There has never been a shortage of dominant performances in MLB All-Star Game history. Today we count down the 10 greatest of all-time.
By Kevin Flynn
The game starting awarding a Most Valuable Player award in 1962. The Dodgers Maury Wills demonstrated that speed kills as he took the first MVP for the first All-Star game in 1962, when he pinch ran for Stan Musial, stole second base and scored on a Dick Groat single.
Wills stayed in the game at shortstop, singled in his next at bat, went from first to third on a Jim Davenport single and scored on a sacrifice fly from Felipe Alou to help the National League win 3-1.
This was hardly a dominant performance, but in discussing it and doing some research, we decided to look up and rank the most dominating performances in the history of the All-Star game. At first this list came in the form of a Top 15. However, since David Letterman recently retired, let’s honor him by making it a Top 10.
Here are the 10 most dominant performances in MLB All-Star Game history:
10. Bo Jackson – July 11, 1989
Bo knew baseball, and he made us all believe it on the grandest of stages in 1989. His speed was too much in that American League lineup so Tony Larussa had him leadoff. And so he did, with a leadoff homerun to start the game off of Rick Reuschel.
In his next at bat Bo grounded to shortstop Ozzie Smith, but his speed got the AL another run. The Wizard of Oz and Ryne Sandberg couldn’t turn the double play and Bo beat the throw to first, which scored Ruben Sierra from third. He promptly stole second base, then moved to third on a throwing error by catcher Benito Santiago.
The Ameerican League won 5-3. Bo added a single to centerfield later and finished with 5 total bases, going 2 for 4 with a HR, an RBI, a stolen base and a legendary Nike advertising campaign.
9. Arky Vaughn – July 8, 1941
I know what you’re thinking: who?
The American League beat the National League 7-5, but it was the Pirates Shortstop that single handedly kept the National league in the game. Vaughn finished the game going 3 for 4 with 2 Homeruns and 4 RBI’s. It was a pretty good game for a guy who was overshadowed by the AL All Stars like Joe Dimaggio, Ted Williams and Jimmie Foxx.
8. Garrett Anderson – July 15, 2003
There may never have been a hitter as hot as Garrett Anderson during MLB All-Star weekend in 2003. It was a good thing too because the Angels were the defending World Champions and this was the first All-Star game that counted (meaning, the winning team would give its World Series representative home field advantage).
The Angels outfielder won the Home Run derby the night before the All Star game, but his swing was so sweet he continued his hot hitting the next night by going 3 for 4, including a 2 run homerun off of Woody Williams in the bottom of the 6th. He added a double off of Eric Gagne enroute to winning the game’s MVP.
7. Bob Feller, Hal Newhouser & Jack Kramer – July 9, 1946
This game was the most lopsided game in All-Star game history. It wasn’t even remotely close and this game may have been the creation of the “Mercy Rule.” The AL won 12-0 and it was a dominating performance for four of the All-Stars. Three of them were pitchers and they each threw 3 innings.
Bob Feller started the game going 3 innings while giving up 2 hits, no walks and 3 strikeouts. He passed the ball off to Hal Newhouser who threw 3 innings, gave up one hit, no walks and 4 strikeouts. Newhouser passed the ball off to Jack Kramer, who went 3 innings, struck out 3, walked one and gave up no hits.
Three pitchers threw a three hit, 10 strikeout shutout against a team of National League All-Stars.
6. Mike Trout – July 15, 2014
Just last year was when we all had a chance to witness the growing legend of Mike Trout.
He went 2 for 3 and no he did not hit a home run. But following him was Derek Jeter in the lineup, in what would be the Yankee captain’s swan song. Jeter doubles to lead off the game and Trout immediately triples off of Adam Wainwright to drive in Jeter. He lines out to leftfield in his next at bat and then doubles off of Pat Neshek in the 5th driving in another run.
Trout added a nice catch in the outfield and helped the AL win 5-3, but what he really did was make everyone take notice of how he is taking over as the best player in the game.
5. Pedro Martinez – July 13, 1999
Pedro helped set up the American League’s 4-1 victory from the first pitch. He only pitched the first two innings, but they were a dominant two innings.
He struck out Barry Larkin, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Jeff Bagwell. Pedro was in the zone so much so on this night, he solidified his standing as one of the best pitchers and arguably the best in our time. And that is a time that features Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Roger Clemens.
4. Ken Griffey Jr. – July 14, 1992
When Ken Griffey Jr. came up to the majors at such a young age in 1989, fans of the baseball world immediately fell in love with his smooth swing from the left side of the box.
Fans knew that he was special and the record books were in jeopardy if he could stay healthy. Griffey was the star in the All-Star game as he led the AL to a 13-6 victory over the NL in Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego. He batted seventh, singled in a run off of Tom Glavine in the top of the first, hit a solo home run off of Greg Maddux in the 3rd inning, and finally doubled off of Bob Tewksbury in the fifth.
Why Twins manager Tom Kelly took him out with a chance to hit for the cycle, I still have no idea. Griffey finished the day going 3 for 3, with 2 RBI, a web gem and a lot of admirers.
3. Al Rosen – July 13, 1954
This All-Star game featured a lot of scoring, but Al Rosen was pretty important to the AL winning 11-9. Rosen batted 5th in the order behind Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra.
In his first at bat, Rosen struckout versus Phillies pitcher Robin Roberts. But in his next at bat he hit a three run homerun off of Roberts. In the fifth-inning he would hit a two run homer off of Johnny Antonelli. Rosen followed that up with a single in the 6th and with the game tied 9-9 in the 8th, he walked to load the bases.
Rosen finished with a stat line of 3 for 4, 2 HRs, and an All-Star Record 5 RBI’s.
2. Carl Hubbell – July 14, 1934
If I had to put Pedro Martinez’s pitching performance on this list, then Carl Hubbell’s game has been etched in baseball lore forever. Hubbell started the game for the National League and pitched the first three innings.
The Giants hurler threw 3 innings, and gave up 2 hits, 2 walks and no runs in a game the National League would eventually lose 9-7. But it wasn’t Hubbell’s fault, because he struck out six batters in 3 innings. In the first inning, he gave up a leadoff single to Charlie Gehringer and walked Heinie Manush. Not too dominant….I know.
Here’s why he’s number two on this list.
Hubbell then strikes out five consecutive batters in the form of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Joe Cronin. Five Hall of Famers, five consecutive strikeouts.
He added a sixth strikeout by whiffing Lefty Gomez, but those five batters in a row has stayed ingrained in the minds of baseball historians to this day.
1. Ted Williams- July 9, 1946
This game was previously mentioned as the most lopsided victory in All Star Game history because of four-men. I already mentioned the three pitchers for the AL that shut out the NL All Stars. But that fourth man is Ted Williams. If ESPN was around way back in 1946, the catchphrase would go, “You can’t stop the Splendid Splinter, you could only hope to contain him.”
Batting third for the AL team, Williams walked in the first inning, hit a solo homer off of Kirby Higbie in the third inning and hit an RBI single off of him in the fifth. Teddy Ballgame follows that up with a single off of Ewell Blackwell in the 7th and a three run shot off of Rip Sewell in the 8th.
Williams finished with 4 runs scored, 5 RBI’s, 10 total bases, 2 Homeruns, 1 walk and 4 hits in 4 at-bats, and he still owns three of those records to this day.