1-Man’s Opinion-Tuesday “The Stars Come out tonite”
It’s special because maybe the history of the sports is really special. This mid-summer night’s dream, the All Star game this evening in Cincinnati.
It will be fun to watch the pitching matchup of Zack Greinke, the Dodgers ‘Mr. Zero’, who has thrown 35-straight shutout innings, against the Astros ace Dallas Keuchel. Fun too, to watch the National League’s home run hitters against all the relievers stacked in the American League bullpen.
The history of this game, and its controversies, is amazing.
It started as a dream of a Chicago newspaper writer, Arch Ward, to bring all the stars together on a given night in mid-season in a showcase of talent.
It brought us Babe Ruth’s 1933-home run blast in the very first game.
Mr. October, Reggie Jackson, hit a mammoth home run off the light towers on top of the roof at old Tigers Stadium.
Ted Williams hit a blast of a home run in 1946 off a Luke Sewell eephus pitch.
The Orioles icon Cal Ripken hit a home run in his first at bat, in his last all start game.
But the game under the lights also brought us magnificent pitching too. Fernando Valenzuala and Dwight Gooden combined to strike out six in a row one all star evening.
The greatest feat was in 1934, Giants ace King Carl Hubbell whiffing 5-Hall of Famers in a row with his patented screwball. Take a seat and sit down Ruth-Gehrig-Foxx-Simmons and Cronin.
There was the beautiful sight of baseball’s two greatest pure hitters together on the mound at Fenway in the Ted Williams-Tony Gwynn reunion.
Pete Rose ran over catcher Ray Fosse in 1970-forever changing the image of Rose and the health of Fosse.
The Twins Harmon Killebrew badly tore a groin reaching for a throw at first base.
And there have been fun times too, John Kruk of the Phillies bailing out of the box, not wanting to face Randy Johnson, then of Seattle fame.
And controversies too, the stupidity of a couple of years when they staged two All Star games per season, and of course, Bud Selig suspending the game after 11-innings, in a 7-7 tie, when both teams ran out of pitchers.
What happens tonite is more meaningful than the NFL Pro Bowl flag football game, or the NBA night which is a three point shooting contest, and the NHL shooting gallery game.
Color, pagentry, history, and players wearing their team’s jerseys. What a night, when the stars come out for tonite’s All Star game.
Remember the great ones gone by, and the new stories to be made this evening. The stars come out tonite in a great night for baseball across America
