Interview of Minonk Residents on First All Star Game in 1933
Submitted by
Dave Uphoff
- December 31, 2010
Interview of Minonk Residents on First All Star Game in 1933
This article was taken from the Minonk News-Dispatch of July 6, 1933 in which Minonk residents were interviewed about the first baseball all star game to be played in Chicago.
Here's the big base ball game of all time being played in Chicago today. The stars of the American and National leagues have been chosen to battle each other in the most novel game of ball ever arranged.The big south side park is filled to the utmost capacity and radio reports are going to all parts of the world. The sporting eyes from everywhere are focused on the great game. It matters not whether the score be high or low, or which team wins, it will be a great show. One can hardly estimate even approximately how much money it would require to purchase the services of all of these shining lights to be seen on the Chicago field this day. Has anybody that much money? It is really a world event and one that will go into the records as the top-notch show in base ball. The game is being played at 1:15 p. m., Chicago time, or 12:15 Minonk time.
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In the event of rain the game was arranged to be played tomorrow morning at 11 o'clock, Chicago time, or 10 o'clock Minonk time. Connie Mack of the Philadelphia team, is manager of the American league team and John McGraw, old time player and for years manager of the New k York Giants, will pilot the National League team. They have announced their starting line-ups, with the batting average of each player, as follows :American League-Averill cf, 282; Gehringer 2b, 289; Ruth rf, 308; Gehrig lb, 335; Simmons lf, 372; Cronin ss, 362; Dykes 3b, 274; Dickey c, 307; Grove p, 143. National League-Bartell ss, 290; Frisch 2b, 311; Klein rf, 371; P. Waner cf, 275; Terry lb, 305; O'Doul lf,. 268; Traynor 3b, 307; Hartnett c, 298; Hubbell p, 149. Other members of the American league club, a few of whom are sure to be used, are Jimmy Foxx, Tony Lazzeri, infielders; Sam West, Ben Chapman, outfielders; Richard Ferrell, catcher; Oral Hildebrand, Wesley Ferrell, Vernon Gomez, and Alvin Crowder, pitchers. The National league reserves are Woody English, Tony Cuccinello, infielders; John Martin, Walter Berger, Chick Hafey, outfielders; Jimmy Wilson, catcher; William Hallahan, Harold Schumacher, and Lon Warneke, pitchers.
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Interview of Minonk Residents on First All Star Game in 1933
Interest is so universally keen that the Minonk News-Dispatch publishes interviews from local folks, some fans and some not fans.Heinz Janssen, policeman, strong American league fan: "I don't know about it. I don't like all of the players they picked for the American league team. Take Ruth as an example. He's too slow a fielder for a bunch of batters like those on the National league team." Henry Kalkwarf, former highway commissioner: "Don't know a damn thing about it, but I think the American league will win because it has younger players." Chick Manthey, who can climb a telephone pole like nobody's business: "The team that gets the breaks will win." Prof. C. O. Waldrip, master mind and at the head of the Minonk schools: "Ought to be worth seeing and I'd like to be there. Still it may not be so good as one might think it will be." Dommie Kerrigan, businessman, Democratic politician and American league fan: "It will be a flop. According to the scheme, a pitcher will just get warmed up when they'll take him out and put in another. A joke game.
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"Red Anderson, catcher for Minonk Fans, and batting 651 to head the list in the Central Illinois league: "There will be 12 homers in the game. Gabby Hartnett will win." Shrewd Dr. W. S. Morrison: "The score will be 4 to 5, in favor of 5." Joe Fitzgerald, manager of the old and famous Minonk Federals, who picked all of the players that are to play, but not the batting order: "McGraw is all wet. I wouldn't pick Bartell as lead-off man, nor Paul Waner as clean-up man, and I would start out with Hallahan pitching. Score, 8 to 5 in favor of the American League." Joe Kasha, graceful softball star: "The score will be 27 to 23. Who will win? Who knows?" Walter Kelly, I. C. agent and sports expert extraordinary: "The game is a big joke. I wouldn't walk across the street to see it." Joe Cullen, old time catcher and who knows his base ball: "The umpires will steal the game." S. B. Ogle, who attends the soft-ball games and enthuses: "Well, well, I don't like to hurt anybody's feelings. Let the best team win." Herman Defries, rural mail carrier: "Boy, I'm at the game. I think it is a big thing. I pick the National league to win, 6 to 2."
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Interview of Minonk Residents on First All Star Game in 1933
"Nails" Sutton, consultation expert at the Kerrigan Bros, candy store: "One team will go great guns, but I don't know which. A lot will depend on whether they can stop Ruth, Gehrig, Foxx and Simmons."Francis Kerrigan, city treasurer: "It's easy to make home runs when there's nothing on the ball. The Nationals will win on their pitching." Tonica Ryan, star player of 46 years ago: "I don't think, I know; the American league team, of course." Jack J. Ryan, always positive: "The American league, of course!" John C. Ryan, assistant postmaster: "You ask me? Whenever the two leagues are mentioned it is the American on top always." Charles Garrett, a sport from the time he wore boots with brass at the toes: "It might be a hell of a good game and it might not. Would like to see it, but I can't. I'm not picking the winner." John C. Cassens' Minonk's weather man: "I don't think it will be so good a game as when regular teams play. They may all be stars, but playing together is what counts. At that, I think the weather man will have something to say." Jack Stupek, hefty and hearty and a base ball fan from away back: "The American league for sure." Mrs.
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Jack Stupek, a real fan: "The National league because it has two Cub players on it."Ernest Beutel: "Where is the game to be played, here? I don't care for such stuff, though." Billy Kelly, old ball player and a favorite umps in this section for a long time: "I don't know. I am a good deal like Charlie Garrett. I am a National league man but have been beaten so often that I rather favor the American league in this tussle. In most of the games between the two leagues, the Americans have won." Gus Dittman, softball player and nifty dresser: "I favor the A. L. because of their hitting stars." Eddie Manley, assistant at postoffice: "I don't know. I'm not much of a thinker." John Meierhofer, postmaster: "It might be a good game and it might not. Mrs. Meierhofer says that we are not going to see the game." F. C. Livingston, rural mail carrier: "Never heard of it. Anyway, I never saw a base ball game in my life." John C. Werckman, here from Streator: "It's a toss-up. Might be a good game and it might not. No organization, you know." Duke Barnett, dabbler in thought: "Don't amount to a thing. Will, though, if the American league wins."
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Interview of Minonk Residents on First All Star Game in 1933
Frank Defries, diminutive softball umpire: "Great stuff. The A. L.'s will win. No doubt about it."Fred Eihausen, Minonk high school coach: "I don't know. You know that I am a National league fan, but when a pitcher faces such men as Ruth, Gehrig, Simmons, et al, he is up against something." Carl Johnson, barber: "Oh, American league, I guess." Jean Vogel, another barber, not enthusiastic on hot Saturday: "American league, I suppose." Ed McCann, expert meat cutter: "The game will be nothing wonderful, not very startling. It may be a pitcher's battle but I rather look to a score of about 14 to 12. A pitcher can't bear down enough to hold the sluggers on those two teams." Mayor Adam J. Henning: "Who'll win? You're asking me something I do not know." Then nonchalantly, as if he didn't care a darn about it, he added in highly English accent, "I can't say." Col. R. G. Clegg, auctioneer: "Don't know what it's all about." Frank Halfman, a fan: "Shucks,, what's the use thinking about it, I can't go to see it. I'd like to see it and the fair, too, but still I'd rather wait for cool weather to see the fair.
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"George Cecil Hindert: "I'm not much of a base ball fan but I'll be listening in over the radio." Al Seggerman, retired: "The best players, of course. Ha, ha! Haw, Haw!" Gus Fischman, retired: "I know nothing about those things. I wouldn't walk from here to the chicken factory to see a game. Why, when I used to be in the country and the farmers played ball, I never looked at them." Garmer Kleen, farmer: "American league, of course." Al Meierhofer, realtor: "National league, of course." R. W. Geldreich, A. & P. manager: "National league without any doubt." Louis von Behren, ball player: "It is a toss-up, depending on the breaks. In a series, I would pick the American league." Ray Ingerski, ball player: "American. Every player on that team is apt to pound out a homer." Red Dishinger, street commissioner: "Big score, a lot of home runs, and the breaks will decide the winner." George Lisiecki, who reads the base ball news every day: "American." Orville Fuller, who reads the base ball news every day: "National."
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Interview of Minonk Residents on First All Star Game in 1933
G. H. Leffers, building contractor: "Say, the base ball fan of our outfit is up there at the top of Rube Stoddard's grain elevator driving nails. Go see him." So up 100 feet in the air the inquiring reporter was hoisted on an inch board, one-half inch wide:Pete Leffers, high-act worker: "American. There are no good players in the national." Ralph Gramp, at Pete's side: "Nails vs. Nails is my ball game." E. T. "Dude" Ryan, restaurateur: "Too much work around here tor me to more than glance at the papers. But it will be just another game." Frank Greskoviak, ice man: "This hot weather has kept me so busy that I haven't given the game much thought. I do not think it will be so much, as team work will be lacking." Joe Greskoviak, on the ice wagon: "Either a big score or a pitchers' battle. Either may win." Eairel Rowe, bricklayer and plasterer, Monday: "I wish I were up there this morning and I'd have 55 cents in my little hand to buy a ticket and sit where the real fans are found. Game is hard to dope out. It is something entirely new." C. R. Denson, publisher of the Minonk News-Dispatch, somewhere in the U. S. A.
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on his vacation, (By proxy, just an idea of what he would say): Those National league pitchers will make the swell-headed American league hitters look silly.John Folkers, private secretary to work at the coal mine: "If they don't pitch Hallahan the National league is whipped." John Ketchmark, meat market: "National league all of the time." Etta Ingerski, meat cutter and salesman: "The best team, the American." John C. Kirk, live wire in general: "When those American league batters appear at the plate the knees of Hubbell and the rest of them will shake like an earthquake." John Filipski, junk dealer with a million tons of junk on hand awaiting a better market: "There ought to be a hot time in the old town." Tink Elliott, ice cream taster. The game might be a flop. It is a mistake to have Hartnett catching Hubbell, as he hasn't caught a good left hander in years." Lorraine Loftus, player on the Dixie Gas girls' team: "I'll be seeing the game and I'm taking in the World's fair, too. Tickets? Don't you I think my boy friend will be looking to that?" Dr. A. W. Kettelhut, dentist: "Would like to see it. It is an outstanding feature that the World fair' city offers."
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Interview of Minonk Residents on First All Star Game in 1933
Pete O'Rourke, superintendent I. C. coal chutes: "I rather think the American boys will win because of their hitting."John Gregorich, meat market: "To tell the truth, I don't believe in giving an opinion unless one has given thought to it and I have been so busy that I haven't given this game much attention. Still, I'm an American leaguer, so I pick that team to win." R. E. Gray, manager Minonk Garage company and its allied interests: "It is sure to be a wonderful game. I am a National league fan and would rather attend one of their games because the teams are more evenly matched; but in this game I pick the American league team because that array of sluggers is enough to make any pitcher look sick." Ted Brandt, a home man: "I am a National league fan but I pick the American to win this game. Any one of that bunch is dangerous, and in Grove I think they have the best pitcher in the game today." E. E. Schroeder, reporter: "It is an outstanding feature of newspaper enterprise. Arch Ward, sports editor of the Chicago Tribune, conceived it and the W. G. N. backs him loyally by agreeing to pay all expenses in case the game cannot be played because of rain.
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It is in every way "big league" stuff. Every player on the two teams has the temperament, the ability, the spirit, to assure this as one of the greatest games ever played, whatever the score and whatever the result "Tom Paloumpis of Paloumpis Bros., candy store: "If Hubbell pitches like he did those 18 innings against St. Louis in New York on Sunday, it will be just too bad for the American league sluggers. H. J. Heider, manager of the dry goods department of the Vissering Mercantile company store: "You are asking me! I always play the winner. And doesn't the American league always win?" John C. Danforth, president of the Minonk State bank: "I am not sport enough to give an opinion on the outcome." John Louis, assistant cashier at the Minonk State bank: "The score should be close and it should be a game worth seeing." William Stokowski, barber: "American league by a 6 to 2 score." P. E. Morey, barber: "I'm not up on base ball and wouldn't know what I was talking about." John O'Rourke, here from Chicago on a visit: "American league. Score, 10 to 4."
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Interview of Minonk Residents on First All Star Game in 1933
W. A. Terry, cream dealer and shoe repairer: "I am inclined to pick the American league, but one cannot tell in a single game. I will bet, though, that Ruth does his stuff. He always delivers in the limelight, never fails to be in the glamour of the greatest moments of base ball history."Elmer Franklin, laborer: "Think Americans will win, but I'd rather see a regular game than this one. Mike Turpin, restaurant: It will be a good game, the score will he low and the American league boys will win." Harold Vogel, grocer: "Didn't know such a game was to be played." Frank Smolski, coal miner: "American league for sure." Albert Smolski, coal miner: "National league for sure. Alvin Green, I. 0. freight clerk: "All the ball I care for is soft ball and I am out of that. I like to see these games just to see Sledgehammer Joe swing at the ball." Willis Doty, cook: "Hubbell will be pretty good for them." E. J. Henderson, attorney: "It is hard to tell, but I pick the American. One thing is sure, there will be smart base ball, even if smooth team work will be lacking."
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