POINT OF FACT
? Since its inception in 1933 the All-Star Game has been played annually (including two games each season from 1959 through 1962) except for one year. When was that?
•In 1945. Because of wartime restrictions on travel, the game was called off.
? Who were the starting batteries for the first game?
•For the National League it was Pitcher Bill Hallahan (Cardinals) and Catcher Jimmy Wilson (Cardinals) against Lefty Gomez (Yankees) and Rick Ferrell (Red Sox) of the American League.
? Who had the first All-Star home run?
•Babe Ruth, of course. He hit it off Hallahan with one man on base in the third inning of that opening game.
? Which player has the best home-run record?
•Of the four men with three or more homers, Ralph Kiner has the best average (3 in 15 at bats). He is followed by Rocky Colavito (3 for 18), Stan Musial (a record 6 in a record 63 at bats) and Ted Williams (4 for 46).
? Who has the most hits?
•Musial and Willie Mays of the Giants both have 20 hits. Mays's average is .417, exactly 100 points higher than Musial's.
? What pitchers have the best strikeout records?
•Johnny Vander Meer of the Reds, with 11 strikeouts in 8‚Öî innings, and Don Drysdale of the Dodgers, with 14 in 11 innings, lead with an average of 1.3 per inning. Drysdale's total strikeouts are the highest for any pitcher, one better than Bob Feller's 13 in 12‚Öì innings.
? What pitcher gave up the most runs in a game?
•Claude Passeau of the Cubs (1941), Sandy Consuegra of the White Sox (1954) and Whitey Ford of the Yankees (1955) each gave up five runs in one game. Only Passeau...however, was a losing pitcher.