It’s almost the middle of July, and that means one thing for me: baseball’s annual All-Star Game.
This year’s midsummer classic is in Atlanta, and I have fond memories of covering the 2000 game in Atlanta.
But before I became a journalist and had the opportunity to cover some of my favorite sporting events in person, I was a kid who loved baseball and who loved keeping up with it through newspapers and occasional TV games. (Don’t get me started on the demise of box scores in the paper.)
Since my favorite team then and now — the Los Angeles Dodgers — is on the West Coast, my chances to see them play on TV was rare back in the day. Now I have the opportunity to watch almost all of their games thanks to satellite TV and streaming services.
I also had the chance to watch a lot of Atlanta Braves games on TBS, the cable superstation. But the Braves weren’t very good back then, and I opted for the Dodgers and their star-studded lineup.
The All-Star Game was a treat to see many of the players I had only read about. As a National League guy, I didn’t know much about the Yankees or Red Sox or other clubs from the junior circuit other than the occasional “Game of the Week” on Saturday or the national Monday night broadcasts that were on for a while.
My father grew up rooting for the Cleveland Indians, so he was an American League guy. Each summer we would place a modest $1 bet on who would win the All-Star Game. Fortunately for me, the National League was on quite a roll in my formative years and I wound up receiving more George Washingtons than I shelled out.
Some of the classic moments from past All-Star Games are etched in my memory bank. Pete Rose bowling over Ray Fosse to win the 1970 All-Star Game. Reggie Jackson hitting a mammoth home run in Detroit as the AL prevailed in 1971. Perhaps my favorite was Dave “the Cobra” Parker unleashing a long throw to get Brian Downing at the plate in 1979.
This will be the third time Atlanta has played host to the All-Star Game. The first was in 1972, and I’m sure a few Aiken residents attended that game.
In 2000, I had just become the sports editor of The Augusta Chronicle and I made sure to go to the game that summer. Like the Masters Tournament, the All-Star Game is a gathering of who’s who in baseball. In addition to the current stars, there were plenty of former stars and celebrities on hand.
I actually don’t remember much about the game — the American League won, 6-3, and Derek Jeter was the MVP — but I do remember the Home Run Derby the night before.
Now a staple of All-Star festivities, the derby features some of the best sluggers in the game. And two years removed from the great home run chase of 1998 — Mark McGwire edged out Sammy Sosa — we expected a treat. After all, with its elevation, Atlanta was known as the “launching pad.”
I don’t remember why McGwire sat out, but Sosa was in the contest and immediately launched an assault on my auxiliary press box spot in left field. I remember ducking several times as he peppered us with long balls.
The format for the Home Run Derby keeps changing, but Sosa hit a total of 26 long balls that night to easily defeat Ken Griffey Jr. in the finals. Griffey, by the way, was a two-time defending champ in the event.
If you’ll remember, Atlanta was supposed to be the site for the 2021 All-Star Game. But politics got in the way, and the game was moved to Colorado.
The American League is on a heater, having won 10 of the past 11 All-Star Games. The game is now for bragging rights, but remember when it was used to determine home-field advantage in the World Series? That seemed a bit much to me, but Major League Baseball did it from 2003-16.
It’s been a while since my father and I placed a friendly wager on the game, and that’s good news for me. But come Tuesday night, I’ll be rooting for the National League once again.
Thanks for reading.