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The United States was feeling bleak in 1933. 

People were still staggering from the economic fallout of the Great Depression. Drought and extreme heat baked much of the country, eventually leading to the Dust Bowl. Breadlines stretched for blocks in the city, and crime — including a notorious spree of bank robberies and kidnappings — was on the rise. In February, president-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt survived an assassination attempt, which killed Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak. Even baseball, “America’s national pastime,” was suffering. Attendance was dropping, owners slashed budgets, and Babe Ruth’s magic seemed to be fading. 

It was against this backdrop that a sports editor in Chicago proposed the idea of a singular sporting event to anchor the World’s Fair — a baseball game featuring the best players, as decided by the fans. 

Journalist Randall Sullivan details the whole story in his new book, “

.” A few days before the current crop of All Stars gather in Philadelphia to play the game this year, he joins Kerri Miller on Big Books and Bold Ideas to talk about the extraordinary history surrounding the first game and how it galvanized the country during a dark time. 

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When MLB’s All Stars take the field in Philadelphia next week, they’ll be carrying on the legacy of the very first “game of the century.” This week, Big Books and Bold Ideas continues its celebration of American history and culture with a look back at the extraordinary history surrounding the first All-Star Game, chronicled in journalist Randall Sullivan’s new book.

The extraordinary American history behind the very first baseball All-Star Game

A side-by-side image of a book cover and the author.

The extraordinary American history behind the very first baseball All-Star Game

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