Baseball All-Star Game Facts & Records
Dec 27, 2006
The biggest names in baseball are playing in the 2006 MLB All-Star Game in Pittsburgh. Check out these facts and records from the Midsummer Classic.
MLB All-Star Game - Famous Firsts
The first Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held in 1933 in Chicago as part of that city's World's Fair celebration. The game between the top players from the National League and the American League is now held every year in a different MLB city.
The first home run in an All-Star Game was hit by baseball legend, Babe Ruth, in 1933.
The All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award was first given out in 1962. The first winner was Maury Willis of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The 2005 All-Star Game MVP was Miguel Tejada of the Baltimore Orioles.
In 1985, the first Home Run Derby was held before an All-Star Game. Eight to 10 of the top sluggers in baseball enter a three-round contest to determine the Home Run Derby Champion. Each player receives ten outs per round as they try to hit as many home runs as they can. The player who hits the most homers in the final round wins it all. The 2006 Home Run Derby Champion was Bobby Abreu of the Philadelphia Phillies.
MLB All-Star Game - Records
Baseball legends Willie Mays, Stan Musial and Hank Aaron each played in a record 24 Major League Baseabll All-Star games during their careers.
The 1967 MLB All-Star Game in Anaheim went 15 innings, making it the longest in All-Star Game history.
The youngest player to play in an All-Star Game is Dwight Gooden who made his first appearance in 1984 when he 19 years, seven months old.
The National League leads the American League with a record of 41 wins, 33 losses and two ties in the history of All-Star Game competition.
MLB All-Star Game - Oddities
The 2002 MLB All-Star Game ended in a 7-7 tie and was called after 11 innings because both the American and National League teams had run out of pitchers to use.
The 1945 All-Star Game was cancelled because of travel restrictions related to World War II.
In 1947, Major League Baseball allowed fans to vote for the starters on the All-Star Team. Fan voting was taken away in 1957 after Cincinnati Reds' fans stuffed the ballot boxes and elected seven Reds to play in the All-Star Game. Fan voting returned in 1969 and has been around ever since. The top vote-getter for the 2006 All-Star Game was Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Since 2003, the league that wins the All-Star Game gets home field advantage for that season's World Series.
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