A History of the All-Star Game in San Diego

Next week, the Padres host the MLB All-Star Game and its festivities will hit the city of San Diego for the third time ever. Let’s take a look back at the previous two appearances of the Mid-Summer Classic in America’s Finest City.

1978

San Diego Stadium (thus it was named from 1967 to 1980) hosted its first ever MLB All-Star Game in 1978, 11 years after its grand opening. The managers were Billy Martin of the Yankees and the Dodgers’ Tommy Lasorda. Recently former president Gerald Ford threw out the first pitch.

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The announcers for the game seem today like a duo you would love to listen to for the rest of eternity: Vin Scully and Brent Musburger. The game was on ABC.

The San Diego Padres had two representatives: Rollie Fingers and Dave Winfield.

The American League jumped out to an early lead when George Brett doubled home Rod Carew. Carlton Fisk later drove him in with a sacrifice fly. Rod Carew later hit his second consecutive triple and scored on a Brett sac fly.

Steve Garvey tied the game for the National League with a two-run, bases loaded single. With the score 3-3 in the 8^th inning, Goose Gossage came in to face Garvey. Garvey tripled and scored on a Gossage wild pitch. Bob Boone later hit a two-run single to give the NL a 6-3 lead. Davey Lopes later drove Boone in to give the NL the 7-3 lead which would end up being the final score.

Future Padre Steve Garvey was named MVP for his two hits, a triple and 2 RBI.

Bruce Sutter got the win after throwing 1 2/3 perfect innings.

Both Padres got in the game as Winfield went 1 for 2 and Fingers pitched two innings, only allowing one hit and striking out one.

51,549 people attended the game.

1992

By 1992, San Diego Stadium had been renamed Jack Murphy Stadium. The ’92 Mid-Summer Classic came to San Diego again with a much different look. This time it brought the Home Run Derby. Two Padres were selected to be in the Home Run Derby: Gary Sheffield and Fred McGriff.

The winner was Mark McGwire of the Oakland Athletics, who beat out Seattle’s Ken Griffey Jr.

Tom Kelly of the Minnesota Twins and Bobby Cox of the Atlanta Braves were the managers. The game was broadcast on CBS. Sean McDonough and Tim McCarver had the call.

The San Diego Padres had five players selected for the game: Benito Santiago, Fred McGriff, Gary Sheffield, Tony Fernandez and of course Tony Gwynn.

Tom Glavine of the Braves and Kevin Brown of the Texas Rangers were the starting pitchers.

The American League broke out for 7 hits in the top of the 1^st inning, scoring four runs with McGwire, Cal Ripken and Ken Griffey Jr. getting the RBI. Joe Carter added to the lead with an RBI single in the 2^nd. Ken Griffey Jr. then lined a Greg Maddux pitched over the left field wall, giving the A.L. a 6-0 lead in the 3^rd.

Ruben Sierra added a home run of his own and the A.L. led 10-0 after the top of the 6^th. The National League finally got on the board in the bottom of the 6^th with an RBI single by Padres first baseman Fred McGriff.

With the lead now 13-1, Will Clark launched a three-run homer for the N.L. cutting the lead to 13-4. In the bottom of the 9^th the N.L. loaded the bases and Bip Roberts (who had just left the Padres that previous offseason after 5-plus seasons in San Diego) hit a two-run single to make it 13-6. The score would be final at 13-6, an American League victory.

Ken “The Kid” Griffey Jr. was named the game’s MVP after going 3 for 3 with a home run, a double and two RBI.

Future Padre Kevin Brown got the win and Hall of Famer Glavine was tagged with the loss.

Next: Wil Myers Named as All Star Reserve

For the host Padres, Tony Gwynn went 0 for 2 with a walk, Tony Fernandez had a hit and a run scored, McGriff went 2 for 3 with an RBI, Santiago got one plate appearance and struck out and Gary Sheffield got two at-bats.

The All-Star Game comes once again to San Diego and for the first time at Petco Park, which opened in 2004. Hopefully we will see a Padre (Wil Myers) take the spotlight and hopefully participate in the Home Run Derby. Regardless, it will be fun to see if anyone can shatter a window in the Western Metal Supply Co. building Monday night.

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