ORLANDO, Fla. - It was a simpler time in 1992, but that's not necessarily a good thing. The previous November, when Magic Johnson dropped the HIV bombshell, many people assumed that he was basically saying "I have less than a year to live." That was just the common viewpoint. In fact, the view was so prevalent that fans voted Johnson into the starting lineup in that season's All-Star Game, even though he didn't play a game all season. Though this sentiment was never verbalized, it was seen as almost a final thank you to Magic for his great career.
Of course, knowledge about the disease being what it was, players privately balked at having to share a court with Johnson. Karl Malone took a lot heat for publically saying he was worried about playing with Johnson that day, but he was merely saying what many other people were thinking. Many people thought it was a very serious risk to have somebody with a serious, deadly disease playing a contact sport when it isn't entirely certain yet how that disease could be spread.
Also unspoken is that it was very likely those fears that helped Johnson win the game's MVP award. Sure, his 25 points and 9 assists were both game highs, and that 3-pointer he swished to close out the game was one of the defining moments of the entire 1991-92 NBA season, but it's fairly easy to score 25 points in an exhibition game when players are subconsciously playing farther back than they normally would, just in case, you know...
But the one thing Johnson couldn't control was the opinions and fears of the players in the game. In fact, he certainly had to know they were coming. So he did the best thing he could do in that situation. He played. He joked. He high-fived and hugged. He laughed. He did everything in his power to show that he was just a guy, just a basketball player. He showed that he wasn't going to let his disease define him. And slowly, the feelings started to thaw.
That summer, when Johnson was named to the Dream Team, many of the protests and worries had dissipated. At the very least, they weren't being verbalized. After the All-Star Game, during which exactly zero of the other players on the court caught HIV from Johnson, people started to realize that maybe it was OK for someone with HIV to play basketball. By playing in the All-Star Game, Johnson showed it was OK for him to play in the Olympics. By appearing healthy and active during the Olympics, Johnson showed that maybe HIV wasn't quite as terrible as people originally thought. The education had begun.
Showing posts with label All Star Game. Show all posts
Showing posts with label All Star Game. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
February 8, 1986: Bird's bravado
DALLAS - No story better describes the confidence and swagger of Larry Bird in the mid-1980s than the one that came out of the 1986 All-Star Weekend. An hour or so before the first ever NBA 3-point shooting contest, Bird walked into a locker room filled with the best 3-point shooters in the league, looked around, and asked "all right, which one of you sons of bitches is going to finish second?" That nobody spoke up is a testament to Bird's immense skill, which was at its peak in the 1985-86 season as the Celtics were steamrolling through the NBA.
The All-Star games of the 1980s had many exciting moments, as the NBA was starting to blossom under the growth of new superstars. Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Julius Erving still ruled the league, but up-and-coming stars like Michael Jordan, Isiah Thomas, and Charles Barkley were starting to come into their own, as well. As a result, the All-Star games in that era were especially entertaining.
Also entertaining, especially for their novelty, were the events preceding the actual games. The slam-dunk contest was borrowed from the old ABA in time for the 1984 season, and the 3-point contest was held for the first time two years later.
The 1986 slam-dunk contests wasn't expected to capture as much imagination. The previous year, Dominique Wilkins had won a controversial title over Michael Jordan, but with Jordan injured for the 1986 season, Wilkins wasn't expected to have much competition. He got more than he bargained for, though, when teammate Spud Webb stole the show. Standing only 5 foot 7, Webb wowed the judges and the fans in his hometown of Dallas with spectacular dunks, dunks that should have been impossible for someone of his stature. When he advanced to the final against his Atlanta teammate Wilkins, Webb's championship seemed preordained, but he earned two perfect scores in the final anyway to grab the crown.
Bird's performance in the 3-point contest, though, stole the show. With all of the competitors gathered in the locker room for a meeting before the competition, Bird walked in just moments before the meeting was to start and threw down the gauntlet with his famous question.
It was no contest. The Boston great drained 3's seemingly effortlessly, almost as though the contest was boring to him. He won with ease, getting 22 of a possible 30 points in the final round to win with ease. The crowd at Reunion Arena gave him a standing ovation after he banked in the final shot of the final round. Bird's win in the inagural contest was the first of three straight victories.
Oh, and for the record, the son of a bitch who finished second was Milwaukee's Craig Hodges, who would go on to win three straight titles of his own.
The All-Star games of the 1980s had many exciting moments, as the NBA was starting to blossom under the growth of new superstars. Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Julius Erving still ruled the league, but up-and-coming stars like Michael Jordan, Isiah Thomas, and Charles Barkley were starting to come into their own, as well. As a result, the All-Star games in that era were especially entertaining.
Also entertaining, especially for their novelty, were the events preceding the actual games. The slam-dunk contest was borrowed from the old ABA in time for the 1984 season, and the 3-point contest was held for the first time two years later.
The 1986 slam-dunk contests wasn't expected to capture as much imagination. The previous year, Dominique Wilkins had won a controversial title over Michael Jordan, but with Jordan injured for the 1986 season, Wilkins wasn't expected to have much competition. He got more than he bargained for, though, when teammate Spud Webb stole the show. Standing only 5 foot 7, Webb wowed the judges and the fans in his hometown of Dallas with spectacular dunks, dunks that should have been impossible for someone of his stature. When he advanced to the final against his Atlanta teammate Wilkins, Webb's championship seemed preordained, but he earned two perfect scores in the final anyway to grab the crown.
Bird's performance in the 3-point contest, though, stole the show. With all of the competitors gathered in the locker room for a meeting before the competition, Bird walked in just moments before the meeting was to start and threw down the gauntlet with his famous question.
It was no contest. The Boston great drained 3's seemingly effortlessly, almost as though the contest was boring to him. He won with ease, getting 22 of a possible 30 points in the final round to win with ease. The crowd at Reunion Arena gave him a standing ovation after he banked in the final shot of the final round. Bird's win in the inagural contest was the first of three straight victories.
Oh, and for the record, the son of a bitch who finished second was Milwaukee's Craig Hodges, who would go on to win three straight titles of his own.
Friday, September 10, 2010
September 10, 1933: East-West
CHICAGO - For years, the most anticipated and talked about game in the Negro Leagues schedule was not the postseason championship series after the season. Rather, it was the East-West Game, the all-star game for the Negro Leagues, that got everybody's attention.
The primary Negro Leagues were very loosely organized in the 1930s, with teams switchign leagues and leagues folding all the time. Despite the loose organization, it was obvious there was plenty of talent, with many players of Major League-caliber. There had been a championship series between two rival leagues since the 1920s, but because of the tenuous nature of the leagues, the series wasn't always as popular.
The East-West Game started in 1933, when the owners of the Negro National League and the East-West League got together to form an all-star game similar to the Major League one. Black newspapers around the country printed ballots for fans to pick the players to represent the two leagues. The first game was played at Chicago's Comiskey Park on September 10, 1933. Ten players who would eventually be enshrined in the Hall of Fame suited up, including top vote getter Oscar Charleston of the Pittsburgh Crawfords and second-place Willie Foster of the Chicago American Giants. Behind Foster's complete game, the only one in the history of the East-West Game, the West team beat the East 11-7.
The game grew in popularity as players from independent black leagues started getting voted in. While it was no guarantee the championship series would feature the best teams - just the best teams from the two most organized leagues - the East-West Game always had the best players in Negro baseball. The game became a matter of pride, much more so than the Major League All Star Game.
The East-West Game continued until 1962, long after integration had stripped the Negro Leagues of virtually all of its Major League talent. Of the 36 games, 27 were played at Comiskey Park. The West won 20 of the 36 games, but that didn't mean as much over the years as league affiliations changed. When the game finally stopped in 1962, it was considered the death of the Negro Leagues.
The primary Negro Leagues were very loosely organized in the 1930s, with teams switchign leagues and leagues folding all the time. Despite the loose organization, it was obvious there was plenty of talent, with many players of Major League-caliber. There had been a championship series between two rival leagues since the 1920s, but because of the tenuous nature of the leagues, the series wasn't always as popular.
The East-West Game started in 1933, when the owners of the Negro National League and the East-West League got together to form an all-star game similar to the Major League one. Black newspapers around the country printed ballots for fans to pick the players to represent the two leagues. The first game was played at Chicago's Comiskey Park on September 10, 1933. Ten players who would eventually be enshrined in the Hall of Fame suited up, including top vote getter Oscar Charleston of the Pittsburgh Crawfords and second-place Willie Foster of the Chicago American Giants. Behind Foster's complete game, the only one in the history of the East-West Game, the West team beat the East 11-7.
The game grew in popularity as players from independent black leagues started getting voted in. While it was no guarantee the championship series would feature the best teams - just the best teams from the two most organized leagues - the East-West Game always had the best players in Negro baseball. The game became a matter of pride, much more so than the Major League All Star Game.
The East-West Game continued until 1962, long after integration had stripped the Negro Leagues of virtually all of its Major League talent. Of the 36 games, 27 were played at Comiskey Park. The West won 20 of the 36 games, but that didn't mean as much over the years as league affiliations changed. When the game finally stopped in 1962, it was considered the death of the Negro Leagues.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
August 31, 1934: It seemed like a good idea at the time
CHICAGO - Imagine if you will an NFL preseason game this year featuring the Saints. Instead of playing another NFL team in a game where nobody is paying attention, the Saints would be lined up against a group of college football all stars from the previous season. Such a game would be an utter disaster. The college all stars would be lucky to survive the game without being injured, to say nothing of actually being able to win. The only real question would be how many quarters the Saints starters would play before giving way to the backups.
In 1934, a similar matchup seemed like a very good idea. With baseball's All Star Game taking off the previous summer to a roaring success, Chicago Tribune sports editor Arch Ward looked for a similar game for football. The NFL had only a single division then, so an interleague all-star game didn't make sense. Ward decided to invite the defending NFL champions to play against a team of college all stars.
While that might seem crazy now, it wasn't so crazy back then. In the 30s, the NFL was still getting established, and many still felt the college game was actually a higher-quality game. Plus, with a group of only the best players, it was thought the collegians could keep up with an NFL team.
At first, the assumption was right, as the 1934 college all stars played the Bears to a scoreless tie in Soldier Field on August 31, 1934. In the first few years, the college teams held their own, but eventually, as the NFL became more established and the difference between professional and college players grew, the games became hopelessly one-sided. The game continued until the 1976 season, but the collegians hadn't won a game since 1963. The final record of the series was NFL 31, College 9, with 2 ties.
HONORABLE MENTION
August 31, 1990: SEATTLE - As the Mariners left their dugout to take the field in the top of the first, Ken Griffey ran out to center field, just a kid still in the early stages of his remarkable career. Running right next to him, Ken Griffey headed out to left field, an old man nearing the end of the line. As Randy Johnson threw the first pitch that day, the Griffeys had made history. With Junior in center and Senior in left, they became the first father-son combination to play in the same Major League game. It was a moment made possible by both Senior's longetivity - he was still playing, and playing well, at age 40 - and by Junior's precociousness - he was an established Major League star at age 20. To make the moment more special, the Griffeys - first Senior, then Junior - hit back-to-back singles in the first inning. Senior retired the next year at age 41, while Junior retired earlier this year at age 40, meaning 2011 will be the first Major League season since 1972 to not feature a player named Ken Griffey.
In 1934, a similar matchup seemed like a very good idea. With baseball's All Star Game taking off the previous summer to a roaring success, Chicago Tribune sports editor Arch Ward looked for a similar game for football. The NFL had only a single division then, so an interleague all-star game didn't make sense. Ward decided to invite the defending NFL champions to play against a team of college all stars.
While that might seem crazy now, it wasn't so crazy back then. In the 30s, the NFL was still getting established, and many still felt the college game was actually a higher-quality game. Plus, with a group of only the best players, it was thought the collegians could keep up with an NFL team.
At first, the assumption was right, as the 1934 college all stars played the Bears to a scoreless tie in Soldier Field on August 31, 1934. In the first few years, the college teams held their own, but eventually, as the NFL became more established and the difference between professional and college players grew, the games became hopelessly one-sided. The game continued until the 1976 season, but the collegians hadn't won a game since 1963. The final record of the series was NFL 31, College 9, with 2 ties.
HONORABLE MENTION
August 31, 1990: SEATTLE - As the Mariners left their dugout to take the field in the top of the first, Ken Griffey ran out to center field, just a kid still in the early stages of his remarkable career. Running right next to him, Ken Griffey headed out to left field, an old man nearing the end of the line. As Randy Johnson threw the first pitch that day, the Griffeys had made history. With Junior in center and Senior in left, they became the first father-son combination to play in the same Major League game. It was a moment made possible by both Senior's longetivity - he was still playing, and playing well, at age 40 - and by Junior's precociousness - he was an established Major League star at age 20. To make the moment more special, the Griffeys - first Senior, then Junior - hit back-to-back singles in the first inning. Senior retired the next year at age 41, while Junior retired earlier this year at age 40, meaning 2011 will be the first Major League season since 1972 to not feature a player named Ken Griffey.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
July 20, 1859: Tickets, please
QUEENS, N.Y. - The excitement was palpable. Baseball was starting to take off in popularity in the New York City area, with arguments abound about whether the better players were based in New York proper or in Brooklyn. When the Brooklyn teams challenged the New York teams to a contest, with each city allowed to pick its nine best players, the first All-Star Game was born.
It was more than just the first All-Star Game, too. When 1,500 fans went to Fashion Park Race Course on July 20, 1859, they were charged 50 cents to get in, making this the first baseball game to charge admission. As the players weren't yet paid for playing baseball, all proceeds from admission went to the New York area fire departments.
The game between the Brooklyn all stars and the New York all stars was actually the first of a three-game series scheduled over six weeks that summer. Fans arrived by steamer boat and horse-drawn carriage to all three games at Fashion Park, which was demolished seven years later.
In the first game, the New York team beat the Brooklyns 22-18. Game two saw Brooklyn get revenge, winning 29-8, while New York won the series with a 29-18 win in game three.
HONORABLE MENTION
July 20, 1969: SAN FRANCISCO - In 1968, big league manager Alvin Dark was talking to a sports writer about the hitting ability of pitcher Gaylor Perry. Dark said "they'll put a man on the moon before he hits a home run." The next year, 20 minutes after the Giants learned about Neil Armstrong setting foot on the moon, Perry connected for his first career home run. He must have liked how it felt, as he hit one in each of the next three seasons, as well.
It was more than just the first All-Star Game, too. When 1,500 fans went to Fashion Park Race Course on July 20, 1859, they were charged 50 cents to get in, making this the first baseball game to charge admission. As the players weren't yet paid for playing baseball, all proceeds from admission went to the New York area fire departments.
The game between the Brooklyn all stars and the New York all stars was actually the first of a three-game series scheduled over six weeks that summer. Fans arrived by steamer boat and horse-drawn carriage to all three games at Fashion Park, which was demolished seven years later.
In the first game, the New York team beat the Brooklyns 22-18. Game two saw Brooklyn get revenge, winning 29-8, while New York won the series with a 29-18 win in game three.
HONORABLE MENTION
July 20, 1969: SAN FRANCISCO - In 1968, big league manager Alvin Dark was talking to a sports writer about the hitting ability of pitcher Gaylor Perry. Dark said "they'll put a man on the moon before he hits a home run." The next year, 20 minutes after the Giants learned about Neil Armstrong setting foot on the moon, Perry connected for his first career home run. He must have liked how it felt, as he hit one in each of the next three seasons, as well.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
July 14, 1970: Too much Hustle?
CINCINNATI - The ball was hit up the middle, a two-out single by journeyman Cubs outfielder Jim Hickman, who was playing in his only All-Star Game. Amos Otis of Kansas City, one of the spark plugs of the great Royals teams of the 70s, came up firing. Otis threw the ball to Oakland catcher Ray Fosse on the third-base side of home plate, in plenty of time to get Cincinnati outfielder Pete Rose, who had been running from second base. The ball got there in plenty of time, beating Rose by a couple of steps.
Freeze it here. In most situations, the inning would be over. The All-Star Game, which was already quite memorable due to the National League's three-run rally to tie the game in the 9th, would continue on to the 13th inning. Sure, Rose could have found a way to slide around Fosse, or maybe stop short and try to create chaos in a rundown, but more than likely, he's out, and we're continuing on. The other option, running over the catcher, seems completely improbable, considering this is, after all, an exhibition.
Of course, Rose bowled over Fosse. Fosse hit the ground hard, the ball came out, Rose landed on home plate, and the NL had won. Despite the game, it shouldn't have been too surprising that Rose did that; he didn't get the nickname "Charlie Hustle" for nothing. But come on - it was an exhibition game. Yah, everybody wanted badly to win, but not at the expense of your opponents' health. That seems like it was going too far. Even people playing in the game believed that.
As for the aftershocks, just ask Fosse. He was the one, after all, who suffered a fractured and separated shoulder in the collision. The original x-rays didn't reveal the injuries at first, so Fosse played the next month or so in pain, causing further, irreparable damage to his shoulder, before finally being properly diagnosed. By then it was too late. His career was never the same. Interviewed in 1999, Fosse demonstrated that he still couldn't lift his left arm as a result of the injury.
So was it worth it? Did the satisfaction of getting the win outweigh the shame of permantely injuring a player? If you are asking that question, than you don't really know Rose. To him, there was no such thing as an exhibition game. There was simply a baseball game. In fact, when he was asked about it, he gave this answer:
"I didn't realize it had turned to girl's softball between third base and home plate."
Kind of sums up his personality perfectly.
Freeze it here. In most situations, the inning would be over. The All-Star Game, which was already quite memorable due to the National League's three-run rally to tie the game in the 9th, would continue on to the 13th inning. Sure, Rose could have found a way to slide around Fosse, or maybe stop short and try to create chaos in a rundown, but more than likely, he's out, and we're continuing on. The other option, running over the catcher, seems completely improbable, considering this is, after all, an exhibition.
Of course, Rose bowled over Fosse. Fosse hit the ground hard, the ball came out, Rose landed on home plate, and the NL had won. Despite the game, it shouldn't have been too surprising that Rose did that; he didn't get the nickname "Charlie Hustle" for nothing. But come on - it was an exhibition game. Yah, everybody wanted badly to win, but not at the expense of your opponents' health. That seems like it was going too far. Even people playing in the game believed that.As for the aftershocks, just ask Fosse. He was the one, after all, who suffered a fractured and separated shoulder in the collision. The original x-rays didn't reveal the injuries at first, so Fosse played the next month or so in pain, causing further, irreparable damage to his shoulder, before finally being properly diagnosed. By then it was too late. His career was never the same. Interviewed in 1999, Fosse demonstrated that he still couldn't lift his left arm as a result of the injury.
So was it worth it? Did the satisfaction of getting the win outweigh the shame of permantely injuring a player? If you are asking that question, than you don't really know Rose. To him, there was no such thing as an exhibition game. There was simply a baseball game. In fact, when he was asked about it, he gave this answer:
"I didn't realize it had turned to girl's softball between third base and home plate."
Kind of sums up his personality perfectly.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
July 13, 1971: Remember that scene from The Natural?
DETROIT - Long before he was Mr. October, the famous number 44 in Yankee pinstripes, Reggie Jackson was "Buck," number 9 for the green-and-gold-clad Athletics. As a 25-year-old in 1971, Jackson didn't have anywhere near the fame he would later in his career. He was recognized as a great player, but since Oakland had yet to make the playoffs, he wasn't yet a household name.
After the 1971 All-Star Game, that would all change.
The American League entered the 1971 game on July 13 in the midst of an eight-game All-Star Game losing streak. Jackson wasn't voted to start the game at Tiger Stadium, but he was named to the team with the expectation that he'd probably only get one at bat.
Jackson's chance came earlier than he probably expected, as he was sent to pinch-hit for teammate and starting pitcher Vida Blue in the fourth inning with a man on base and the AL trailing 3-0. Pittsburgh pitcher Dock Ellis, who had thrown a no-hitter the year before, was on the mound.
When Jackson walked up to the plate for that plate appearance, he was a star. When he got back to the dugout, he was a legend. Hitting a home run off the light tower will do that for you. The ball was hit so high, and left the park so fast, that the television cameras couldn't follow it; fans watching the game at home saw a shot of the right-field upper deck, then a ball fall straight down in front of it.
The light tower Jackson hit was 380 feet from home plate, but considering it was on the roof of Tiger Stadium, its estimated that his home run would have 530 feet had it been allowed to soar uninterrupted. It was an incredible shot by a man who would soon become famous for those.
For the AL, the home run was the turning point. They took the lead that inning on their was to a 6-4 victory, their only All-Star Game victory in a 20-year span. For Jackson, it was just the start of his fame. The Athletics made the playoffs for the first time in Jackson's career that fall, and he hit two home runs in a losing effort. In all, he would play on five World Series champions in two cities. He hit 18 postseason home runs, including at least one in every World Series he played in. But surpringly, considering his flair for the dramatic, the incredible blast in the 1971 game was Jackson's only All-Star Game home run.
HONORABLE MENTION
July 13, 1934: DETROIT - The game is most memorable because of Babe Ruth. In a game against the Tigers, Ruth crushed a pitch from Tommy Bridges deep into the right-field bleachers at Tiger Stadium for his 700th career home run. The blast helped the Yankees beat the Tigers and leapfrog them into first place. However, the game is notable for another reason, as Lou Gehrig had to be helped off the field in the first inning with severe lower back pain. In retrospect, Gehrig's spell of lumbargo was likely the first noticeable sign of the ALS that would later end his career.
After the 1971 All-Star Game, that would all change.
The American League entered the 1971 game on July 13 in the midst of an eight-game All-Star Game losing streak. Jackson wasn't voted to start the game at Tiger Stadium, but he was named to the team with the expectation that he'd probably only get one at bat.
Jackson's chance came earlier than he probably expected, as he was sent to pinch-hit for teammate and starting pitcher Vida Blue in the fourth inning with a man on base and the AL trailing 3-0. Pittsburgh pitcher Dock Ellis, who had thrown a no-hitter the year before, was on the mound.
When Jackson walked up to the plate for that plate appearance, he was a star. When he got back to the dugout, he was a legend. Hitting a home run off the light tower will do that for you. The ball was hit so high, and left the park so fast, that the television cameras couldn't follow it; fans watching the game at home saw a shot of the right-field upper deck, then a ball fall straight down in front of it.
The light tower Jackson hit was 380 feet from home plate, but considering it was on the roof of Tiger Stadium, its estimated that his home run would have 530 feet had it been allowed to soar uninterrupted. It was an incredible shot by a man who would soon become famous for those.
For the AL, the home run was the turning point. They took the lead that inning on their was to a 6-4 victory, their only All-Star Game victory in a 20-year span. For Jackson, it was just the start of his fame. The Athletics made the playoffs for the first time in Jackson's career that fall, and he hit two home runs in a losing effort. In all, he would play on five World Series champions in two cities. He hit 18 postseason home runs, including at least one in every World Series he played in. But surpringly, considering his flair for the dramatic, the incredible blast in the 1971 game was Jackson's only All-Star Game home run.
HONORABLE MENTION
July 13, 1934: DETROIT - The game is most memorable because of Babe Ruth. In a game against the Tigers, Ruth crushed a pitch from Tommy Bridges deep into the right-field bleachers at Tiger Stadium for his 700th career home run. The blast helped the Yankees beat the Tigers and leapfrog them into first place. However, the game is notable for another reason, as Lou Gehrig had to be helped off the field in the first inning with severe lower back pain. In retrospect, Gehrig's spell of lumbargo was likely the first noticeable sign of the ALS that would later end his career.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
July 11, 1989: Leading off
ANAHEIM, Calif. - Why on earth do you make Bo Jackson your leadoff hitter? He's no leadoff hitter. He's a number 4 or 5 hitter, but how can you put him leading off? Boggs, your number 2 hitter, is a much more natural choice to lead off - he does it all the time. Why Bo?
Oh, you want to start the game with a bang? Well, what if he strikes out? Then what? You've wasted your best hitter on the first at bat of the game, and he'll probably only get one more chance.
It's just an All-Star Game, you say? It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, you say? See, that's part of the problem. People are starting to treat the All-Star Game more and more like an exhibition. Yes, I know that's what it is, but it used to have prestige, be the most anticipated game of the entire summer. Now when people like you do crazy stuff like putting Bo Jackson in the leadoff spot, all it does is announce to the fans that you don't take the game seriously. If you don't, and if the players don't, how are fans supposed to? It's an exhibition, but fans still pay good money to go to the game.
And furthermore ... wait. Where's that ball going? Good God, how strong is that man? What is that, 450 feet? Wow.
.... OK, fine, it worked. Sheesh.
(Watch the video for Jackson's home run, with cameo appearances by Ronald Reagan, Kirby Puckett, and skinny Mark McGwire!)
Oh, you want to start the game with a bang? Well, what if he strikes out? Then what? You've wasted your best hitter on the first at bat of the game, and he'll probably only get one more chance.
It's just an All-Star Game, you say? It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, you say? See, that's part of the problem. People are starting to treat the All-Star Game more and more like an exhibition. Yes, I know that's what it is, but it used to have prestige, be the most anticipated game of the entire summer. Now when people like you do crazy stuff like putting Bo Jackson in the leadoff spot, all it does is announce to the fans that you don't take the game seriously. If you don't, and if the players don't, how are fans supposed to? It's an exhibition, but fans still pay good money to go to the game.
And furthermore ... wait. Where's that ball going? Good God, how strong is that man? What is that, 450 feet? Wow.
.... OK, fine, it worked. Sheesh.
(Watch the video for Jackson's home run, with cameo appearances by Ronald Reagan, Kirby Puckett, and skinny Mark McGwire!)
Thursday, July 8, 2010
July 8, 1941: Not just another home run
DETROIT - Wait, what's going on here? Ted Williams, clapping his hands and jumping up and down as he rounded the bases? That never happened. Williams never showed an emotion other than brooding, at least in public. He had never even tipped his cap to Boston fans, and now he was jumping up and down and smiling after a home run? What's up with that?
So that's what it took to get Williams excited - a walk-off home run in the All-Star Game. I suppose that's proof that the game had taken off in popularity, that only eight years after its debut, it had become a can't-miss part of summer. It's the ultimate contest of league pride, the only way for the two leagues to say our best players are better than your best.
Williams and Joe DiMaggio were the overriding story in baseball in the summer of 1941- Williams because of his ultimately successful run for a .400 average, and DiMaggio because of his 56-game hitting streak - so it's fitting that they were the two players in the center of one of the most exciting ninth innings in All-Star Game history. When the ninth inning started, DiMaggio had already scored two runs, including a run in the eighth after a hit by his brother Dominic. Williams had hit a run-scoring double, but had also committed an error. With the American League trailing 5-3 entering the bottom of the ninth, both stars stood looming, but they were four batters away. The National League had a chance to get out of Tiger Stadium with a win without having to face the game's two brightest stars.
Not so fast, though. After an opening out, three straight American Leaguers reached base, sending DiMaggio to the plate with only one out. He had a chance to be the hero. Instead, he narrowly avoided being the goat, beating the relay throw from second to barely avoid a game-ending double play. A run scored, and Williams came up with two on and two out. The NL elected to pitch to Williams, most likely to avoid moving DiMaggio, the winning run, to scoring position at second base.
Well, that didn't work. And as the ball cleared the right-field fence, and Williams started hopping, rather than running, around the bases, everybody knew from his reaction that it wasn't just another home run. With one swing, the All-Star Game had grown in stature, and it would be decades before it was again considered just a meaningless mid-season exhibition.
So that's what it took to get Williams excited - a walk-off home run in the All-Star Game. I suppose that's proof that the game had taken off in popularity, that only eight years after its debut, it had become a can't-miss part of summer. It's the ultimate contest of league pride, the only way for the two leagues to say our best players are better than your best.
Williams and Joe DiMaggio were the overriding story in baseball in the summer of 1941- Williams because of his ultimately successful run for a .400 average, and DiMaggio because of his 56-game hitting streak - so it's fitting that they were the two players in the center of one of the most exciting ninth innings in All-Star Game history. When the ninth inning started, DiMaggio had already scored two runs, including a run in the eighth after a hit by his brother Dominic. Williams had hit a run-scoring double, but had also committed an error. With the American League trailing 5-3 entering the bottom of the ninth, both stars stood looming, but they were four batters away. The National League had a chance to get out of Tiger Stadium with a win without having to face the game's two brightest stars.
Not so fast, though. After an opening out, three straight American Leaguers reached base, sending DiMaggio to the plate with only one out. He had a chance to be the hero. Instead, he narrowly avoided being the goat, beating the relay throw from second to barely avoid a game-ending double play. A run scored, and Williams came up with two on and two out. The NL elected to pitch to Williams, most likely to avoid moving DiMaggio, the winning run, to scoring position at second base.
Well, that didn't work. And as the ball cleared the right-field fence, and Williams started hopping, rather than running, around the bases, everybody knew from his reaction that it wasn't just another home run. With one swing, the All-Star Game had grown in stature, and it would be decades before it was again considered just a meaningless mid-season exhibition.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
July 6, 1933: The Star of Stars
CHICAGO - There was more talent on that field than had ever been assembled before on a single baseball diamond. Twenty men who would later be named Hall of Famers were in the two dugouts. The two managers, Philadelphia's Connie Mack and New York's John McGraw, still rank number 1 and 2 on the all-time wins chart in baseball history. Even two of the four umpires were Hall of Famers.
Yet despite all the star power, the true attraction of the first All Star game was, naturally, Babe Ruth. Though he was a few years past his prime, and had an ever-expanding waistline, Ruth was the star of stars, the man everybody wanted to see. The National League players who hadn't gotten to face Ruth in the past were awed by his presence, honored to be able to be on the same field as him. And with seven future Hall of Famers in the American League starting lineup, it was Ruth whose name was penciled in to the third spot in the batting order.
Arch Ward, the sports editor of the Chicago Tribune, came up with the idea for the All Star Game. It was intended that the game would be a one-time occurrence, all of baseball's stars gathering in Comiskey Park in Chicago for one memorable afternoon. With 49,200 people in the stands, it quickly became apparent that this should be an annual event.
The attendance, the location, the founding, the players involved - those are all details. The story of this game was Ruth, stealing the spotlight from the rest of Major League Baseball just as he had been doing since being sold to the Yankees 14 years before. In the third inning, Ruth hit the first home run in All Star Game history, driving in fellow Hall of Famer Charlie Gehringer to put the A.L. up 3-0. With his league holding a 4-2 lead in the eighth inning, Ruth came up big again, reaching over the right-field wall to rob Chick Hafey of a game-tying home run.
There was no All Star Game MVP awarded in those days, but Ruth certainly would have won the award. The game would be revived the next year and continues to this day, the longest-running all star game in American sports.
Yet despite all the star power, the true attraction of the first All Star game was, naturally, Babe Ruth. Though he was a few years past his prime, and had an ever-expanding waistline, Ruth was the star of stars, the man everybody wanted to see. The National League players who hadn't gotten to face Ruth in the past were awed by his presence, honored to be able to be on the same field as him. And with seven future Hall of Famers in the American League starting lineup, it was Ruth whose name was penciled in to the third spot in the batting order.
Arch Ward, the sports editor of the Chicago Tribune, came up with the idea for the All Star Game. It was intended that the game would be a one-time occurrence, all of baseball's stars gathering in Comiskey Park in Chicago for one memorable afternoon. With 49,200 people in the stands, it quickly became apparent that this should be an annual event.
The attendance, the location, the founding, the players involved - those are all details. The story of this game was Ruth, stealing the spotlight from the rest of Major League Baseball just as he had been doing since being sold to the Yankees 14 years before. In the third inning, Ruth hit the first home run in All Star Game history, driving in fellow Hall of Famer Charlie Gehringer to put the A.L. up 3-0. With his league holding a 4-2 lead in the eighth inning, Ruth came up big again, reaching over the right-field wall to rob Chick Hafey of a game-tying home run.
There was no All Star Game MVP awarded in those days, but Ruth certainly would have won the award. The game would be revived the next year and continues to this day, the longest-running all star game in American sports.
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