2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

MLB All-Star Game


year=2006
visitor=American League
top1=0
top2=1
top3=0
top4=0
top5=0
top6=0
top7=0
top8=0
top9=2
visitor_r=3
visitor_h=7
visitor_e=1
home=National League
bot1=0
bot2=1
bot3=1
bot4=0
bot5=0
bot6=0
bot7=0
bot8=0
bot9=0
home_r=2
home_h=6
home_e=0
date=July 11, 2006
venue=PNC Park
city=Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
VisitorManager=Ozzie Guillén
VisitorManagerTeam=CHW
HomeManager=Phil Garner
HomeManagerTeam=HOU
MVP=Michael Young
MVPTeam=TEX
TVstation=FOX
TVcommentators=Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, with Ken Rosenthal on the field reporting
attendance=38,904
firstpitch=Chuck Tanner

The 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 77th playing of the midseason exhibition baseball game between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 11 2006 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League. The contest was the fifth hosted by the city of Pittsburgh -- tying the Indians for the record of most times hosted by a single franchise. The game resulted in the American League defeating the National League 3-2, thus awarding the AL champion (which was eventually the Detroit Tigers) home-field advantage in the 2006 World Series.

Background

As with each All-Star Game since by|1970, the 8 starting position players (with no designated hitter due to playing in an NL stadium) of each league were elected by fan balloting. The remaining players were selected by a players' vote, each league's team manager, and the All-Star Final Vote to add one more player to each roster. In all, 32 players were selected to each league's team, not including players who decline to play due to injuries or personal reasons.

The game was the fourth straight All-Star Game to decide home-field advantage in the World Series. The AL entered the game on a nine-game unbeaten streak (eight wins, with one tie in 2002). Many analysts saw the disparity between the leagues as more pronounced than ever this season,cite web|url= http://insider.espn.go.com/fantasy/baseball/flb/story?id=2505181|title=FLB:All-American Juggernaut|publisher=ESPN.com|author=Cockcroft, Tristan|date=2006-06-30|accessdate=2007-07-22] particularly due to the AL's dominance during interleague play, compiling a 154-98 record, the best record for either league in the ten-year history of interleague play. [cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/interleague/records.jsp|title=Interleague History|publisher=MLB.com|accessdate=2007-07-22]

Rosters

American League

National League

Game

Umpires

Other events

Futures Game

The eighth annual XM Satellite Radio Futures Game was held on Sunday, July 9, showcasing the top minor league prospects from all thirty major league clubs. Game MVP Billy Butler of the Kansas City Royals farm system hit a two-run home run to help lead the United States team to an 8-5 victory over the World team.cite web |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060709&content_id=1549242&vkey=allstar2006&fext=.jsp |title=Early outburst lifts U.S. past World |first=Kevin T. |last=Czerwinski |publisher=MLB.com |date=2006-07-09 |accessdate=2007-07-08]

Linescore
Road=World|RoadAbr=Wor
R1=0|R2=1|R3=0|R4=3|R5=1|R6=0|R7=0|RR=5|RH=9|RE=1
Home=United States|HomeAbr=USA
H1=0|H2=2|H3=5|H4=1|H5=0|H6=0|H7=X|HR=8|HH=11|HE=0
RSP=|HSP=
WP=Homer Bailey (1-0)|LP=José Garcia (0-1)|SV=Matt Lindstrom (1)
RoadHR=George Kottaras (1) |HomeHR=Billy Butler (1), Joe Koshansky (1)|

Roberto Clemente ceremony

Commissioner Bud Selig presented the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award to deceased Pittsburgh Pirates legend Roberto Clemente between the fourth and fifth innings of the All-Star Game.cite web |url= http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060711&content_id=1553135&vkey=allstar2006&fext=.jsp |title=Baseball honors Clemente |first=Barry M. |last=Bloom |publisher=MLB.com |date=2006-07-12 |accessdate=2006-07-08] Clemente's widow, Vera, accepted the award. FOX play-by-play announcer Joe Buck emceed the ceremony. As a result, he called the bottom of the fourth inning from the entrance behind home plate. Buck created a little controversy when after Vera Clemente spoke what many said was a beautiful, moving speech Buck asked the fans "You guys having fun out here?!"

Notes

*Penny became only the second pitcher in All-Star Game history to strike out the side in the first inning. Pedro Martínez accomplished the feat in 1999, striking out Barry Larkin, Larry Walker, and Sammy Sosa.

*At one point 7 of the 8 position players fans could vote on in the AL were either New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox

*The 2006 Home Run Derby was the last year that Century 21 will sponsor it, as the 2007 Home Run Derby was sponsored by State Farm.

*David Wright became the first player in Major League history to homer in his first career All-Star Game at-bat.

Footnotes and references

External links

* [http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2006/index.jsp All-Star Game Home Page]
* [http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/events/all_star/y2006/roster_league.jsp Team Rosters]
* [http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2006/hr_derby.jsp Home Run Derby]
* [http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060711&content_id=1552532&vkey=allstargamer2006&fext=.jsp Game Recap and Boxscore]