All-Star Tidbits

The All-Star games began in 1933.

The only year there was no game was in 1945, due to World War II.

There were 2 All-Star games from 1959 thru 1962. The second game was added to raise money for players' pension funds.

In the 1934 All-Star game, only one (1) of the eighteen (18) starters is not in the Hall of Fame. His name is Wally Berger.(Berger had these respectable numbers as a member of the Boston Braves during the 1933, 1934 and 1935 seasons:
1933: 27-HR 106-RBI .313 AVG
1934: 34-HR 121-RBI .298 AVG
1935: 34-HR 130-RBI .295 AVG.)

In 1957, fans of the Cincinnati Reds stuffed the ballot boxes and elected 7 Reds to start in that year's game. The players were:

Johnny Temple -2B
Roy McMillan -SS
Don Hoak -3B
Ed Bailey -C
Frank Robinson -OF
Gus Bell -OF (Buddy's dad, and David's grandfather)
Wally Post -OF

The only non-Red elected to start for the National League team was St.Louis Cardinal first-baseman, Stan Musial.

Commissioner Ford Frick decided to appoint Willie Mays (NYG) and Hank Aaron (Milw.) to sub for Gus Bell and Wally Post.

Frick also stripped the fans of their voting rights. Managers, coaches and players would vote from 1958 thru 1968. In 1969, the vote returned to the fans.

Rico Carty was the first player ever selected to an All-Star team as a write-in by fans in 1970. (Carty would lead the NL in batting with a .366 average.)

In 1974, Steve Garvey was the second player voted onto the starting lineup as a write-in by the fans. He became the first write-in player to win the MVP of that game.

In 1983, Fred Lynn became the first player to hit a grand slam in the All-Star game. He hit it off of San Francisco Giant pitcher, Atlee Hammaker.



(thanks to Wikipedia encyclopedia for the fun facts.)

Kevin Marquez