Bill Center, longtime sportswriter for U-T San Diego, is an employee of the Padres.
There is a reason why the All-Star Game is known as the Midsummer Classic.
The All-Star Game has a history of great individual performances and great games between the National League and the American League.
Unfortunately for the 48,829 fans gathered on July 8, 1958, at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, the 25th All-Star Game was no classic.
The AL won, 4-3, in the first All-Star Game played without an extra-base hit. There were only 13 hits in the game -- only by the NL, whose hitters went up and down in order in five of the last six innings.
There were four errors, with three of the seven runs scored as unearned, including the sixth-inning run that broke a 3-3 tie. Boston Red Sox third baseman Frank Malzone led off the AL's sixth with a single off Pittsburgh right-hander Bob Friend. After pinch-hitter Yogi Berra of the Yankees popped out, pinch-hitter Ted Williams of the Red Sox hit a grounder to Pirates third baseman Frank Thomas, who fumbled the ball for an error. Yankees pinch-hitter Gil McDougald dropped a single to left-center field off Friend to score Malzone. The NL scored three runs on three hits in 1 2/3 innings against AL starter Bob Turley of the Yankees.
Center fielder Willie Mays, representing the transplanted San Francisco Giants for the first time, singled to open the game and moved to third on Stan Musial's one-out single. Mays scored on a sacrifice fly by Milwaukee right fielder Hank Aaron. The Cardinals first baseman then scored on a wild pitch.
The AL cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the first, when leadoff hitter Nelson Fox of the Chicago White Sox reached first on a throwing error by Cubs shortstop Ernie Banks, moved to third on a single by Yankees center fielder Mickey Mantle off starter Warren Spahn of the Braves and scored on a double-play grounder hit by right fielder Jackie Jensen of the Red Sox.
The NL reclaimed its two-run lead in the top of the second. Mays reached on a forceout, stole second, moved to third on a throwing error by catcher Gus Triandos of the Baltimore Orioles and scored on a single by Pittsburgh left fielder Bob Skinner, a graduate of La Jolla High in San Diego.
Fox's RBI single off Spahn in the bottom of the second again reduced the National League lead to a run. And the AL tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on a bases-loaded groundout to second by McDougald.
The National League didn't get a hit after Thomas singled with one out in the third off Ray Narleski. The Indians reliever, who also singled during the AL's second-inning rally, worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings while allowing a hit and a walk. Early Wynn of the White Sox, pitched a perfect sixth to get credit for the win. Billy O'Dell of the Orioles closed out the win with two strikeouts in a perfect three innings.
Turk Farrell of the Phillies struck out four while issuing a walk over the final two scoreless innings for the NL.
Fox was the only hitter in the game with two hits, going 2-for-4 with a run scored and a RBI. Mays scored two of the NL's three runs.