All-Star Rosters 2023

Ale Xander

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
81,772
DennyDoyle'sBoil said:
I couldn‘t name 5 ASG MVPs, I don’t think. Other than the most recent one. Vlad. But then it is quickly forgotten.

Pedro. Lynn, as an Angel. Yaz.

Then there are several I think won it, but I’m not sure. Mays. Maybe Ichiro. Prolly Ripken. It’s a weird award. Clemens? I don’t really care unless a Red Sox wins it.
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jD drew in 2008!!!

And Yaz in 1970 and Clemens in 1986 of course
 
Petagine in a Bottle

Petagine in a Bottle

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 13, 2021
15,492
Wow. In the year that Melky Cabrera was an AS, he hit 346/390/516, with SF. I don’t remember that, like, at all. And that Giant team won the WS, sweeping the Tigers.
 
Sad Sam Jones

Sad Sam Jones

Member
SoSH Member
May 5, 2017
3,033
MVPs I can name without looking it up:

Tim Raines, '87: Won it in extra-innings... first one I watched and he was an early favorite of mine.
Bo Jackson, '89: I was watching on vacation and he and Boggs ended it before it even got started.
Sandy Alomar, '97: Homered in his home park during his career year... presaged his pivotal home run off Fruit Bat in the playoffs.
Cal Ripken, whatever year he was retiring: The NL was instructed to throw him BP pitches.
 
edoug

edoug

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
6,007
Gary Carter '81, I think it may have been the first MLB game played that season. Did Garvey win it in '74, his rookie year? I think he was elected to start as a write in.
 
The Gray Eagle

The Gray Eagle

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 1, 2001
17,814
E5 Yaz said:
Now ... the two most boring days of the season
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I wish that the minor leagues had a different all-star break than the majors.
If the ml break was a week earlier or a week later, we would at least have minor league games to watch this week, which seems like would be a good way to showcase and promote the prospects.
 
Jim Ed Rice in HOF

Jim Ed Rice in HOF

Red-headed Skrub child
SoSH Member
Jul 21, 2005
9,271
Seacoast NH
This may be behind a paywall at The Athletic so sorry in advance but something to watch for next year if the idea picks up steam. Legends HR derby - Griffey, Thome, Pujols, Ortiz and more. While this has the potential to be Willie Mays on the Mets, I'm pretty sure these guys could still hit some out if they knock the rust off. There's a story in the article (with video) of Griffey jumping in the cage cold after a challenge from Mookie at the WBC this year and hitting one out. He could absolutely get some time in the cage and launch a few during a competition.

We begin our saga last Monday afternoon during the All-Star festivities in Seattle. As the actual Home Run Derby approached, Griffey strolled over to the set of MLB Network’s “MLB Tonight” show, where Pujols asked him: “So, are we going to see you in the Home Run Derby tonight?”

“If you do it,” Griffey said, staring him in the eye, “I’ll do it.”

“Let’s do it,” Pujols said with a laugh, but not totally kidding. “Why not?”
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But hold on. There was more. As this segment rolled along, MLB Network’s Greg Amsinger made the mistake of mentioning that Mets masher Pete Alonso had a chance that night to win his third Derby. That meant he could tie Griffey for the most ever.

Uh-oh. If you thought Ken Griffey Jr. was going to let that innocent nugget slip by unchallenged, um, are you familiar with Griffey’s work?

“If I got a year to prepare for next year, when it’s just me and Pete,” Griffey said, right there on the air, “it’s like Rocky and Apollo. Ring the bell in an empty cage. Ding, ding. Let’s go.”

“Whoa, you really have that much confidence,” Amsinger replied. “I think you believe you can still win one.”

Whereupon Griffey just flashed That Look that said: Of course I do. So this conversation was over. Except …

It was really only getting started, because …

Watching at his home in Illinois, as Griffey uttered those words, was Jim Thome, noted author of 612 career home runs himself. The first thing Thome did was reach for his cell. He began typing out a text to Amsinger:

“If Griffey’s gonna get ready, maybe I’ll jump in there, too,” he wrote.

So that made two legends in the fold, within five minutes. They wouldn’t be the last.

The next day, Pujols was hanging out in the MLB Network production trailer, with Amsinger, Harold Reynolds and Yonder Alonso. They began talking again about the Derby dreams of Griffey — and Amsinger mentioned that Thome also wanted in.

“I would do it in a hot second,” Pujols said.

OK, that’s three legends in. A few minutes later, Pujols took a brief walk outside and ran into David Ortiz … and proceeded to lay out the cool brainstorm of the day to Big Papi. Guess what happened next?

Pujols sauntered back into the production trailer.

“I just saw David Ortiz. I told him about our idea,” Pujols reported. “He said he’s in all the way.”
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