Memories of the All-Star game have been painful
So the American League won the All-Star game — again.
The 4-3 win by the AL squad on Tuesday at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, marking the 12th time in the last 13 years that the NL team has gone down to defeat. It was a pretty good game from what I saw, very quickly paced, too, which is not usually the case.
My first glimpse of the game actually came on the radio, since I was on assignment in Bolingbrook. The game was broadcast on ESPN radio with Dan Schulman doing the play-by-play and Dave Campbell the color commentary. Have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed listening to their calls. Tuned in just in time to hear the AL team go up against NL starter Tim Lincecum of the Giants after an error by Albert Pujols.
By the time the Cavalier rolled off the interstate, the NL had already taken a 3-2 lead off of AL starter Roy Halliday and then gone 1-2-3 in the top of the third. Despite the fact that it only takes a couple of minutes to get the office from there, I missed White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle's 1-2-3 performance. The fact that he only threw 8 pitches total against Raul Ibanez, David Wright and Shane Victorino might explain it.
I didn't realize that Buehrle's success would be contagious for the AL pitchers. Including the final out that Halliday recorded in the second, the AL staff recorded 18 straight outs, took the lead and never looked back.
The appearance by Buehrle was the fourth of his career. He is, of course the last White Sox player to start an All-Star game and one of three South Siders ever to achieve that honor. Billy Pierce in 1953, 1955 and 1956 was one and, believe it or not, Esteban Loaiza in 2003 was the other. The last position player to start the All-Star game was Frank Thomas in 1995, though he was injured but voted to start in both 1996 and 1997.
I've seen plenty of footage over the years of older All-Star games, but mainly when the Cubs and/or Sox were enduring rain delays. One of my favorite moments of all time was in 1972 when Wilbur Wood of the Sox induced Ron Santo (duh, of the Cubs) into hitting an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play in the eighth inning. This after North Side outfielder Billy Williams had singled and scored to start the inning.
The most crystalline moment that I can remember is watching the 1977 Midsummer Classic played at Yankee Stadium. Probably the reason I remember it so vividly is that I watched it from the hospital. It's sort of a convoluted story, but the long and short of it is that my family went up to Six Flags Great America in Gurnee that day and believe it or not, I was openly disappointed that they chose the day of the All-Star game to go — this even though Richie Zisk was the lone representative from the Sox having been voted in as a starter.
Anyway, at some point in the day, I got heat stroke, passed out colder than a mackerel, fell straight back and my head bounced off the pavement like four times. Needless to say, I ended up in the hospital with a welt the size of Alaska on the back of my head. There wasn't much to be joyful about that day but the one good thing is that I was wheeled into my room in the top of the first inning. In fact, I was outside my room laying on a gurney when I heard the first pitch thrown. I then asked the attendant right away if he could get me in to watch it.
For the record, Zisk went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI, netting a single against Gary Lavelle of the Giants and a double against Tom Seaver of the Reds.
Have missed very few All-Star games since. In fact, I'd venture to say that I've seen at least a little bit of all 31 games since.
Probably my favorite moment since then would have to be in 2001 when Magglio Ordonez homered in the sixth inning at Safeco Field against Cubs pitcher Jon Lieber.
Got a favorite All-Star moment to share? Drop me an e-mail at tsmith@morrisdailyherald.com and I'll put it in an upcoming column.
