Sports History On This Day: July 11

July 11, 1950 – In Chicago at good ole Comiskey Park, the 17th All-Star Baseball Game took place. This was the first televised MLB All-Star game and it brought quite a good contest, filled with drama and star power into American living rooms across the country as it was also the 1st extra-inning All-Star Game.

It was a spectacular game as it went to 14 innings until the National League won 4-3 when Red Schoendienst sent a pitch from Ted Gray to the upper decks of the left-field stands at Comiskey to break up the American league domination of the game of the summer classic. Chicago Cubs star Andy Pafko dramatically caught back-to-back balls at the wall for outs in the 12th inning to thwart the AL to end the game earlier.

Superstar Ted Williams broke his elbow while making a leaping catch off the wall of a Ralph Kiner deep drive but somehow he remained in the game and put the AL in front 3-2 with an RBI single. Kiner in turn tied the game in the 9th inning to extend the contest.

Williams later admitted that he was never the same player after this injury as he lost strength in the arm to power home runs but it did make him a smarter hitter at the age of 32. Smart indeed as a few seasons later Williams led the American League in hitting with a .388 average. The legendary Boston hitter was lost for much of the rest of the 1950 season though. Yes, this All-Star Game had quite an impact on the overall trajectory of the MLB.