Lefty Gomez
Records may be made to be broken, but there are some that may never realistically be challenged.
Lefty Gomez, who pitched for the New York Yankees at the time, holds one of those marks.
In 1935, Gomez tossed six innings during the all-star game at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium, which remains as the most ever for a contest. The game has changed over the years and the approach to pitching in the mid-summer classic is certainly different today. As a result, the likelihood of anyone being on the mound that long is improbable.
In the 4-1 victory by the American League, Gomez surrendered three hits and gave up a run in the fourth inning on a RBI single by New York Giants first baseman Bill Terry. Appearing in his home ballpark, Mel Harder of the Indians worked the final three frames and gave up just one hit. It was the second of three career all-star game wins for Gomez.
Jimmie Foxx of the Philadelphia A’s was the offensive star for the AL in the contest that was played in front of 69,831 fans. Foxx had a two-run homer in the first and a run-scoring single in the fifth.
Gomez started on the mound in five of the first six all-star games from 1933-1938. He didn’t start in 1936 when Lefty Grove of the Boston Red Sox took the mound.
Ironically, Gomez was only 8-8 when he was selected to start the all-star contest in 1935. He ended the season at 12-15, which was the most losses in his career.
In his 14-year career, Gomez was 189-102 with a 3.34 ERA. He was a member of the Yankees that won the world championship five times in 1932 and from 1936-1939. During World Series action, Gomez won six straight games without a loss.
The 1934 and 1937 seasons were the best for the 1972 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, as he won the pitcher’s triple crown. In 1934, he was 26-5 with a 2.33 ERA and 158 strikeouts. Three years later, he was 21-11 with a 2.33 ERA, while fanning a career-high 194 batters.
After hurling for the Yankees from 1930-1942, Gomez ended his career with the Washington Senators in 1943.