Posted on 07/09/2019 11:12:43 AM PDT by Kaslin
The annual Major League Baseball All Star Game returns tonight in Cleveland, Ohio. Along with graduations, fireworks, barbecues and vacations, it is an American tradition to celebrate summer watching the game’s best players gathered together for one night under the stars on a Tuesday night in July. The All Star Game is a catalyst for nostalgic memories of childhood when only baseball cards, stick ball, wads of chewing gum and box scores mattered to most American kids.
In 1970 baseball returned the game to the fans by giving them the right, privilege and obligation to select the starting eight for both the American and National Leagues to play at least the first three innings of the Midsummer Classic.
Baseball had stripped their customers of the vote for 13 years. In 1957, Cincinnati fans had a “Reds letter day” by stuffing the ballot box and electing many of their Reds’ heroes to the starting lineup. The only non-Reds player voted-in by the Ohio partisans was Cardinal immortal Stan “The Man” Musial.
Come to think of it there was “Red Collusion”, but it didn’t emanate from Moscow but of The Queen City. The ballot stuffing was corrected without a Mueller investigation by MLB Commissioner Ford Frick. He replaced outfielders Gus Bell and Wally Post, good players, with Willie Mays and Hank Aaron, thus joining Frank Robinson. It was the first time in All Star history that three starters of African American descent patrol the outfield. Collectively the three future Hall of Fame players amassed 2001 homers in their illustrious careers. For Robinson it would be just one of a number of firsts in his career: he was the first African American to win the Triple Crown leading the AL in HR,
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
One thing for sure, I will never again choose or read anything by George Will.
I remember when I was younger, and the all Star game was a highlight of the season. Nowadays, having an adult life and adult responsibilities, I don’t follow sports as closely. I don’t know who over half of the players on the team are.
I haven’t watched an All Star game in years. Maybe I will watch tonight. The last time I watched an All Star game, it seemed like just another game, because I didn’t know who the players were.
“One thing for sure, I will never again choose or read anything by George Will.”
Will O’Toole is the author. Close enough?
I have a newfound love for baseball. I was a big NBA and NFL fan. The NHL though was always number one. So I decided for good enough reasons to stop watching the NFL and NBA and start watching more baseball and hockey.
I’ve been a life long Cardinals fan and Stan Musial and Bob Gibson are the only current players I can name.
Haven’t watched much baseball in several years for a variety of reasons, none of which had to do with the game itself . . . more personal stuff. But I watched a couple of Braves games earlier in the season and I am hooked on this young Braves team. They are very entertaining to watch. Haven’t watched this much baseball since the mid 1990’s when the Braves had some of those great playoff teams with Maddux, Smolz and Glaving pitching.
And not only do the Braves have a great young team, there are now some great young players that have come into the league. . . and they don’t take a knee during the national anthem!!
Side note: Did anybody watch the home run derby last night?? Amazing!!!
I was a longtime Phillies fan and can still see in my mind’s eye both Musial and Gibson playing the Phillies in Connie Mack Stadium when my father and uncles took us to games in the ‘50’s and early ‘60’s.
I guess you missed the obvious humor side of my post....and the point I was making by mentioning Musial & Gibson as the only “current” players I could name.
Although I’m right-handed, I learned to bat left-handed because of Musial...and play golf left-handed. Gibson was absolutely fearless.
So yeah, I know “Stan the Man” passed and Gibby is getting up there.
The game is pretty much ruined with new idiotic rules,lack of fundamentals and the juiced baseball.
Seems to me the Reds dominated the All-Star balloting again in the early ‘70s after fan voting returned.
Perez, Morgan, Concepcion, Rose, Bench along with a pitcher and a couple of Dodgers.
Musial is THE most underrated superstar in MLB history - amazing records and humble, too - he was my first sports hero.
My dad grew up in Memphis and was a Cardinals fan. I recall him listening to games at night on KMOX with the Cardinals new brash announcer named Harry Carey here in Dayton, Ohio.
btw, Mike Schmidt grew up in Dayton.
When I was 12, I was chosen as one of the best LL players in the entire City of Dayton. There was an all day celebration of the “All Stars” in July. I had visions of being a MLB star; however, this petite blonde moved next door and my priorities changed.
Who knows what could have happened...esp since the catcher on my LL team was Steve Yeager and eventually became the starting catcher for the LA Dodgers.
I have never been a fan of the Atlanta Braves, and will never be because of that stupid Tomahawk chop that they do.
Ted Simmons, Lou Brock, Bruce Sutter, Garry Templeton, and Ozzie Smith - all great Cardinals in the era after Musial & Gibson.
Sutter, IIRC, came from the Cubs in trade.
At one time, The Cardinals had 2 brothers who pitched - Lindy McDaniel and I forget his brother’s first name - Von, I think?
Curt Flood was the Cardinals center fielder back in the day and is responsible for Free Agency in MLB...and probably all professional sports.
Wow....that ol’ Time Machine sure goes fast when you get older....
You & me both! I remember watching the Giants with Mays & McCovey taking outfield practice at Connie Mack. At the end of pre-game warmups they’d setup a peach basket on home plate. Each Giant outfielder would catch a flyball at the warning track and throw a dart into that basket. Message to Phillies potential baserunners: Don’t even think about taking an extra base.
Didnt much matter. Juan Marachial would shut them out anyway.
Would George Will even write an article about baseball?
I remember Marichal and Mays but not McCovey. The most impressive outfield play I ever saw in person was when a Phillie hit a high fly ball to medium center field with a runner on third base with the game in late innings and close. There were less than two outs and Mays could have just camped under and caught the ball and let the guy tag up and score. But he didn’t do that. Instead, he back-pedalled to deep center and broke into a dead run leaping to catch the ball and throwing it before his feet even hit the ground. He did a full roll on the follow-through and the ball flew in a totally flat trajectory landing in the catcher’s mitt a full second before the Phillie runner’s feet arrived at the plate.
Psst. Next time make sure you have the right author before you complain about the author.
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