1987 All-Star Game

I love the Mid-Summer Classic. To me it's a magical night. However, I can't say that I recall many details about most All-Star Games that I've watched. There are a few standout memories like Bo Jackson's mammoth home run off Rick Reuschel in 1991 and Chan Ho Park serving up a gimme to Cal Ripken in the Iron Man's last All-Star Game in 2001, but I can't tell you the final score, let alone who hit the game winning run in just about any of the previous 30 All-Star games EXCEPT 1987. When a replay of the game aired on the MLB network (greatest channel ever BTW) a couple of days ago, I was transported back to 10 years old again as I watched the announcement of the starting lineups. Eric Davis, Andre Dawson, Jack Clark (still can't say his name without preceding it with some sort of muffled expletive for making me lock myself in the bathroom for 30 minutes crying after the 1985 NLCS) Mike Schmidt, Darryl Strawberry, Dave Winfield, Donny Baseball, George Bell, etc. These were the premier power hitters of my childhood. These were the baseball cards that I still have stored in my house. Though I'm certain none of these guys are perfect individuals and some have even made mistakes publicly, I couldn't help but observe how different their body types were compared to sluggers today. They were skinny guys with muscle. They lifted weights, I'm sure, and were very strong, but I go to bed at night convincing myself that they were clean.

Watching the game, I remembered WHY I remember this game so well. This game took place just a couple of days after my grandmother passed away, and my family was still in Reno, NV for the funeral arrangements. All of my cousins were there and we had just finished a big family dinner. Our family was doing the dishes (because, as my father explained to me when I asked why it was OUR family that always got stuck doing the dishes, 'we got class') when rookie Mark McGwire of the I'm-not-here-to-talk-about-the-past fame came to bat. He had 33 HR at the break that year and was the biggest story in baseball. My dad allowed me to take a break and watch him bat. That was a very small gesture, but I'll always remember my dad recognizing how much that at bat meant to me. As I watched it again 22 years later, I knew that he would inevitably fly out to Dale Murphy in right field, but it was still exciting to feel like a small boy again.

The game reminded me of what baseball has perhaps forgotten since those times. There was a play where Dave Winfield plowed into Ozzie Virgil at home trying to score the winning run. Ozzie held onto the ball, Winfield was out, and that was the end of it. There was no taunting, no chest pounding, and no attempt at reaction or retaliation, just gritty solid baseball. Winfield cared about scoring, and Virgil cared about not letting him score, in an exhibition game, with nothing but pride on the line. All Star games these days have been too much about walking on eggshells and being careful not to let a pitcher throw too much, etc. I fear for the day when baseball All-Star games turns into the travesty that is witnessed every February at the NBA All-Star game where offense and entertainment trump defense and fundamentals.

Ultimately the NL won the game 2-0 on a 13th inning triple by Tim Raines (pre Rock Raines days) wearing a Montreal Expos uniform. Those were the days.