July 11, 1939. A Tuesday afternoon in the Bronx, and 62,892 people filled Yankee Stadium for the first All-Star Game the building ever hosted. The American League won 3-1. Joe McCarthy started six of his own New York Yankees, Joe DiMaggio homered, and a 20-year-old named Bob Feller got the biggest out of the day with one pitch.
The loudest cheer went to a man who didn't play at all.
A Fair, a Stadium, and a Captain
New York had the World's Fair that summer, out in Flushing Meadows, and baseball wanted a piece of the crowds. So the seventh All-Star Game went to the Stadium. (The city had hosted once before, at the Polo Grounds in 1934. The Bronx had waited long enough.)
The Fair opened on April 30, 1939. That same afternoon, Lou Gehrig went 0-for-4 against Washington in what turned out to be his last big league game. Two days later he took himself out of the lineup in Detroit, ending the streak at 2,130. The ALS diagnosis came in June. On July 4 he stood at home plate and gave the "luckiest man" speech.
One week later he was back at the same plate, carrying a lineup card.
Gehrig had made the first six All-Star teams, and the AL named him to the seventh too. He served as honorary captain, walked the card out to the umpires before the game, and the crowd rose for him -- both leagues' fans, all of them. Then he went back to the bench and watched.
McCarthy Plays Favorites (Correctly)
SABR counts no fewer than nine Yankees on the AL squad, and McCarthy didn't pretend to be neutral about it. His starting lineup had Red Ruffing on the mound, Bill Dickey catching, Joe Gordon at second, Red Rolfe at third, George Selkirk in left, and DiMaggio in center. Hank Greenberg took Gehrig's old spot at first. Joe Cronin and Doc Cramer of the Red Sox rounded it out.
Ted Williams, a rookie in Boston that year, didn't make the team at all.
Baseball Almanac preserves what one fan hollered during the lineup announcements: "Make Joe McCarthy play an All-Star American League team. We can beat them, but we can't beat the Yankees!" He had a point. McCarthy's club was on its way to 106 wins, and the skipper knew exactly whom he trusted.
Yankees Everywhere
The National League struck first. Arky Vaughan led off the third with a single against Ruffing, Stan Hack dropped a bloop into shallow left, and Lonny Frey doubled over first to bring Vaughan home. NL 1, AL 0.
It didn't last. In the fourth, with Cubs right-hander Bill Lee in to relieve Paul Derringer, the AL put two on with two out. Selkirk sent one to right, where Ival Goodman laid out and came up empty, and Dickey scored to tie it. Gordon followed with a ball Vaughan couldn't handle at short, and Greenberg came around. AL 2, NL 1.
In the fifth, with two out, DiMaggio drove a Lee pitch deep into the left-field seats. That was the only home run of the day, and the last run anybody scored. Count them up and Yankees had a hand in all three AL runs -- a Selkirk single, an error on a Gordon ball, and a DiMaggio homer. (The fan in the stands had a better point than he knew.)
Feller's One Pitch
The NL's best chance came in the sixth. Detroit's Tommy Bridges, who'd taken over for Ruffing in the fourth, found himself with the bases loaded and one out. McCarthy went to Cleveland's Bob Feller, the 20-year-old kid with the fastball everybody talked about.
Feller threw one pitch. Vaughan hit it on the ground to Gordon, who started a double play, and the inning was over.
The best thing I could do was come overhand and throw him a fastball, which I did.
He finished the game from there -- 3 2/3 innings, one hit, one walk, two strikeouts, no runs. Bridges got the win, Lee took the loss, and the hero of the afternoon wore a Cleveland uniform. McCarthy barely touched his bench. His position starters went the whole nine innings, and the lone pinch-hitter he used was Myril Hoag, a Brown who'd spent seven seasons in pinstripes. Frankie Crosetti, Lefty Gomez, and Johnny Murphy never got into the game.
| Date | Tuesday, July 11, 1939 |
| Final Score | American League 3, National League 1 |
| Attendance | 62,892 at Yankee Stadium |
| Managers | Joe McCarthy (AL), Gabby Hartnett (NL) |
| Yankee Starters | Ruffing, Dickey, Gordon, Rolfe, Selkirk, DiMaggio |
| Home Run | Joe DiMaggio, solo, 5th inning, off Bill Lee |
| Winning Pitcher | Tommy Bridges (Tigers) |
| Losing Pitcher | Bill Lee (Cubs) |
| Feller's Line | 3 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K |
The Summer It Belonged to the Bronx
The 1939 Yankees went on to sweep Cincinnati for a fourth straight title. The Stadium hosted three more All-Star Games -- 1960, 1977, and the 15-inning farewell in 2008 -- and none of them could match the 1933 original for novelty or 1939 for feeling.
Six Yankees took the field that day. The seventh stood at home plate before the first pitch, handed over a card, and walked back to the dugout.
The Fair Opens, Gehrig Plays His Last Game
The New York World's Fair opens in Flushing Meadows. At the Stadium, Gehrig goes 0-for-4 against Washington in his final major league game.
The Streak Ends
Gehrig takes himself out of the lineup in Detroit, ending his run at 2,130 consecutive games.
The Luckiest Man
Gehrig delivers his farewell speech at Yankee Stadium, one week before the All-Star Game.
Gehrig Carries the Card
As honorary AL captain, Gehrig brings the lineup card to the umpires and draws the loudest ovation of the day.
DiMaggio Goes Deep
DiMaggio's two-out homer off Bill Lee in the fifth makes it 3-1, the game's final score.
Feller's One-Pitch Escape
With the bases loaded and one out in the sixth, Feller gets Arky Vaughan to ground into a double play, then finishes the game.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 1939 All-Star Game?
The American League beat the National League 3-1 on July 11, 1939, at Yankee Stadium before 62,892 fans. Tommy Bridges of the Tigers got the win, Bill Lee of the Cubs took the loss, and Joe DiMaggio hit the game's only home run.
How many Yankees started the 1939 All-Star Game?
Six. AL manager Joe McCarthy started Red Ruffing, Bill Dickey, Joe Gordon, Red Rolfe, George Selkirk, and Joe DiMaggio, and all five position players went the full nine innings.
Did Lou Gehrig play in the 1939 All-Star Game?
No. Gehrig had played his last game on April 30 and been diagnosed with ALS in June. The AL still named him to the team, and he served as honorary captain, delivering the lineup card to the umpires before the game.
What did Bob Feller do in the 1939 All-Star Game?
Feller, 20, entered in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and one out. He got Arky Vaughan to ground into a double play on one pitch, then held the NL to one hit over 3 2/3 scoreless innings to finish the game.