Movie stars and comics at the bat

July 30, 1938: An overflow crowd of 30,000 came out to see the leading men take on the comedians in the annual motion picture charity baseball game at Wrigley Field in South Los Angeles.

Mary Pickford threw out the first ball, caught by “the great Indian athlete of yesteryear,� Jim Thorpe, The Times reported.

Dick Powell was captain of the leading men. Buster Keaton was “cavorting around the infield� for the comedians.

“It took almost an hour to play the first inning, and two hours later, one of the teams -- it may have been the comedians -- announced that they were leading by a score of approximately 25 to 2,� The Times said.

“The opposing leading men’s team said the score was approximately correct, but that they were in the lead rather than the comics. It is safe to say the score will never be known.�