doby embracing.
Gromek was traded to the Detroit Tigers in 1953 and eventually retired in 1957.
Surprise on the Mound
Researching this story in my Indiana hometown newspaper (Palladium-Item), the AP 1945 all-stars are were listed in the July 11 edition.
However, the AP article underneath the list from Washington really caught my attention.
The exhibition contest between the Senators and Brooklyn Dodgers was called a war relief game. The headline, “One-legged Hurler Winner in Debut with Senators.”
My first thought was former big league pitcher Monty Stratton was back in action, but it wasn’t him. The Monty Stratton Story was told on film in 1949 with James Stewart in the title role.
An Indiana native, Senators coach Bert Shepard was the “one-legged” pitcher. According to the story, Shepard lost part of his right leg below the knee when his plane was shot down over Berlin.
The Senators won the affair 4-3 with Shepard earning the victory as he pitched four innings.
A few weeks later on Aug. 4, Shepard got on the mound in a real game against the Boston Red Sox in Griffith Stadium.
With the second game of the twinbill tied at 2-2 heading into the top of the fourth, Boston scored 12 times to put the contest away.
In his only major league game, Shepard struck out George Metkovich to end the fourth. He went on to work five innings giving up a run on just three hits.
Overall, Shepard’s effort didn’t help the Senators cause as they lost 15-4. At the plate, he walked in his initial at bat. He would later strikeout, ground into a double play and then made the final out when hit back to the Boston pitcher Dave Ferriss.
Shepard was honored with the Distinguished Flying Cross between games of a doubleheader when the New York Yankees visited Washington on Aug. 30.