Once in a lifetime: former players recall their only at-bat in All-Star game competition - Part 1 of 2 Articles

Baseball Digest, Nov, 2003 by Bob Kuenster

SINCE 1933, THERE HAVE BEEN 251 players who stepped into the batter's box only once in an All-Star game during their major league careers.

In that 71-year span, the mid-summer classic has been center stage for some of the game's greatest hitters, starting with Babe Ruth, continuing through Willie Mays, Start Musial, Ted Williams and Hank Aaron, and moving on to such current stars as Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Alex Rodriguez.

While the players who batted only once in an All-Star game during their careers may not rank in the pantheon of "greatest hitters," they all were given a brief opportunity to show their skills in a special best-of-the-best inter-league matchup which marked the 70th anniversary of its inaugural last July 15 at U.S. Cellular Field.

Some were successful in making the most of this singular opportunity; some Were not. Here are the remembrances offered by 10 of those players whose lone All-Star at-bat became a once in a lifetime experience.

Max West, 1940 Boston Bees:

West had a seven-year career in the big leagues that was interrupted by his three and a half years of military service in World War II. West played 826 games, hitting .254 with 77 home runs. His finest season came in 1939 when he hit .285 with 19 homers and 82 RBI. In 1940, he was selected to his only All-Star team.

"The All-Star game was no big deal in those days," West, 86, said. "Casey Stengel (Boston manager), Eddie Miller and myself had to leave the game around the fifth inning in order to catch a train to Chicago for a series against the Cubs."

West became the first player in All-Star game history to hit a home run in his first plate appearance when he clubbed a three run shot off Yankee pitcher Red Ruffing. West was selected to start the mid-summer classic on a last-minute decision by National League manager Bill McKechnie who had originally planned to pencil in Mel Ott for right field.

In the bottom of the first inning, West came up to bat with no outs and Arky Vaughan on second and Billy Herman on first.

"I got a pitch from Red and hit it pretty good," said West. "I hit it to deep right-center field and I was going like hell on the bases because I didn't think I could hit it out of the park. When I reached second, I realized it was gone. I couldn't believe it.

"We played another All-Star exhibition game in Tampa (Florida) earlier that year and I faced Red in that game. I also saw him during spring training so I was a little familiar with him," West said. "Red was strictly a fastball, high ball pitcher. But he threw all his pitches with the same motion that made it difficult to pick up his changeup. With his changeup, he'd stick the ball in his palm and have his little finger and thumb touch."

After hitting his home run, West took his right field position in the top of the second inning. With one out, Luke Appling hit a drive towards West in right. West leaped for the ball and injured his hip when he crashed against the wall, causing him to be removed from the game.

"Appling hit the ball to right that was slicing away towards the foul line," West said. "In Sportsman's Park, there was a piece of cement protruding out of the wall and I hit it going for the hall and hurt myself pretty good.

"I recovered okay, but hurt it worse in Chicago following the All-Star game when I made a hook slide into home plate and Cubs catcher Gabby Hartnett--and you know, he was a big man--came crashing down on me. I was in a scissors position when he landed on me and I thought I broke every bone in my body," West said.

Despite lasting only seven years in the majors, West has the distinction of being the only player to start an All-Star game and hit a home run in his only at-bat without having the chance to return to the mid-summer classic. But his one-time appearance left him with lasting memories.

"Red Ruffing and I became good friends after the All-Star game," West said. "We both served in the military and we became friends. We spent a lot of time on golf outings together. He never brought up the home run, until one day out of the blue, he says to me, 'Max, you know when you hit that home run against me in the All-Star game, I was sick.' And I said to him, 'Yeah, I was sick, too.'

"Having seen Red pitch before, I wasn't in the dark when facing him in the All-Star game. I knew he would throw me a high fastball. I had him pegged pretty good."

Bob Dillinger, 1949 St. Louis Browns:

Dillinger came up to the majors in 1946 with the St. Louis Browns at the age 27, spending the 1943-1945 years in military service during World War II. Despite a career batting average of .306 in his six seasons in the majors, Dillinger played in only one All-Star game.

He was named to the 1949 American League squad that defeated the National League, 11-7. Dillinger entered the game in the sixth inning as a pinch-runner for Tigers third baseman George Kell and scored on a Roy Campanella error. Dillinger remained in the game and had his only at-bat in the top of the sixth inning at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, singling off Cardinals pitcher Howie Pollet to drive home Joe DiMaggio from second base.