On This Date in Sports July 14, 1953: Ted Williams Returns
Crosley Field in Cincinnati hosts the 20th edition of the midsummer classic. Though he does not play, the game marks the return of Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox after serving in the Korean War. Williams throws out the first pitch four days after returning to the United States. The National League wins its fourth straight All-Star Game by a score of 5-1.
Familiar faces are a part of the show in Cincinnati, with New York Yankees manager Casey Stengel leading the American League. At the same time, Chuck Dressen of the Brooklyn Dodgers was the manager of the National League. Pitching was in command early as Billy Pierce of the Chicago White Sox and Robin Roberts of the Philadelphia Phillies started and pitched three scoreless innings.
Warren Spahn of the Milwaukee Braves took over and continued to shut down the American League with two scoreless innings, while Allie Reynolds of the Yankees put down the NL in order in the fourth but ran into trouble in the fifth inning. It started when Reynolds plunked Eddie Matthews of the Braves with one out. After Gus Bell of the Cincinnati Redlegs popped up, Reynolds continued to create his own trouble with a walk to Enos Slaughter of the St. Louis Cardinals. Richie Ashburn of the Phillies came up as a pinch hitter for Spahn and knocked in the game's first run with a single to center. He was followed by Dodgers shortstop Pee Wee Reese who planted the second run with a single to right. Reynolds escaped further damage by getting Red Schoendienst of the Cardinals to fly out.
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Curt Simmons of the Phillies came on in the sixth and pitched two scoreless innings for the National League, while Mike Garcia of the Cleveland Indians escaped a jam in the sixth by getting Eddie Matthews to hit into a double play. However, in the seventh, the National League pushed across another run as Reese doubled home Slaughter with two outs to make it 3-0. Murry Dickson of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitched a perfect inning in the eighth. In the bottom of the eighth, Satchell Paige of the St. Louis Browns, at the age of 47, became the oldest player to appear in the All-Star Game. Old Satchell struggled in his inning of work, as he allowed two runs, with Slaughter driving home Dodgers catcher Roy Campanella and the opposing pitcher Murry Dickson knocking home Dodgers outfielder Duke Snider. Dickson ended the inning when he was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double.