​This year will mark the fifth time the MLB All-Star Game has been held in Philadelphia, but only the fourth time it will be hosted by the Phillies. The Midsummer Classic first came to Philadelphia in 1943, with the Athletics hosting at Shibe Park as the American League defeated the National League by a final score of 5-3. The Phillies’ first time running the show at Shibe Park came with some rain, and yes, that is not a typo.
The 1952 All-Star Game, hosted by the Phillies on July 8, was a rain-soaked, sloppy affair. It is the first—and to this day the only—All-Star Game ever called early due to rain. The downpour turned the field into something resembling a swamp, and numerous future Hall of Fame players struggled to perform their usual duties because of the conditions.
Yet the day did not begin with forecast concerns dictating an outright cancellation. In the days leading up to the game, heavy rain had already fallen, and forecasters predicted more would arrive by game time. Despite those warnings, Commissioner Ford Frick refused to be the one who canceled the All-Star Game, deciding that they would play no matter what. As a result, there were no on-field warmups or batting practice, and the start of the game was delayed by almost 20 minutes. More than 32,000 fans gathered at Shibe Park to see if the National League could win for a third consecutive year.
The NL would try to pull it off behind the Phillies’ own Curt Simmons, a 23-year-old left-hander who had been outstanding for the local club, posting a 1.74 ERA and a 7-1 record through the first half of the season. As a steady drizzle began to fall, Simmons walked the AL leadoff hitter Dom DiMaggio, bringing Hank Bauer to the plate. Simmons quickly recovered, striking out Bauer before also fanning Dale Mitchell for the first two outs. Al Rosen then grounded into a forceout to NL shortstop Granny Hamner, who was Simmons’ teammate with the Phillies, to end the first of Simmons’ three scheduled innings.
Opposing Simmons was Vic Raschi of the Yankees, selected by the American League and manager Casey Stengel to start the game. Stengel, like Frick, sought to avoid a dubious distinction. No manager had ever lost three straight All-Star Games, but Stengel was in danger of becoming the first after losing in 1950 and 1951. Consequently, he went with his own top starter to kick things off. Raschi retired the first hitter, but Jackie Robinson then launched a pitch into the upper deck in left field to give the NL an early 1-0 lead. Raschi recovered in a manner similar to Simmons, retiring Stan Musial and Hank Sauer on strikeouts to end the inning.
Both starters delivered clean innings in the second as the rain persisted. In the third, DiMaggio lined a two-out double off Simmons, but the Phillies ace again escaped danger as he finished his final scheduled inning of work, hoping to help the NL maintain momentum despite the downpour. The weather continued to complicate play, with the field conditions deteriorating as the afternoon wore on, turning routine plays into improvisational tests of endurance for the players and administrators alike. As the rain persisted, the All-Star Game’s fate hung in the balance, a reflection of the era’s stubborn commitment to play through adversity and the stubborn logistics of early television and national attention around the midsummer classic.