January 13, 1953
Western All-Stars Shut Down Easterners in Low Scoring Affair
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Cobourg, Dunwich (BP) – The Western League All-Stars halted a three-year losing skid with a 2-0 win over their Eastern League counterparts in Cobourg this afternoon. It was the West’s first victory in an All-Star Game since 1949, when they won another low-scoring game, 2-1 in Brunswick. After 16 All-Star games, the East now holds a 9-7 lead in wins.
Conditions were sunny and warm in Cobourg, the 16th and final major league city in Braeland to host the Game for the first time. Over 26,000 fans packed Radcliffe Field, with clear skies and a slight breeze blowing from right to left for most of the afternoon. Temperatures reached nearly 78F by mid-game.
But the Eastern All-Stars were unable to capitalize on the warm conditions and friendly crowd as nine Western League pitchers were successful in keeping them off the board. It marks the first time in an All-Star Game that one side was held scoreless.
The West did all their damage in the top of the 4th inning. Cambria’s C Heung-su Park led off with a double to right-centerfield off Stratford’s RHP Magtanggol Jaojoco. Hespeler’s 2B Vic Lewis immediately followed with a first-pitch triple into left-centerfield, scoring Park for the game’s first run. Pulberry’s RF Ellis Dibble then hit a deep sac fly into rightfield. Lewis tagged up and beat out the throw from Stratford’s Andy Faulkner for the game’s second run. That’s all the runs the West would need.
In a game where scoring was at a premium, 35-year old
Heung-su Park picked up Player of the Game honors. In addition to his double, he also drew a lead-off walk in the second.
“We saw all-star pitching today – on both sides, that’s for sure”, stated Park to reporters gathered around him in the visitor’s clubhouse after the game.
“They mixed their pitches up well; kept the batters guessing all afternoon. We were able to get a few walks here and there, but they’d stonewall us after that. We were fortunate just to get what we could.”
As alluded to by Park, the pitchers did surrender a few walks ‘here and there’; 11 in fact, with 7 given up by the Eastern pitchers, but none factored into any scoring play.
The Eastern All-Stars’ best chance at getting on the board occurred in the bottom of the 6th inning, when they loaded the bases off Cambria’s LHP Bill Southon with one out. Downie’s CF Alfonso León drew a walk followed by a single from Embro’s 1B Napana Mamo and another walk by Brunswick’s LF Carl Patton. But Downie’s 2B Dominic Dudding hit a dribbler back to the pitcher, who promptly threw home to Balmoral’s C Alexander Pyatt, who then threw to Cambria’s 1B Carlos Corea to complete the twin-killing and snuff out the rally.
The Western All-Stars loaded the bases twice themselves, both in the 1st and 8th innings, but came up empty-handed each time. In the end it didn’t matter, as they had scraped out all the runs they would need in the 4th.
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Here are the complete All-Star rosters:
