We’re at that time of the year where, to some, nothing’s going on sportswise, especially if you don’t like or follow golf, soccer, tennis, et al.
We’re also at the traditional mid-season point in Major League Baseball, with the annual All-Star Game in Philadelphia. Maybe I’m in my old man phase now (just turned 61 on Friday. Thanks for all of the birthday wishes on X and on Facebook), but I can’t stand any of the ASGs in the four major sports.
There was a time when they used to be competitive contests, but not anymore, especially in baseball, where interleague play has taken away from the true separation of the American and National Leagues.
Back in the day, it was a true competition with arguably the greatest of the ASGs taking place 55 years ago Monday, a veritable who’s-who of stars, many of them enshrined at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
The 42nd MLB All-Star game took place July 13, 1971 at venerable Tiger Stadium in Detroit, televised by NBC with the legendary Curt Gowdy and Tony Kubek. Oakland A’s lefty Vida Blue, (17-3 at the ASG break), started for the American League, while Leroy “Dock” Ellis of the Pittsburgh Pirates, who threw a no-hitter the year before, claiming to be on LSD that particular night, got the call for the National League after going 14-3 thru mid-July for the eventual World Series champions.
In terms of the ASG, there was no doubt as to who the superior league was, as the National League won every one of these contests since 1962 (from 1959-62, there were two All-Star Games played).
Early on, this looked like another routine win for the Senior Circuit, as Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench hit a two-run homer off Blue in the second, scoring Pittsburgh’s Willie Stargell to give the Nationals a 2-0 lead. The lead increased to three when baseball’s eventual all-time home run leader, some guy named Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves, went four-bagging off Blue.
However, the bottom of the inning changed the course of the game and, for an instant, history.
After a single by Boston’s Luis Aparicio, Oakland A’s slugger Reggie Jackson hit an Ellis pitch that looked like it was on the way to Ambassador Bridge had it not hit a transformer on the roof at Tiger Stadium to cut the lead to one.
A bit later, Rod Carew of the Minnesota Twins walked. After a couple of outs, Frank Robinson of the Baltimore Orioles, one of the few to ever be named Most Valuable Player in both leagues, hit one out and gave the AL a 4-3 lead, which was extended in the sixth when the massive Harmon Killebrew, of the Twins, hit a two-run shot, scoring Tigers legend Al Kaline for a 6-3 advantage.
In the eighth, Pirates icon Roberto Clemente would hit his only ASG homer to cut the American League lead to 6-4, which would be the final score and would be the only mid-summer win by the junior circuit until 1983 (who can ever forget Fred Lynn’s grand slam off Atlee Hammaker at the old Comiskey Park in Chicago?). However, 55 years later, the impact of this MLB ASG game resonates in terms of just who played in the contest.
The National League squad featured 12 future Hall of Famers: Aaron, Bench, Clemente, Stargell, Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Ron Santo, Lou Brock, Steve Carlton, Ferguson Jenkins, Juan Marichal and Tom Seaver. Also, should-be HOFer Pete Rose was in the game.
Among the American League stars were nine future players destined for Cooperstown: Aparicio, Carew, Reggie Jackson, Killebrew, Carl Yastrzemski, Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson, Al Kaline and Jim Palmer.
Both skippers, the Reds Sparky Anderson and Earl Weaver of the Orioles, are Hall of Fame managers. Other notables include Joe Torre, who was having an MVP season in 1971 with the St. Louis Cardinals and would later make the Hall as a manager, primarily with the New York Yankees. Doug Harvey, the third-base umpire, also has a plaque in Cooperstown.
Basketball fans will remember Jake O’Donnell, one of the legendary referees in NBA history. Yet, Jake was also a baseball umpire who manned second base in this legendary game. Jake did the baseball thing for 4 years before hitting the pro hardwood, thus being the only man to officiate in both a Major League Baseball All-Star Game and an NBA All-Star Game.
Today, we have the Home Run Derby and all of the periphery events to try to lure others into the once great sport of baseball and its mid-summer classic. In all likelihood, the only reason I’d consider watching is because of the sport’s premier talent, Los Angeles Dodgers ace/big stick Shohei Ohtani, who won’t take part due to a knee injury.
I’m not sure there’ll be 21 future Hall of Famers in this game (maybe the likes of Freddie Freeman, Bryce Harper and Mike Trout?)
1971 was five years before we’d see the end of the reserve clause, which essentially bound a player to his team for his career (do your research on Curt Flood while you’re at it) and came free agency, which changed the sport forever and guys changing teams at a then record pace. Yet, compared to what’s available today, I’ll gladly go back to an All-Star Game of legendary status and should be a reminder of how 1971-derful was!
Nothing is what it used to be.