Brooklyn Dodgers & New York Giants 1949 All-Stars Pose Together
Selected For All Star Game
New York – July 2 – Quartet of National League ball players selected to play in the All-Star game at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn July 12, get together today at the Polo Grounds before the Giant- Dodger game. Left to right are; Jackie Robinson Dodgers’ second baseman; Pee Wee Reese Dodgers’ shortstop; Willard Marshall Giants outfielder and Johnny Mize Giants first sacker. photo: AP wirephoto
The All-Star game was played during the day starting at 1:30 P.M. on Tuesday, July 12, 1949. Even with rainy weather, 32,577 fans jammed Ebbets Field. And unlike today where the All-Star game is a joke with opposing players hugging one another during the game, this was a serious competition where each team wanted to win at all costs and show they were the superior league.
The Giants and Dodgers, fierce crosstown rivals became comrades in their hope of destroying the American League.
The man who is out of sorts here among three eventual Hall of Famers is Willard Marshall. You might be wondering how right fielder Willard Marshall was selected to be in the starting line-up. All Marshall did in 71 games up to the All-Star game was bat .328 with an OPS of .961 along with 50 runs scored, 9 homers and 43 RBIs.
Of the four starters shown, Robinson had the best day, hitting a double and scoring three runs. But it was in a losing effort. It was a close battle up until the top of the seventh inning when the American League put up three runs, taking an 11-7 lead which ended up being the final score. The National League defense did not help. They made a record five errors in the field. Total time of the game: three hours and four minutes.
