The 15 Best MLB All-Star Game Moments

MLB has the best All-Star Game in professional sports. Nobody tries in the NFL Pro Bowl, and the NBA All-Star Game features virtually zero defense. The MLB All-Star Game actually plays and feels like a real game, all while featuring the sport’s best players. These are the best MLB All-Star game moments.

Pedro
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Image via Getty/The Sporting News

Pedro

There’s no denying that baseball has the best All-Star Game in professional sports, namely because the MLB All-Star Game resembles an actual baseball game.

Nobody tries in the Pro Bowl, and the NBA All-Star Game features virtually zero defense. But the MLB All-Star Game actually plays and feels like a real game: Its score is usually in line with a standard regular-season game, as is the quality of play, generally. The game might not mean anything anymore since they quit playing for home field advantage in the World Series a few seasons ago. But it’s still entertaining to see all of the game’s best players in one place and engaged in an actual competition. The Home Run Derby, held the day before the All-Star Game, has also become one of sports’ best spectacles, and has clearly one-upped the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest to become the best supplementary All-Star Game festivity in sports. You can thank Ken Griffey Jr. and his backwards hat for that.

This year’s All-Star Game includes a historical shot at bragging rights for both leagues. The AL and NL have split the first 88 All-Star Games equally, at 43-43-2. The winner would be able to claim the all time series lead, something that the NL has held onto for over five decades.

The Midsummer Classic has well earned its “classic” title over the years. The game has produced a litany of great baseball moments, showcased the game’s greatest talents, and has also included a bit of lighthearted entertainment. So in honor of Tuesday’s game, here are the 15 most memorable All-Star Game moments of the last 30 years.

15. Mike Trout Sets a Record, 2016

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Is there anything Mike Trout can’t do? The early answer seems to be no.

At just 26 years old, Trout is already etching his name all over the record books. He’s been baseball’s best player since his first full season in 2012, and has continued to improve in each of his subsequent seasons.

Trout has played some of his best baseball at the All-Star Game, which is saying a lot. In 2016, he became the first player in MLB history to record a hit in his first at-bat of five consecutive All-Star games, with a first-inning single off of Johnny Cueto. During this historic five-game streak, Trout completed a natural All-Star Game cycle: He hit a single in 2012, a double in 2013, a triple in 2014, and a homer in 2015—and each of those hits came in his first at-bat of the game.

Overall, Trout is 6-for-12 lifetime in the All-Star Game.

14. McCann Ends the NL’s Drought, 2010

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It was once an annual given that the National League would win the All-Star Game. The Senior Circuit went 32-7-1 in All-Star Games from 1950 through 1985, including a 19-1 stretch from 1963 through 1982.

But the tables have dramatically turned over the last 30 years: The American League has gone 23-6-1 in All-Star Games since 1988, which included a 13-year unbeaten streak from 1997 through 2009 (although this included the 2002 tie).

The 2010 All-Star Game looked initially like it could be another NL loss, as the AL held a 1-0 lead going into the seventh inning. But the NL quickly loaded the bases in the seventh, and Brian McCann cleared them with a double down the right-field line. The NL took a late 3-1 lead that they would not relinquish, and won its first All-Star Game since 1996. Unsurprisingly, McCann took home the game’s MVP honors.

This marked a brief return to dominance for the NL; it won the next two All-Star Games as well. But the AL has now won the last five All-Star Games.

13. Randy Johnson Embarrases John Kruk, 1993

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Randy Johnson threw a killer fastball in his heyday—literally. Just ask that dove.

So if a Johnson fastball came anywhere near your head, you’d obviously be justified in being a little afraid. John Kruk clearly was during the 1993 All-Star Game, when “The Big Unit” threw a 98 mph fastball behind the Phillies star.

After that near-fatal pitch, Kruk proceeded to strike out on three pitches, looking like a fool in the process. John Kruk was a career .300 hitter, but you wouldn’t know it from watching this at-bat. He looked lost in the batter’s box, providing for one of the worst mismatches in All-Star Game history.

12. Michael Young Triples in a Win, 2006

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Holding a 2-1 lead with two outs in the ninth inning, the NL was just one strike away from its first All-Star Game win in a decade. The league also had Trevor Hoffman on the mound, tipping the scales even further in their favor.

But Michael Young ruined their good time.

The Rangers’ star launched an 0-2 pitch off of Hoffman into right center, sending home both runners on base en route to a two-run triple. Mariano Rivera closed the door on the NL in the ninth inning, to prevent it from winning for the 10th straight season. For his late-game heroics, Young was named MVP.

Just two years later, Michael Young was once again the AL’s late-inning hero.

11. The AL Walks Off, 2008

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The 2008 All-Star Game was much more of a celebration of its setting, Yankee Stadium, than it was of any individual player. “The House That Ruth Built” was in its final season of existence, and was given a dramatic sendoff by the AL All-Stars, who would bring one of the last great historic moments to a stadium that had seen so many.

The AL clawed back from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits in the seventh and eighth innings respectively, to tie the game and bring it into extra innings. This game would prove to be the longest in All-Star Game history, lasting nearly five hours and 15 innings before Young ended the marathon with a walk-off sacrifice fly.

10. Blalock Launches a Comeback, 2003 (high)

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The 2003 All-Star Game was the first one that actually meant something: It was the first year that the MLB used the game to determine home-field advantage in the World Series. And the Yankees, who represented the AL in that year’s World Series, could thank Hank Blalock for their extra game in the Fall Classic.

In the bottom of the eighth inning at U.S. Cellular Field, the AL was trailing 6-4 with Eric Gagne on the mound for the NL. Scoring on Gagne would be a tough task, as he was in the midst of converting an MLB record 84 consecutive save chances, a streak that ran from 2002 through 2004.

But the AL, as it has recently been inclined to do, found a way to outdo the NL. First, Vernon Wells launched a two-out double to send home Melvin Mora, cutting the NL lead to run. The next batter, Blalock, hit a pinch-hit two-run homer run to give the AL a 7-6 lead going into the ninth inning, which they would hold to extend the league’s unbeaten streak to seven games.

Good thing for Gange, this blown save didn’t count against his streak.

9. Fred McGriff’s Pinch-Hit Home Run, 1994

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Fred McGriff was one of the most consistent home-run hitters of his day: He had at least 20 home runs in 14 of 15 seasons from 1988 through 2002, and finished his career with the same number of home runs as Lou Gehrig.

One of McGriff’s most memorable shots came in a game that didn’t even count: The 1994 All-Star Game. With the NL trailing 7-5, McGriff came up to bat as a pinch-hitter with a runner on first in the ninth inning. He homered deep to left-center to keep the game alive for the NL, which they would win in the 10th on a walk-off double from Moises Alou.

8. Robinson Cano Wins It, 2017

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Robinson Cano probably won’t be playing in an All-Star Game again, thanks to his PED suspension. But his most recent appearance was easily the most memorable of his eight All-Star nods.

In the top of the 10th, the Mariners’ star hit a decisive solo shot off of Wade Davis to break a 1-1 tie. The fact that it came off of Davis, who had allowed just four home runs over his past 216 appearances, made the dinger even more impressive. It proved to be the game-winner for the AL.

7. Fenway Honors Ted Williams, 1999

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In addition to featuring the best modern-day stars, the 1999 All-Star Game saw one of the greatest groups of baseball legends ever assembled gather in Fenway Park for the league’s All-Century Team ceremony. Legends like Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, Tom Seaver, Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson, and even Pete Rose were among the many on hand to celebrate their place as the greatest athletes of the century.

But of all of the players named, none got a larger ovation from the Fenway Faithful than Ted Williams, the greatest Red Sox player to ever live. Williams played in Boston from 1939 through 1960, and is best known for being the last player to bat .400 in a season in 1941.

“The Splendid Splinter” received a five-minute standing ovation from the fans, and was embraced with adoration by that year’s All-Star teams. He came to the mound to throw out the first pitch, which was caught by fellow Red Sox legend Carlton Fisk.

This would sadly be one of Williams’ last public appearances; he passed away in 2002 at the age of 83.

6. Ichiro Hits an Inside-The-Park Home Run, 2007

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It’s often said that the inside-the-park home run is the the most exciting play in sports, and that’s because it is.

Watching someone sprint across the basepaths into home plate to do something few players have ever done produces an adrenaline rush like no other. From wire-to-wire, the inside-the-park homer keeps your eyes glued to the TV.

In the first 77 All-Star Games, there had never been an inside-the-park home run. But Ichiro changed all of that in 2007, when he rounded the bases after crushing a ball to the top of AT&T Park’s right-field fence. It gave the AL a 2-1 lead, and Ichiro an All-Star Game MVP award.

5. Torii Hunter Robs Barry Bonds, 2002

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Few center fielders played the field with more skill and poise than Torii Hunter. Hunter won nine consecutive Gold Gloves from 2001 to 2009, and made home-run robbery a regular part of his game.

Hunter’s greatest heist came in the 2002 All-Star Game, against home-run king Barry Bonds. Bonds hit what looked like a no-doubter several feet over the Miller Park fence. But Hunter had other plans, and reached over the wall to keep the ball from going over. This would prove to be a game-saving catch for the AL, since the game ended in a controversial 7-7 tie after 11 innings.

4. Bo Knows All-Star Games, 1989

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Bo Jackson’s simultaneous domination of two major professional sports is something that may never be accomplished again.

Jackson was a star in both MLB and NFL from 1987 through 1990, and could have likely had a Hall of Fame career in either sport if he had just focused on one. Jackson hit at least 20 homers for the Royals every year from 1987 through 1990, and averaged 5.4 yards per carry for the Raiders during the same span.

His best season as a baseball player came in 1989, when he batted .256 with 32 home runs and 105 RBIs in 135 games. Jackson finished tenth in MVP voting that season, and was selected to start in that year’s All-Star Game. He led off the Midsummer Classic with a bang for the AL, launching a solo home run in the bottom of the first.

Later in the game, he stole second base after reaching on a fielder’s choice, making him the only player in All-Star Game history to hit a home run and steal a base in the same game. Jackson finished the day going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI, and was unsurprisingly awarded the All-Star Game MVP award after a 5-3 AL win.

In the following year, Jackson was named to the AFC’s Pro Bowl team, making him the only player to ever be named to an MLB All-Star team and to an NFL Pro Bowl team.

3. Jeter’s Last Ride, 2014

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Derek Jeter’s impending retirement dominated baseball’s storylines for much of the 2014 season. All year, opposing teams paid tribute to Jeter, often giving him a gift of some sort as he parted the field for the last time as a player.

Of all of the gifts that Jeter received in 2014, the greatest may have come from the fans: He was voted to be the AL’s starting shortstop at the All-Star Game, despite finishing the year with a career-low .256 average over a full season. This marked the 14th All-Star nod of Jeter’s career, and he sure looked like vintage Jeter in his final Midsummer Classic.

Jeter made a diving stop on the second pitch of a game, turning in a hard-hit grounder for an impressive out. In the bottom of the first, he led the inning off with a double, and scored after Mike Trout followed things up with a triple. The Yankee captain singled in his next at-bat and finished the day 2-for-2, a fitting way for the man who wore No. 2 to go out.

2. Cal Ripken Says Goodbye, 2001

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Shortly after he announced that the 2001 season would be his last in the majors, Cal Ripken was voted overwhelmingly by fans to be the AL’s starting third baseman. The AL’s starting shortstop that season, Alex Rodriguez, offered to move to third base so that Ripken could play his 19th and final All-Star Game at his original position. Ripken accepted the offer, which set the tone for a fantastic end to his All-Star Game career.

Despite holding a lackluster .240 average coming into the game, all eyes were on Ripken as he took the All-Star Game field for the final time. And while he was well past his prime, Ripken didn’t show it that night: He homered in his first at-bat of the game to give the AL a 1-0 lead. That homer would be his last All-Star Game hit, and would be enough to earn him All-Star Game MVP honors following a 4-1 AL win.

1. Pedro Martinez Dominates, 1999

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Pedro Martinez’s 1999 and 2000 seasons arguably are the greatest two-year stretch for any pitcher in baseball history. During those years, Pedro went 41-10 with a 1.90 ERA, despite playing in the apex of the hitter-happy steroid era, and in the friendly confines of Fenway Park. Martinez also led the AL with 597 strikeouts in 430.1 innings—which translates to an average of 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings.


All of that being said, it came as no surprise when Martinez shut down the NL in his 1999 All-Star Game start in Fenway. He struck out five elite batters over two innings, and allowed just one baserunner. Five strikeouts in two innings is impressive against anyone, but it was extra impressive considering who he was striking out:


-Barry Larkin, who was hitting .316 coming into the All-Star Game.

-Larry Walker, who finished the season with a league-leading .379 average.

-Sammy Sosa, who hit 63 home runs in 1999.

-Mark McGwire, who hit 65 home runs in 1999.

-Jeff Bagwell, who batted .304 with 42 home runs and 126 RBIs in 1999.


All in all, Martinez struck out four of the top 10 leading vote-getters in the 1999 NL MVP race, and perhaps could have struck out all 10 had he been given the chance. This may have only been an exhibition, but the two innings that Pedro pitched in the 1999 All-Star Game spoke volumes to how dominant he was at that time; far more than any statistic or metric could ever do.

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