BOISE, Idaho — THIS DAY IN SPORTS…July 6, 1933, 90 years ago today:
Called the “Game Of The Century” and held in conjunction with the Chicago World’s Fair, baseball’s first All-Star game is played at Comiskey Park. It was originally planned as a one-time event, but it was so successful, it became an annual staple of summer. The New York Yankees’ Babe Ruth rose to the occasion in the inaugural game, smacking a two-run homer in the third inning to lead the American League All-Stars to a 4-2 win over the National League. Ruth, at the age of 38, also made a running catch against the outfield scoreboard to help preserve the victory. The Sultan of Swat’s Yankees teammate, Lefty Gomez, got the win before more than 49,000 fans.
The game featured 20 future Hall of Famers. The managers would be inducted into the Hall as well: John McGraw of the New York Giants and Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics. And get this: the entire contest was played in two hours and five minutes. The All-Star Game was special at the outset because it was the only time outside of the World Series (and spring training) that fans could see players from the National and American Leagues face off against each other. It remained popular during most of the remainder of the 20th century. In fact, from 1959 to 1962, two All-Star Games were held each summer.
But when interleague play was introduced into Major League Baseball in 1997 (and eventually expanded), the bloom came off the rose. The lack of passion for the game among the participating teams quickly came to a head. In 2002, the All-Star Game was suspended in the 11th inning and declared a 7-7 tie when both teams ran out of pitchers. In an effort to make the event mean something again, the league that won the All-Star Game earned home field advantage in the World Series from 2003 to 2016. (Now, home field advantage goes to the pennant winner with the best regular-season record.)
This year’s All-Star Game will be played next Tuesday night at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. There is little buzz for the game. Interleague play this season has gone from 20 games per team to 46, more than 28 percent of each club’s schedule. Fans can see most of these players in their home ballparks every season, no matter which league their team is in. And highlights of any of the stars are just a click away. Here’s hoping the All-Star Game doesn’t go the way of the Pro Bowl.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra. He also anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK and one on News/Talk KBOI. His Scott Slant column runs every Wednesday.)
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