As an ex-pro baseball writer, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that today is the 78th Major League Baseball All-Star Game. This will be the first time in 7 years that I did not cover the event for Baseball-Almanac. Last year’s All-Star Week was an outstanding experience for me personally and it somehow seemed fitting that the last game that I covered took place in my own hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It allowed me to share the experience with my father and son. In addition to penning the entire histories of the World Series, Year In Review, and Divisional Playoff sections (as well as numerous biographies and essays), I also recapped every Midsummer Classic from 1933-2006. It was truly an honor and a privilege to have been associated with these guys for so many years and I owe a lot of where I am today to the start that Baseball-Almanac gave me. 

Due to some recurring health-related issues, as well as other CW publishing commitments dominating my time, I had to step down at BA midway through the 2006 season. It feels a little weird not having to worry about this year’s contest and I actually look forward to watching the game simply for the enjoyment of it. It didn’t “hit me” until I watched the Home Run Derby last night and realized that I wasn’t taking notes. BA has an outstanding staff of baseball historians and contributors and I’m sure that this year’s recap will be just as good (if not better) than any of mine up to this point. After all, it is a fantastic spectacle.

Through the years, every franchise has had its share of superstar players that stand out above the rest. They are the ones that bring the fans out to the ballpark and only one game brings them all together at once, The All-Star Game. The first Major League All-Star Game was played on July 6, 1933 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. It was initiated at the insistence of Arch Ward, a sports editor for the Chicago Tribune, to coincide with the celebration of Chicago's Century of Progress Exposition. For over seventy-three years, the "Midsummer Classic" has remained a fan favorite showcasing the top talent in baseball. All-Star teams were originally selected by the managers and the fans for the 1933 and 1934 games. From 1935 through 1946, managers selected the entire team for each league. From 1947 to 1957, fans chose the team's starters and the manager chose the pitchers and the remaining players. From 1958 through 1969, managers, players, and coaches made the All-Star Team selections. In 1970, the vote again returned to the fans for the selection of the starters for each team and remains there today.

For complete recaps, highlights, and statistics from every Midsummer Classic, visit Baseball-Almanac’s All-Star section and for all things baseball, check out the rest of the website. For links to many of my own articles, visit my Baseball Studies web page over on the Pinstripe Press website.