Max West, 87; His Home Run Won 1940 All-Star Game

Max West, a major league ballplayer in the late 1930s and ‘40s whose home run in the 1940 All-Star Game propelled the National League to a 4-0 victory, has died. He was 87.

West, a popular player in the Pacific Coast League both before and after his major league career, died Dec. 31 of brain cancer at an assisted living facility in Sierra Madre, according to his daughter, Cindy.

A resident of the San Bernardino County community of Highland, West was diagnosed as having cancer in October. He moved to the Sierra Madre facility in early December.

West was born in Dexter, Mo., and moved to Southern California with his family when he was 5 or 6. The left-handed hitter played high school baseball in Alhambra and was offered a scholarship by USC but wanted to play professional baseball instead. He was signed by the Sacramento Solons of the Pacific Coast League, and after he played a season there and two more with the San Francisco Missions, his contract was bought by Boston’s National League team, then called the Bees.

West had a seven-year career in the majors. His best year was 1939 when he hit .285 with 19 home runs and 82 runs batted in. The high point was the 1940 All-Star Game played at Sportsman’s Park in St. Louis. Subbing for the ailing New York Giants slugger Mel Ott, West hit a three-run home run in the first inning off the Yankees’ Red Ruffing.

After two more seasons with Boston, which by then had changed its name to the Braves, West was drafted into the Army Air Forces. He spent the rest of World War II as part of a B-29 crew in the Pacific.

He returned to Boston for the 1946 season, but was soon traded to Cincinnati. West finished his major-league career with Pittsburgh in 1948, recording a career .254 average.

He went back to the Pacific Coast League, where he played until the mid-1950s. He played 10 seasons in the PCL and ended his career with a .291 average and 230 home runs. He was inducted into the PCL Hall of Fame last May.

After his playing days were over, West ran the sporting goods concern in Alhambra that he and the great major league slugger Ralph Kiner, a friend from high school, had purchased in 1950. West eventually bought Kiner out and ran the store until he retired in 1980.

In addition to his daughter Cindy of Sierra Madre, he is survived by a son, Ralph, also of Sierra Madre; a sister, Mary Fields of La Verne; and three grandchildren.

At his request, there will be no services.