In recent years, All-Star contests in professional sports have been dismissed by many as being meaningless. The Pro Bowl takes place a week after the Super Bowl, when interest in football is fairly low. The NHL's All-Star game has been revived somewhat by its "North America vs. The World" format, but still attracts only marginal interest in non-Olympic years. It is unlikely however, that an All-Star contest has ever \seemed so inconsequential as last night's Major League Baseball All-Star game, given the events that surrounded this year's edition of the "Midsummer Classic."
With the biggest stars in baseball travelling to Milwaukee, home of MLB commissioner Bud Selig, any hoopla surrounding the All-Star game itself was dwarfed by talk of what could be baseball's second strike in the last nine years.
On Monday, hours before New York Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi defeated Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa in the final round to become only the second Yankee in history to win the Home Run Derby, the executive board of the players union met for five hours to discuss the possibility of a strike date. While no strike date was set, the general feeling was that one will be set in the next few weeks, unless a new labor agreement is reached.
Another hot topic in Milwaukee before the All-Star game was the possibility of steroid testing. Controversy over steroids has grown this season in light of statements by retired stars Ken Caminiti and Jose Canseco. Canseco, who retired this year, claimed that 80 percent of major leaguers use steroids. Caminiti, who has admitted to being on steroids during the 1996 season, when he won the National League's Most Valuable Player award, estimated that half of MLB's players use steroids, but later said that that figure was inflated.
Last February, the team organizations proposed that players be tested for steroids and other substances three times a year. The players union has objected to such testing, citing privacy reasons as the primary cause. However, individual players, including Giambi, Houston outfielder Lance Berkman, and New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza spoke out in favor of testing when asked about the matter on Monday.
With the steroid and labor controversies looming large, baseball went out of its way to deliver a spectacular show for the 73rd All-Star game. A massive pre-game ceremony celebrated 30 of baseball's most memorable moments, with such legends as Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Cal Ripken, Jr., and Reggie Jackson making appearances at Milwaukee's Miller Park.
Also, just after the All-Stars were introduced, Boston Red Sox All-Stars Johnny Damon, Shea Hillenbrand, and Ugueth Urbina unveiled a large number 9 in left field, honoring late Red Sox great Ted Williams. Williams, the last major leaguer to finish a season batting over .400, died Friday night at the age of 83.
Another Boston representative, pitcher Derek Lowe, started the game for the American League. Lowe escaped the first inning without giving up a run, thanks to a spectacular catch by Minnesota's Torii Hunter, who leapt over the outfield wall to rob San Francisco's Barry Bonds of a homerun. Lowe wasn't as lucky an inning later, as Piazza was able to drive in Montreal's Vladimir Guerrero to give the National League a 1-0 lead.
The NL scored three more runs off of Toronto's Roy Halladay in the third inning, including a two-run homer by Bonds, before Boston's Manny Ramirez scored Giambi in the fourth inning to put the AL on the board. In the fifth, the Yankees' Alfonso Soriano made his first-ever All-Star Game hit count, homering off of Los Angeles' Eric Gagne to cut the NL lead to two.
The score remained 5-2 through the bottom of the sixth, when another ceremony was held. This ceremony's honorees included all-time steals leader Ricky Henderson, former New York Met Mookie Wilson (the hero of the 1986 World Series), and legendary announcer Jack Buck (who was represented by his wife, Carole).
Following the ceremony, Dartmouth alumnus Mike Remlinger '88 took the mound for the National League. Remlinger pitched two thirds of an inning, allowing one run (scored by Damon), before being replaced by Byung-Hyung Kim of Arizona. With Kim in the game, Tampa Bay's Randy Winn scored to bring the AL within one before Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox put the AL in front with a two-run double.
The National League retook the lead in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run single by Berkman, only to see the score tied in the eigth,when Detroit's Robert Fick scored off of a triple by Cleveland's Omar Vizquel. Urbina pitched a perfect inning to send the game to the ninth with a tied score.
With both Atlanta's John Smoltz and the Yankees' Mariano Rivera holding strong in the ninth, the game went to extra innings for the first time since 1994 (the year of the last baseball strike). The game remained tied through the top of the eleventh inning, prompting managers Bob Brenly of Arizona and Joe Torre of the Yankees to visit Commissioner Selig in his box.
With no more available pitchers on either side, the managers and commissioner agreed to end the game in a tie if the National League could not score a run in the bottom of the eleventh. The Milwaukee crowd was none too fond of this decision, imploring the commissioner to "Let them play!" Benito Santiago had a chance to win it for the NL, but struck out to end the game in a 7-7 tie, drawing a loud chorus of boos from the crowd.
No most valuable player was named, as the tied final score was the first in 41 years. With fans leaving Milwaukee unhappy last night, one could only wonder if this would be the last disappointing premature ending of the season.
