July 25, 1964 - There were some unusual aspects, all good, to today’s Old-Timers’ Day at Shea Stadium, in which former American and National League all-stars “replayed” the All-Star Game of 1939. (Pictured below, left to right, are Hank Greenberg, Mel Harder, and Joe DiMaggio.)
For one thing, the two-inning game, which ended in a scoreless tie, turned out to be a defensive marvel. There were three double plays, an old-timers’ game record, and a run-preventing, tumbling catch by Terry Moore in center field.
For another, attendance was as close to perfect as any such occasion has produced.
Most old-timer days, whatever their theme, draw upon former players whose age covers a wide range and whose availability varies greatly.
In this case, the best players of 25 years ago formed a group comparatively young, certainly by old-timer standards. And since almost half of them are still active in organized baseball in some capacity, nearly all of the participants in the 1939 game still alive were on hand.
Both managers, Joe McCarthy of the Yankees and Gabby Hartnett of the Cubs, looked only a fraction of 25 years older. Of the 50 players on the 1939 all-star squads, 37 were at Shea today. Of the 13 who weren’t, five are deceased — Mel Ott, Arky Vaughan, Buck Newsom, Frank Hayes, and Morrie Arnovich.
The game began with Johnny Vander Meer, who pitched two successive no-hitters the month before the1939 All-Star Game, facing the Americans. He retired Roger Cramer on a grounder, walked Red Rolfe, then faced Joe DiMaggio. Joe hit a vicious one-hop liner — not at all like an old-timer — right at Stan Hack, the third baseman, and Stan calmly started a double play.
DiMaggio did not play the outfield, however. His place was taken by George McQuinn, who showed something new in old-timer games: He played a very shallow center and was in perfect position to catch short flies by Hack and Lonnie Frey, the first two men to face Bob Feller.
When Dolph Camilli, one of the best-conditioned old-timers, grounded to Hank Greenberg at first, Feller hustled over from the mound to make the putout at first base.
Al Schacht, who umpired behind home plate, did most of his clowning at the beginning. Even before the game began, he angrily ejected George Jessel, who was acting as bat boy for both teams. The celebrated comedian got even by thumbing his nose at the pitcher-turned-restaurateur.
The other three umpires were Eddie Rommel, Cal Hubbard, and George Magerkurth, whose famous argument with Billy Jurges in the Polo Grounds led to the invention of foul-pole screens.
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