Every day's a holiday when ``Doc’’, the National League gun slinger, takes to the hill.
***
With the Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Halladay (11-3 with a 2.45 ERA) scheduled to toe the rubber for the National League, while the Los Angeles Angels Jared Weaver (11-4 with a 1.86 ERA) starts for the junior circuit, the 82nd Annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game has the makings of another pitcher’s duel, which might not see as much scoring as fans would have hoped for.
After all, sixteen players originally selected for the 2011 All-Star Game won’t be in the lineup Tuesday. Added to this, is the startling statistic that the major league batting average of .253 hasn’t been this low at midseason in 26 years, when it dipped to .252 in 1985.
Worse still, for two consecutive Midsummer classics (2009, 2010), all these all-stars from both leagues- failed to produce a single home-run.
So as we get ready for the first pitch, here are a few feats, facts, and historic firsts to mull over while tipping back a cold one and slapping some mustard on that pretzel.
• Tuesday marks the 82nd annual All-Star Game since its inauguration in 1933.
• After 81 All-Star Games in the books, the National League leads the American League, 41-38-2.
• With the National League’s 3-1 victory at Angel Stadium in Anaheim last year, the American League saw its consecutive win streak over the senior circuit broken at 13 consecutive wins, dating back to 1997, the longest in history, surpassing the American League’s consecutive win streak from 1972-1982.
• For the first time in Major League history, the All-Star Game will feature a Designated Hitter in a National League Park. The New York Mets’ Carlos Beltran becomes the first DH representing the National League in All-Star history. David Ortiz will DH for the junior circuit.
• From 1959-1962, there were two All-Star Games each year.
• The All-Star Game was cancelled in 1945 due to World War II travel restrictions.
• In 2011, Arizona becomes the 27th state to host an All-Star Game; while Chase Stadium becomes the 52nd different park to host the Midsummer Classic.
• 26 All-Star Games have been decided by one run; 46 by two runs or less.
• In the 78 years since the first All-Star Game, future Hall of Famers have accounted for 1,060 All-Star Game selections – 215 pitcher selections and 845 position player selections.
• Hank Aaron was elected a record 25 times at the All-Star Game, followed by Willie Mays and Stan Musial who each were selected to 24 Midsummer Classics.
• Among pitchers, Warren Spahn was selected a record 17 times to the All-Star Game, followed by Mariano Rivera and Tom Seaver who both represented their respective leagues 12 times.
• Of the 18 players selected to start the 1934 All-Star Game, only one, Wally Berger, never made it to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
• No home runs were hit during the 2010 All-Star Game, making it the second consecutive Midsummer Classic without a moon shot; and the first power outage during an All-Star Game since 1957 and 1958.
• Ron Washington, his first as an All-Star manager, becomes the first Texas Rangers ‘skipper to lead the AL All-Stars.
• Bruce Bochy of the San Francisco Giants is leading the N.L. All-Star squad for the second time in his career; his first was during the 1999 Midsummer Classic while with the San Diego Padres.
• Jered Weaver makes his first start during an All-Star Game; and is the fifth Angels pitcher in club history to start for the American League, joining Mark Langston (1993), Nolan Ryan (1979), Dean Chance (1964) and Ken McBride (1963).
• Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies will start for the National League on Tuesday night, marking Halladay’s second career All-Star start (2009) and the first for the N.L.
• Halladay becomes the fourth pitcher in history to start the Midsummer Classic for both leagues, joining Vida Blue (A.L.: 1971 and 1975; N.L.: 1978), Roger Clemens (A.L.: 1986 and 2001; N.L.: 2004) and Randy Johnson (A.L.: 1995 and 1997; N.L.: 2000-01).
• The Philadelphia Phillies have three of their five starting pitchers on the 2011 N.L. All-Star team with right-hander Roy Halladay and left-handers Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee, making them the first trio on an All-Star roster since 1997 when Atlanta’s Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and Denny Neagle represented the National League.
• The only club to have four starting pitchers make an All-Star Game was the 1942 Cincinnati Reds.
• Sixteen players originally selected for the 2011 All-Star Game won’t be in the lineup Tuesday night, nine for the American League and seven for the National League.
• In 2011, there will be 22 foreign-born All-Stars; 11 from the Dominican Republic, five from Venezuela, two from Canada, two from Puerto Rico, one from Curacao., and one from Panama .
• There will be a record 35 first-time All-Stars participating in Tuesday night’s game, 19 in the American League and 16 in the National League.
• The A.L. and the N.L. each have one rookie on their roster.
• The New York Yankees have eight All-Stars (Cano, Granderson, Jeter, Martin, Rivera, Robertson, Rodriguez, Sabathia) for a second consecutive season, the most among any Major League Club.
• For the 2011 All-Star Game, over 2,000 writers, photographers and broadcasters will be credentialed to accommodate the worldwide coverage of the event.
-Bill Lucey
[email protected]
July 12, 2011
Source: Major League Baseball Press Office
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