2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

MLB All-Star Game


year=by|2008
visitor=National League
top1=0
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top3=0
top4=0
top5=1
top6=1
top7=0
top8=1
top9=0
top10=0
top11=0
top12=0
top13=0| top14=0
top15=0
visitor_r=3
visitor_h=13
visitor_e=4
home=American League
bot1=0
bot2=0
bot3=0
bot4=0
bot5=0
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bot7=2
bot8=1
bot9=0
bot10=0
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bot15=1
home_r=4
home_h=14| home_e=1
date=July 15-16, 2008
venue=Yankee Stadium
city=The Bronx, New York City, New York
VisitorManager=Clint Hurdle
VisitorManagerTeam=COL
HomeManager=Terry Francona
HomeManagerTeam=BOS
MVP=J. D. Drew
MVPTeam=BOS
TVstation=FOX
TVcommentators=Joe Buck and Tim McCarver
attendance= 55,632
firstpitch= Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Rich Gossage, and Reggie Jackson
The 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 79th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, home of the New York Yankees, on July 15, 2008 and began at 8:47 p.m. ET. The game ended at 1:38 a.m. ET the following morning. The home American League won 4–3 in 15 innings, giving home field advantage in the 2008 World Series to the AL champion.

By length of time, this was the longest MLB All-Star Game in history (4:50), and it also tied the mark for the longest game by innings played at 15 with the 1967 All-Star Game. Second baseman Dan Uggla of the Florida Marlins committed three errors, an All-Star Game record, none of which resulted in a run. J. D. Drew of the Boston Red Sox was named Most Valuable Player due to his two-run game-tying home run in the seventh inning. Drew won a Chevrolet Tahoe hybrid and the Ted Williams Trophy. It was the second All-Star Game in which both the winning run was batted in by the Texas Rangers' Michael Young and Brian McCann was behind the plate.

Background

As with each All-Star Game since by|1970, the eight starting position players of each league, as well as the American League's designated hitter, were elected by fan balloting. The remaining players were selected by a players' vote, each league's team manager, and a second fan balloting 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 sixth straight All-Star Game to decide home-field advantage in the World Series, the AL having clinched each of the first five opportunities. The AL entered the game on an 11-game unbeaten streak (10–0–1) as the NL continued to look for their first win since the 1996 game in Philadelphia, still holding a 40-37-2 lead in the series.

Venue selection

The announcement of Yankee Stadium as the site of the game was made by MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on January 31 2007, at New York's City Hall. [cite web |url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2749252 |title=Yankee Stadium to host All-Stars in final season |last=Associated Press |publisher=ESPN.com |date=2007-01-31 |accessdate=2007-02-13] Though it was the fourth game hosted at the Stadium and the eighth held in New York City, it was the first time since 1977 that the game had been played in the city (the last time also at Yankee Stadium). It had been speculated for months that the game would be held in Yankee Stadium, accelerated by the announcement that the 2008 season would be the 84th and final one for the stadium before the team moves into the new Yankee Stadium in 2009. Thus, it was seen by some as a fitting tribute to the old stadium that it host an All-Star Game in its final season. [cite web |url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/columnist/bodley/2006-06-30-bodley-yankee-stadium_x.htm |title=2008 All-Star Game would be fitting send-off for historic Yankee Stadium |first=Hal |last=Bodley |publisher=USA Today |date=2006-06-30 |accessdate=2007-02-13]

It was the first All-Star Game to be played in a venue scheduled to close after that season. [cite interview |subject=Rick Horrow, visiting professor of sports business at Harvard Law School |interviewer= |callsign =ESPN2 |city= |date=2008-07-08 |program=ESPN First Take |accessdate=2008-07-09]

Related events

*The DHL FanFest, an indoor amusement park and quasi-museum, took place over five days beginning on July 11 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on Manhattan's West Side. [cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080429&content_id=2608098&vkey=allstar2008&fext=.jsp|title=All-Star Weekend schedule of events|publisher=MLB.com|date=2008-04-29|accessdate=2008-06-24]
*The XM All-Star Futures Game and the Taco Bell All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game were played on July 13 at Yankee Stadium.
*The Gatorade Workout Day and State Farm Home Run Derby was held July 14 at the stadium.
*42 replicas of the Statue of Liberty were put on display beginning on June 20 at various sites throughout the city. They depicted every MLB team, the game logo, the league logo, and even the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants. [cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080604&content_id=2838046&vkey=draft2008&fext=.jsp|title=Statue of Liberty gets MLB makeover|author=Newman, Mark|publisher=MLB.com|date=2008-06-19|accessdate=2008-06-24]

Fan balloting

tarters

Balloting for the 2008 All-Star Game starters (excluding pitchers) began on April 29. Because the game was in an American League ballpark, fans were asked to select their favorite AL designated hitter in addition to all the position players. The top vote-getters at each position, and top three among outfielders, were named to start the game.

Votes were cast online and at the 30 MLB ballparks. Monster was the sponsor of the online portion of balloting. There was a limit of 25 votes per e-mail address, but no limit to the number of ballots cast at the stadium. The deadline to cast votes was July 2. [cite news|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080625&content_id=3000698&vkey=allstar2008&fext=.jsp|title=Are you happy with your All-Star team?|author=Mark Newman|publisher=MLB.com|date=2008-06-25|accessdate=2008-06-25] Rosters were announced on July 6.cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/allstar08/news/story?id=3475091|title=2008 American League All-Star roster|publisher=ESPN.com|date=2008-07-06|accessdate=2008-07-06] cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/allstar08/news/story?id=3475090|title=2008 National League All-Star roster|publisher=ESPN.com|date=2008-07-06|accessdate=2008-07-06] Alex Rodriguez led all players in votes for the second consecutive year with 3,934,518 votes, while Chase Utley led all National League players with 3,889,602 votes.cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/allstar08/news/story?id=3475435|title=Four Red Sox, three Cubs to start in 2008 All-Star Game|author=Associated Press|publisher=ESPN.com|date=2008-07-06|accessdate=2008-07-06]

Final roster spot

After the rosters were revealed, a second ballot of five players per league was created for the Monster All-Star Final Vote to determine the 32nd and final player of each roster. Ballots were cast online between July 6 and July 10 with the player in each league receiving the most votes added to the team rosters. The winners were Corey Hart of the Milwaukee Brewers and Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays. A record 47.8 million votes were cast in the balloting, shattering the record set last year of 23.2 million. Longoria's nine million votes more than doubled the individual record of 4.4 million set by San Diego Padres pitcher Chris Young last season.cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080710&content_id=3107903&vkey=allstar2008&fext=.jsp|title=Longoria, Hart are fans' final All-Stars|author=Newman, Mark|publisher=MLB.com|date=2008-07-10|accessdate=2008-07-10]

Coaches

Tigers manager Jim Leyland and Yankees manager Joe Girardi were selected as coaches by manager Terry Francona. [cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080516&content_id=2711506&vkey=allstar2008&fext=.jsp&partnered=rss_mlb |title=Girardi, Leyland are All-Star coaches|author=Singer, Tom|publisher=MLB.com|date=2008-05-16|accessdate=2008-07-22] The staff also included Brad Mills (bench coach), John Farrell (pitching coach), Dave Magadan (hitting coach), Luis Alicea (first base coach), DeMarlo Hale, (third base coach), and Gary Tuck (bullpen coach). Girardi also caught in the bullpen in the eighth and ninth innings for some of the American League relievers.

New York Mets manager Willie Randolph and San Diego Padres manager Bud Black were selected as coaches by manager Clint Hurdle. [cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20080516&content_id=2711333&vkey=allstar2008&fext=.jsp|title= Randolph, Black in as All-Star coaches|author=Singer, Tom|publisher=MLB.com|date=2008-05-16|accessdate=2008-07-22] Randolph was later replaced by Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella after Randolph was fired by the Mets on June 16.

Game summary

The game-time temperature was 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius), with the wind blowing out to center field at 8 miles per hour. Cliff Lee threw the first pitch at 8:47 EDT. Starting pitchers Lee and Ben Sheets set the tone for the game by each throwing two scoreless innings.cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playbyplay?gameId=280715131|title=National League All-Stars vs. American League All-Stars - Play By Play|publisher=ESPN.com|date=2008-07-15|accessdate=2008-07-16] The game stayed scoreless until the fifth inning when Matt Holliday led off the inning with a solo home run off Ervin Santana to give the National League a 1-0 lead. The NL added a run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Lance Berkman to score Hanley Ramirez. The American League finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh inning on a two-out, two-run home run by J.D. Drew off Edinson Volquez, tying the game at 2-2. In the eighth inning, Miguel Tejada singled, and with one out attempted to steal second base. Catcher Dioner Navarro made a poor throw to get Tejada, and the ball ended up in center field, allowing Tejada to advance to third base on the error. Tejada scored on a sacrifice fly by Adrian Gonzalez, and the NL retook the lead. In the bottom half of the inning, after Brian Wilson retired the first two batters, Billy Wagner gave up a single to Grady Sizemore. Sizemore proceeded to steal second base (one of a record six stolen bases by both sides), and pinch-hitter Evan Longoria hit a ground rule double to left field to tie the game once again. With Mariano Rivera in to pitch with one out in the ninth inning for the American League, Rivera struck out Ryan Ludwick and Navarro threw out Cristian Guzmán as he attempted to steal second, thus ending the inning. Ryan Dempster struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth to force the game into extra innings.

In the tenth inning for the American League, Michael Young and Carlos Quentin reached base on consecutive errors by Dan Uggla. Carlos Guillén was intentionally walked to load the bases with none out. With the infield and outfield drawn in, NL pitcher Aaron Cook induced ground balls from Sizemore and Longoria and the potential winning runs in both at bats were forced out at home. Cook successfully escaped the jam by getting Justin Morneau to ground out to Tejada to end the inning. The AL had another chance to win in the eleventh when Young singled with one out in the eleventh and Drew and Navarro on first and second. Navarro tried scoring from second on the hit, but was thrown out at home by Nate McLouth. Cook got Quentin to ground out to third and keep the game going.

The NL then had their chance to score in the twelfth off Joakim Soria, with the bases loaded and one out. Soria struck out Dan Uggla, and was relieved by George Sherrill, who struck out Adrian Gonzalez to end the threat. In the bottom of the inning, Carlos Guillén hit a long fly ball that bounced off the left field wall for a double. After advancing to third base after a Grady Sizemore groundout, Cook, pitching his third inning of relief, struck out Longoria. Morneau was intentionally walked, and advanced to second base on defensive indifference. Cook got Ian Kinsler to ground out to end the inning.

Sherrill pitched scoreless innings in the 13th and 14th, while Carlos Marmol and Brandon Webb did the same for the NL, and the game moved into the 15th inning, tying the record set in 1967 for the longest All-Star Game in terms of innings played. At this point, each team was down to their final pitchers, raising concerns of the game finishing in a tie due to lack of pitchers. In the bottom of the 15th, Morneau led off with a single off Brad Lidge. A diving play by Ludwick robbed Kinsler of a base hit for the first out. Navarro then singled to move Morneau to second base, and Drew walked to once again load the bases. This time, the AL would capitalize; Michael Young flew out to right field, and Morneau was able to tag and just beat the throw from Corey Hart to score the winning run and extend the American League's unbeaten streak in the All-Star game to 12 games, winning 4-3.

Linescore
Time=|Date=July 15 2008|Location=Yankee Stadium, New York City, New York|Compact=no
Road=National League|RoadAbr=NL
R1=0|R2=0|R3=0|R4=0|R5=1|R6=1|R7=0|R8=1|R9=0|R10=0|R11=0|R12=0|R13=0|R14=0|R15=0
RR=3|RH=13|RE=4
Home=American League|HomeAbr=AL
H1=0|H2=0|H3=0|H4=0|H5=0|H6=0|H7=2|H8=1|H9=0|H10=0|H11=0|H12=0|H13=0|H14=0|H15=1
HR=4|HH=14|HE=1
RSP=Ben Sheets |HSP=Cliff Lee
WP=Scott Kazmir (1-0) |LP=Brad Lidge (0-1)
RoadHR=Matt Holliday (1)|HomeHR=J.D. Drew (1) | HRH=yes|

All-Star Game records set or tied

*The longest game based on time (4:50) in MLB All-Star Game history.
*Tied for the longest game in terms of number of innings (15) with the 1967 All-Star Game at Anaheim Stadium.(Now known as Angel Stadium)
*Most combined strikeouts (34), stolen bases (7), runners left on base (28), pitchers (23) and players (63) in a Mid-Summer Classic.
*Dan Uggla of the Florida Marlins set an All-Star Game record by committing the most errors (3). He is the first MLB player ever to have 3 strikeouts, 3 errors, and ground into a double play in a single game. This includes any regular season, postseason, and All-Star Games.

Home Run Derby

The State Farm Home Run Derby took place on July 14.

Notes:
New single round record.
Voluntarily ended round with four outs
10 Home Runs were hit while the Gold Ball (special balls used when the batters have nine outs) was in play, earning $170,000 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Broadcasters

The All-Star Game was shown live in the United States on Fox Sports, with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver in the booth and sportswriter Ken Rosenthal as a field reporter. Yogi Berra visited the booth in the third inning. [cite news|url=http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2008/07/yogi-berra-is-not-impressed-by-sarah.html|title=Yogi Berra Is Not Impressed By Sarah Jessica Parker|author=Brian Powell|publisher=Awful Announcing|date=2008-07-16|accessdate=2008-07-22]

For telecasts in other countries, the game was produced by Major League Baseball Properties under the name MLB International, with Gary Thorne and Rick Sutcliffe as the English-language announcers. In the U.S., the feed was simulcast by Fox Sports en Español with Spanish-language commentary.

The British rights-holder for this game, five, ended its coverage at 6 a.m. British Summer Time with the game still in the 12th inning. The network explained that had a commitment to carry the children's cartoon show "The Wiggles" that it could not break. The situation is similar to the infamous Heidi Game on the U.S. network NBC in 1968. [Mike Tirico, on-air comment on "Tirico and Van Pelt", ESPN Radio, July 22, 2008. Tirico was in England to cover The Open Championship for ESPN on ABC.]

The radio rights in the U.S. was held by ESPN Radio; the announcers were Dan Shulman and Dave Campbell.

References

External links

* [http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2008/index.jsp Official All-Star Game site]
* [http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AvwzK6D3pkI1Zc0O7vuockoRvLYF?slug=ap-yankees-2008all-stars&prov=ap&type=lgns Yahoo Sports Article 1/23/07]
* [http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070124&content_id=1785257&vkey=news_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb MLB.com Article 1/24/07]