Baseball Withdrawal Syndrome

For those trying to cope with the postponement of the baseball season, I offer you this consolation.  This website contains radio broadcasts of hundreds of games from 1934 through 1973, starting with the 1934 All-Star game, the second ever played, at the Polo Grounds.  It was in this game that Giants hurler Carl Hubbell struck out Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, and Joe Cronin, all future Hall of Famers, in succession, a feat that stunned the baseball world.  Enjoy!

Hubbell's famous sequence begins in the top of the 1st.  Lead off batter Charlies Gehringer hit a grounder past second baseman Frankie Frisch which was misplayed by centerfielder Wally Berger, allowing Gehringer to reach second on a close play.  Hubbell then walked Heinie Manush to put runners on first and second with Babe Ruth coming to the plate!  At that point player/manager Bill Terry and the other infielders gathered at the mound for a discussion.

Hubbell struck out the Babe on a called third strike and went to 3-2 on Lou Gehrig.  Gehrig swung and missed but Gehringer and Manush pulled off a double steal (another close call at third that led to a beef with the umpire) putting runners on second and third with Jimmie Foxx at bat.  Foxx went down swinging.

And I'd forgotten that Frankie Frisch led off the bottom of the 1st with a home run.  What a exciting start to the game!

In the top of the second, Hubbell struck out Simmons and Cronin before going to two strikes on Bill Dickey who then lashed a single.  Pitcher Lefty Gomez was then fanned by Hubbell.

In the introduction to the game the announcer mentions Babe Ruth's intention to retire at the end of the season.  Babe was coaxed out of retirement by a promise from the owner of the Boston Braves that he'd become the team manager, a promise made in bad faith, and the disappointed Ruth finally retired in June 1935 (for more see Babe Hits Three And Says Goodbye).

It really was a star-studded game.  All nine American League starters (and three of the reserves) are in the Hall of Fame as are all of the National League starters (along with five reserves) with the exception of Wally Berger.

An unusual aspect of the game from today's perspective is that three of the starters were player/managers: Bill Terry (Giants),  Frankie Frisch (Cardinals), and Joe Cronin (Senators).