MLB All Star Game History

Key moments and past winners in the history of this Major League Baseball All-Star game. A historical look and timeline of events of the MLB All Star game from the Bankroll Sports columnists.

History of the MLB Baseball All-Star Game
(Previous All Star Game Results Are Listed Below)

      The “Midsummer Classic”, now more commonly known as Major League Baseball's All Star Game, has just completed it’s 75th year in July of 2008. The MLB Baseball All Star Game has taken place every year since 1933, with the exception of 1945. In 2008, New York City hosted a historic final All Star Game before the desctruction of Yankee Stadium.

      Starting players in the All Star Game are voted through fans voting. They vote 8 position players on each team, the National League, and the American League. The managers of the respected teams then select the remaining players, and pitchers. The managers are decided by which team won their league during the previous season (Clint Hurdle of Colorado, and Terry Francona of Boston). The Baseball All Star game typically takes play on a Tuesday night, giving each team a 3 or 4 day break, typically taking Monday- Wednesday, sometimes Monday- Thursday off for “All Star Break”. While not statistically correct, the All Star Break is typically known as the “halfway point” in a MLB season. During the 1959-1962 seasons, Major League Baseball played two All Star games a year, but have no decided to do that since.

      The very first historic MLB All-Star Game took place on July 6, 1933 in Chicago, Illinois. Comiskey Field was the host of the first game. At that time, it was held in conjunction with the World’s Fair taking place in Chicago, as well. The Chicago Tribune sports writer, Arch Ward is the man who is given most credit to behind the initiation of the All Star Game. He set it up for a one-time use, but then it became a tradition that is still running 75 years later. Arch Ward also became famous for his creation of the “Arch Ward Trophy” which is awarded to the player voted the Most Valuable Player during each and every All Star Game. The managers in that game were John McGraw for the NL, and Connie Mack, for the AL.

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      The Major League Baseball All Star game is meant to showcase the best baseball players in the Major Leagues, and also all over the world. As mentioned earlier, today, fans have a say in the voting process of the All Star Game. That has not always been the case. When the game was originally created, fans were part of the decision making, along with the managers. But then for 11 years in the 30’s and 40’s the manager was then given full responsibility of selecting his team. After that, it was then given back the fans to select the starters (position players), from 1947 to 1957. In 1957, once again things were changed, and managers, players, and coaches then made the selections. 1970 things changed, in what appears to be one final time, where fans were allowed to select the starters for the All Star Game. Recently, Major League Baseball has implemented the winner of the All Star Game gets home field advantage when the World Series comes around. MLB has said this will bring much more excitement to the game. “This time it counts”.

      Major League Baseball chooses who becomes the host city for the All Star Game each year. Every year, the host city alternates between a National League park, and an American League park. This rule has been in place from the beginning, but has been broken twice, including in 1951 when Detroit was selected. The reason they were selected to host the game, is so they could correspond the game with their 250th year celebration of their city. The rule was also broke in 2007, when the San Francisco Giants were allowed to host, making clear for the New York Yankees to host in 2008.

      Recently the host cities have been chosen by the ballparks that have not hosted the game before. This changed in 2008 when the Yankees hosted, and also in 2010 when the All Star game will be played to Anaheim. The last time a ballpark hosted that was not a first time host was Boston, when they hosted the game in 1999. As of this time, the only three franchises that have not hosted a game are the Florida Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Tampa Rays. Florida was scheduled to receive the All Star Game in 2000, but Major League Baseball chose Atlanta to host, instead.

      One of the neatest traditions of the All-Star Game is seeing all the players involved with the game wear their own team’s jersey. The only time something else has occurred was during the very first Major League Baseball All Star Game, when the National League wore uniforms especially made for the game, in which read “NATIONAL LEAGUE” across the front. From that point on, players have either worn their alternate uniform, or they have worn their teams batting practice jerseys. It is always a neat thing to see all the teams, and their colors playing one game.

      There have been 78 All Star games to this point. The National League has won 40, while the American League has won 37. There have been two ties associated with the game. After the American League's 2008 extra inning victory, the AL and NL are now tied for the longest winning streak of 11 straight wins. The NL's streak ran from 1972-1982 with the AL's from 1996-2008, (not including the tie in 2002). Since 1988, the American League has only lost three games. The only other time the American League dominated so controllably was a streak of 1933-1949, where the AL won 12 of 16. The National League’s dominance came from 1950-1987, where they won 33 of 42 games, including 1 tie during that span. The National League only lost 1 game between the 1963-1982 seasons.

      There have been 78 All Star games to this point. The National League has won 40, while the American League has won 36. There have been two ties associated with the game. The NL has the longest streak, of 11 straight wins, marking from 1972-1982. The American League is one short of that record, winning 10 straight, and also tying in 2002. Since 1988, the American League has only lost three games. The only other time the American League dominated so controllably was a streak of 1933-1949, where the AL won 12 of 16. The National League’s dominance came from 1950-1987, where they won 33 of 42 games, including 1 tie during that span. The National League only lost 1 game between the 1963-1982 seasons.

      In 1985, Major League Baseball also introduced a home run derby, scheduled for the day before the game. During the homerun derby, some of the most powerful hitters in both the American and National League squared off to see who could hit the most homeruns. The rules have changed just very little since the creation of the derby, but this is a tradition that still exists today. The homerun derby is always very well attended, and also viewed on national television. In 1999, major league baseball started a “futures game”. In the futures game, young players that were not yet in the major leagues squared off for a game to showcase the young talent. The teams were decided squarely on their potential, and how they have fared at the minor league level to that point. The futures game gives fans a great look at some of the young up and coming talent about to make their way to the show. Lastly, in 2001 Taco Bell teamed up with Major League Baseball to form a Legends and Celebrity softball game. This game is held before the homerun derby, and this pits of a mixture of former major league stars, and also the current modern day celebrities in a fun, slow pitch softball style game. This game is very laid back, but brings fans in, not only to watch the action, but also chance to see their favorite major league legend, or even popular star.

      Some of Major League Baseball’s greatest stories have come from the MLB All-Star game. Who doesn’t remember in the 1970 All Star game, when Pete Rose drilled catcher Ray Fosse in the bottom of the 12th inning, scoring the winning run, and also sending Fosse to an injury? More recently, when All Star closer Eric Gagne, was simply lights out for the Dodgers the entire 2003 season, as he is set to finally stop the NL’s horrid losing streak against the AL, Texas Rangers slugger Hank Blalock knocks a two run homerun over the boards, and the AL wins 5-4. In 2007, Japanese sensation Ichiro Suzuki hit the first inside the park homerun for the American League, which gave them a 4-3 lead, a game they would eventually win 5-4. And most recently, the 15 inning game where the AL won to the relief of Terry Francona, who wasn't supposed to pitch Scott Kazmir, but he had nobody else available.

Previous Baseball All Star Game Winners
(Includes the year, host, winner, and score of the All Star game)

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