The Major League Baseball All-Star game always brings back some great memories whether it was when I was little, or years later when I worked in baseball and I was able to attend a few Mid-Summer classics.
I was fortunate enough to be in Fenway Park, July 13, 1999 when they introduced the All-Century team followed by the Ted Williams tribute and his first pitch. Words simply cannot describe those moments and the scene at Fenway. The greatest living players all assembled in one place and Teddy Ballgame creating one last memory in Boston….just plain AWESOME. All of that was then followed by possibly the most dominant starting pitcher performance in many years as Pedro Martinez tore through the NL striking out five of the six batters he faced including Barry Larkin, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Jeff Bagwell. Only Matt Williams made contact off “Petey”. The rest of the game was fun, but never matched the fireworks from the pre-game ceremonies and the dominant pitching. Nomar’s standing ovation when he came out of the game was pretty cool though.
In 2000, I was able to take my dad to the game in Atlanta. Seats were not great, but we were in the ballpark for the home run derby and then the game. It was all about being able to take dad to the event and sort of repaying him for all of the games he had taken me to as a kid. Walking around fan fest, enjoying the different activities and taking dad across the street to the spot where Aaron hit 715 was much more fun than the derby and the game, but it is always fun to be at these games.
One of my fondest memories of the all-star game was in 1983, thirty years ago and long before I ever dreamed of working in baseball, let alone attending multiple all-star games. The Hamilton (IL) Pony League team was local force on the field, pretty much dominating most of the local teams in the tri-state area of Illinois, Southeast Iowa and Northeast Missouri. We had two solid pitchers, good hitters and great defense. I was the starting centerfielder. Ed Ray put together a pretty good group of kids and we had fun and won a lot of games.
Unfortunately, we were scheduled to play on the night of the ’83 All-Star Game that was being played in the old Comiskey Park in Chicago which is where the first all-star game was played fifty years earlier on the same date. Our game, in Kahoka, MO about 30 miles away, started late afternoon so I was hoping to get back in time to see the game, but realistically knew I not would get to see much of it.
As our game ended with us beating them pretty easily, we made our way back home. Since Coach Ed’s son Jon was one of my best friends, I had traveled to the game with them along with Chad Gilpin who was just as good a friend and our catcher. The three of us were not only good baseball players, but we loved the history of the game too, so as soon as we got into the car we immediately turned the game on the radio. Honestly, I was one of those kids who enjoyed listening to games on radio (still do by the way) and this was waaaaaayy before smartphones, laptops and the internet so it was radio and t.v. as our options and we were in the car so radio was our only option and that was fine with me.
The game had started as we headed towards Keokuk to get dinner and then across the bridge home to Hamilton. Please remember this was thirty years ago and some of my game facts may be off but this is a recount of my memory of the broadcast and the conversations in the car. The American League had not won many games in the previous 20 years despite equal talent. This was back when this game was still all about the pride of the league you played in and didn’t determine any post-season home field advantage.
I think Dave Stieb started for the AL, but don’t recall who started for the NL. I clearly remember Atlee Hammaker, who was having a great first half for the Giants, came in to pitch the 3rd inning and Jim Rice was leading off for the AL in the bottom of the third. Rice was my man. To this day #14 has always been my favorite player, followed by Lou Brock and a few others. He was the most dangerous hitter of this era of baseball. He followed Fred Lynn in the American League lineup, who now played for the Angels after roaming the Red Sox outfield with Rice for seven years previously. They were known as the Gold Dust Twins when they came up in ’75 and combined to have two of the best rookie seasons on record.
As the third inning started, we were hoping to get back to Hamilton to see the game, but as anyone who lived in Keokuk or Hamilton at that time knew, all schedules were dependent on the bridge that connected the two towns. An old, narrow low-level bridge that spanned the mighty Mississippi and it had to be opened for barge traffic and then closed to resume car traffic. It was part of life dealing with the bridge and all of its unique qualities good or bad.
As fate would have it, there was a grain barge coming out of Lock and Dam 19 and the Ed Ray mobile did not have Speed Racer Mach 5 super powers to help us navigate this poorly timed event. The bridge swung open, the cars stopped and we continue to listen to the third inning as it unfolded. The conversation between the three youth of us and Coach Ed, was just as memorable as the other events that were happening simultaneously. AL vs. NL, Rice is better than Andre Dawson, Willie McGee should have been starting, etc. just to name a few of the debates. Typical banter among kids and adults who loved America’s National Past Time.
Rice started off the now famous 3rd inning by homering off Hammaker to left field. The radio broadcasters described it as a ball that never got more than 20 feet off the ground but was hit so hard that it carried easily over the left field wall at Comiskey. I was crushed not being able to see it, but video later proved their description to be very accurate. Hammaker completely unraveled after that as it seemed everyone and their dog got a hit off the all-star pitcher. As bad as he was pitching, I remember him intentionally walking Robin Yount to load the bases and pitch to Fred Lynn. Jon, Chad and I couldn’t believe that he would put another man on base to face one of the better hitters in the game, but it did set up a Lefty vs Lefty situation and I am sure Hammaker was looking for any advantage he could get at that point. Quite honestly I was also shocked that Hammaker was still in the game at this point and I don’t recall if there was anyone warming up for NL. The announcers seemed just as stunned as we were, but now the bases were loaded.
Fifty years of all-star games and there had never been a Grand Slam…never. Each year during the game, the T.V. broadcast would always make note of that fact. The radio guys were now doing the same song and dance and we were anticipating some all-star history as the water traffic in front of us slowly eased out of the locks heading south down river further delaying our ability to visually see what was happening on the Southside of Chicago. None the less, the radio description was awesome and our lifeline to history.
Fred Lynn proceeded to hit that historical first Grand Slam as he socked a Hammaker pitch over the right field wall to put the American League in total command and in position to win their first game in years. His slam was a big deal at the time and is still the only grand slam in the history of the MLB All-Star game.
I am sure that the people in the car line behind us must have wondered what we were listening to as the three of us in the back seat of the car erupted with excitement and then calmed down so that we could hear the broadcast and crowd noise in the background as Comiskey once again enjoyed baseball history.
We made it back home to watch the rest of the game, but honestly it was all pretty anti climatic at that point. We were merely watching to see replays of Lynn’s dramatic slam and of course I couldn’t wait to see the replay of Rice’s home run which started it all off. Hammaker’s career was never the same after that game unfortunately.
That car ride experience with Coach Ed, Jon and Chad contained many more memories than I am sharing with you since this post is already longer than expected. Memories that were made even more special with Jon’s passing in 2005. Jon’s family was my family too and the three of us young boys spent numerous hours watching, playing and discussing the game of baseball. I don’t know if kids today do anything like that anymore, but we sure did and I am thankful for that time during my youth.
Enjoy the All-Star game tonight and that's what it is in the world of the Sports Grapevine .......
P.S. Last week during the Atlantic League Minor League All-Star game in the stadium that I helped build (not physically build) and promote for the Blue Crabs when they started up, my oldest son Sam provided me with another all-star moment by throwing out one of two first pitches for the game. Roger Clemens was the other first pitch by the way.
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