Major League Baseball All-Star Game facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Major League BaseballAll-Star Game Midsummer Classic
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2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in St. Louis
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| Frequency | Annual |
| Location(s) | Varies (see text) |
| Inaugurated | 1933 |
| Previous event | July 11, 2023 (T-Mobile Park, Seattle, Washington) |
| Next event | July 16, 2024 (Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas) |
| Participants | American League National League |
| Organized by | Major League Baseball |
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game is a special annual baseball game. It's also called the "Midsummer Classic". In this game, the best players (all-stars) from the American League (AL) play against the best from the National League (NL). It's organized by Major League Baseball (MLB).
Fans choose the starting players for the game. Team managers pick the pitchers. Other players are chosen by players and managers.
The game usually happens in mid-July. It marks the halfway point of the MLB season. During this time, there's an All-Star break. No regular games are played for a few days. Other fun events also happen around the All-Star Game.
No official All-Star Games were held in 1945 and 2020. This was because of World War II travel rules and the COVID-19 pandemic. From 1959 to 1962, two All-Star Games were played each season. The most recent game was on July 11, 2023. It was played in Seattle at T-Mobile Park.
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History of the All-Star Game
The very first All-Star Game took place on July 6, 1933. It was held in Chicago at Comiskey Park. This game was part of the 1933 World's Fair.
Arch Ward, a sports editor, first suggested the idea. It was meant to be a one-time event. But it was so popular that it became an annual tradition.
From 1959 to 1962, two All-Star Games were played each year. This was done to raise more money for players' pensions. This practice stopped when players got a larger share of money from a single game.
Over 1,900 different players have been chosen for an All-Star Game. This includes games played between 1933 and 2023.
Where the Games Are Played (Venues)
MLB decides where the All-Star Game will be held. They often choose cities with new baseball parks. Cities that haven't hosted the game in many years, or ever, are also often picked.
Some stadiums have hosted the game more than others. Cleveland Stadium and the old Yankee Stadium each hosted four games. New York City has hosted the most games, with nine in five different stadiums.
The Tampa Bay Rays are the only team that has never hosted an All-Star Game. Other teams haven't hosted in their current stadiums yet. These include the New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Atlanta Braves.
Three teams have won the World Series in the same year their stadium hosted the All-Star Game. These were the 1939 and 1977 New York Yankees, and the 1959 Los Angeles Dodgers.
The host city usually switches between the American and National Leagues each year. An AL team hosts in odd-numbered years. An NL team hosts in even-numbered years. This pattern has been broken a few times.
For example, the NL hosted two games in a row in 2006 and 2007. They also hosted four straight games from 2015 to 2018. The AL is hosting two straight games in 2023 and 2024.
In the past, some cities had two teams sharing one ballpark. For example, in Philadelphia, the AL's Athletics and NL's Phillies both played at Shibe Park. This meant the All-Star Game could return to the same stadium sooner.
The "home team" in the All-Star Game is usually from the league of the host city. For example, if an AL team hosts, the AL is the home team. The only exception was in 2016. The AL was the home team even though the game was in an NL park. This was because the winning league used to get home field advantage in the World Series.
How All-Star Teams Are Chosen
Managers and Coaches
Since 1934, the managers for the All-Star Game are the managers of the teams that won their league championships the year before. This means the managers of the teams that played in the World Series.
The All-Star manager chooses their coaching staff. Sometimes, a manager might have changed teams or even retired. But they still get to manage the All-Star team if their old team won the championship. For example, Tony La Russa managed the National League team in 2012 after retiring from the St. Louis Cardinals.
Players
The number of players on each All-Star team has grown over time. In 1933, there were 18 players. Since 2018, each league's team has 34 players.
One rule is that every MLB team must have at least one player on an All-Star roster. This helps keep fans interested in the game. But some people argue it means that not always the very best players are chosen.
Here's how players are selected:
- Fan Voting: Fans vote for the starting position players. This is done online. Since 2022, fans can vote for the designated hitter in both leagues.
- Player Voting: Players, coaches, and managers vote for 16 players. This includes pitchers and backup players for each position.
- Manager Selection: The manager of each All-Star team picks more players. They talk with other managers and MLB officials. This ensures every team has at least one player.
- Final Vote: After most players are chosen, fans vote for one more player. This player is picked from a list of five.
- Replacements: If a player gets hurt or can't play, the All-Star manager and MLB pick a replacement.
All-Star Uniforms and Caps
For many years, players wore their regular team uniforms in the All-Star Game. Since 2021, MLB and Nike create special All-Star Game uniforms each year. Players wear these new uniforms during the game.
Since 2014, players also wear special All-Star Game caps. They have a different cap for practice and the Home Run Derby. For the game itself, they wear a cap with their team's logo and the All-Star Game logo.
History of Player Selection
In the first two All-Star Games (1933 and 1934), fans picked the starting players. Managers chose the rest. From 1935 to 1944, managers picked the whole team.
In 1947, fans got to vote for starters again. But in 1957, fans of the Cincinnati Reds tried to "stuff the ballot box." They voted for seven Reds players to start! The Commissioner, Ford Frick, had to step in. He removed two Reds players from the starting lineup. Because of this, fan voting was stopped for 12 years.
Fan voting for starters returned in 1970. To prevent cheating, each team was given the same number of paper ballots to hand out. With online voting, new ways of cheating have appeared. For example, in 1999, a fan used a computer program to vote many times. MLB caught this and rejected the votes.
In 2015, fans of the Kansas City Royals were accused of ballot stuffing. Eight Royals players were leading in the fan vote. MLB canceled many votes that seemed fake. In the end, only four Royals started the game.
Designated Hitter (DH) Rule
In 1989, the designated hitter (DH) rule was first used in the All-Star Game. Before 2010, the DH was only used if the game was in an American League ballpark. In National League parks, pitchers would bat.
Since 2010, the DH rule is used in every All-Star Game. This means a player can bat without playing a defensive position, no matter which league's park the game is in.
All-Star Game MVP Award
The All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award is given to the best player in each game. It started in 1962. The award was first called the Arch Ward Memorial Award, named after the person who created the All-Star Game.
The award's name changed a few times. In 2002, it was named The Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award. This honored Boston Red Sox player Ted Williams, who had passed away that year.
Ties, Rain, and World Series Advantage
The first All-Star Game tie happened in 1961 due to rain. The game ended 1-1 after nine innings.
In 2002, an All-Star Game in Milwaukee ended in a 7-7 tie. This happened in the 11th inning because both teams ran out of players. Fans were very unhappy.
To make the game more exciting, MLB decided something new. From 2003 to 2016, the league that won the All-Star Game got home-field advantage in the World Series. This meant they would host more games in the World Series. This rule ended in 2017. Now, the World Series team with the better regular season record gets home-field advantage.
To avoid ties like in 2002, managers now try to save some players. They can also designate one player who can re-enter the game if needed.
Since 2022, if an All-Star Game is tied after nine innings, there are no extra innings. Instead, the teams have a best-of-three home run derby. Three players from each team hit. The team that hits the most home runs wins! The game is still recorded as a tie, but one league wins the derby.
Winning Streaks and Records
Ninety-three All-Star Games have been played. The American League (AL) has won 47 games. The National League (NL) has won 44 games. Two games ended in a tie.
The AL won most of the early games, from 1933 to 1949. Then the NL dominated from 1950 to 1987, winning 33 games. This included a streak of 11 wins in a row from 1972 to 1982. Since 1988, the AL has been stronger, winning 27 games. They had a 13-game unbeaten streak from 1997 to 2009.
The longest All-Star Game lasted 15 innings. This happened in 1967 and 2008. The 2008 game was the longest in time, lasting almost five hours.
All-Star Game Schedule
Since 1963, the All-Star Game has almost always been on a Tuesday in July. In 1983, it was on a Wednesday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first game.
The game was first played at night in 1942. Since 1970, all All-Star Games have been played at night.
The game has been moved twice due to major events. In 1945, it was canceled because of World War II travel rules. In 2020, it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 1981, the game was moved to August because of a players' strike. This was the only game not held in July.
In 2021, the All-Star Game was moved from Atlanta to Denver. This was in response to a new voting law in Georgia. MLB stated they support voting rights for everyone.
Other All-Star Events
Besides the main game, other fun events happen in the host city. These are also shown on TV.
- Home Run Derby: This is a contest where players hit as many home runs as they can. It's held the day before the All-Star Game.
- All-Star Futures Game: This game features young, rising stars from the minor leagues. One team is from the United States, and the other is from other countries.
- All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game: This game includes former baseball stars and celebrities from music, movies, and TV.
Since 2021, the Major League Baseball Draft is also held in the All-Star Game host city. In 2023, the HBCU Swingman Classic was added. This game features players from historically black colleges and universities.
All-Star Firsts and Records
- All-Star Firsts
- First All-Star in the Baseball Hall of Fame: Babe Ruth, 1936
- First rookie All-Star: Joe DiMaggio, 1936
- First All-Stars of African descent: Roy Campanella, Larry Doby, Don Newcombe, and Jackie Robinson: 1949
- First All-Star Game MVP: Maury Wills, 1962
- All-Star Game Records
(Remember, from 1959-1962, there were two All-Star Games each season. No games were played in 1945 and 2020.)
- Most All-Star Game appearance seasons: Hank Aaron, 21
- Most All-Star Games: Hank Aaron, 25
- Most All-Star Game MVP Awards: Willie Mays, Steve Garvey, Gary Carter, Cal Ripken Jr., and Mike Trout: 2 each
- Most All-Star Game hits: Willie Mays, 23
- Most All-Star Game runs batted in: Ted Williams, 12
- Most All-Star Game home runs: Stan Musial, 6
- Most All-Star Game grand slams: Fred Lynn, 1
- Most All-Star Game stolen bases: Willie Mays, 6
- Most All-Star Game wins (pitcher): Lefty Gomez, 3
- Most All-Star Game strikeouts (pitcher): Don Drysdale, 19
See also
In Spanish: Juego de Estrellas de las Grandes Ligas de Béisbol para niños
- List of Major League Baseball All-Star Games
- Major League Baseball All-Star Game records
- Negro league East–West All-Star Game
- Triple-A All-Star Game
Similar events
- MLS All-Star Game
- NBA All-Star Game
- NFL Pro Bowl Game
- NHL All-Star Game
