After four consecutive years of American League victories, the National League returned to the role of underdog and was looking for a win. The 2001 script had been written, but the star of this show was Cal Ripken, Jr. The Iron Man had announced his impending retirement earlier in the season and grateful baseball fans thanked him over and over with honors in every ballpark that he played in.
The 2001 Midsummer Classic took on a whole new identity as Cal took the field at third base for his final All-Star appearance. Everyone in attendance and watching at home knew history was in the making. Class-act Alex Rodriguez suggested Ripken move over to his customary shortstop position and Cal reluctantly agreed.
The memories had only just begun for Ripken who came to the plate during the third inning with the theme from The Natural being played over Safeco Fields' sound system. The fans gave Cal one of the longest standing ovations ever bestowed on an All-Star player and he tipped his batting helmet in appreciation. Stepping into the batters box he swung amid a sea of flashbulbs and hit the first pitch he saw from Chan Ho Park over the left field wall.
The final chapter in his story was written before the sixth inning by Commissioner Bud Selig who presented Ripken and Tony Gwynn, who was also retiring after the season, with the Commissioners' Historic Achievement Award. The award, which was created in 1998, is presented at the commissioner's discretion to any player whose body of work is in itself historical or any player who sets a record of historical significance.
In between tributes a game was also taking place. Leading only 3-2 after a fifth-inning RBI single, the American League put the game away with three runs in the ninth. With the victory, the junior circuit cut its overall deficit to 40-30-1. Yankee boss Joe Torre joined Tony La Russa and Tommy Lasorda as the only managers to win their first three All-Star Games.
"Cal (Ripken, Jr.) comes up, sees one pitch and hits a home run off a pitcher he has probably never seen before. That's the kind of magic that Cal brings to the field, that he's brought to the field for 20 years or however long he's played. It would have been very fitting if it ended up being a 1-0 ball game and he got the game-winning home run." - Randy Johnson
2001 All-Star Game
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2001 All-Star Game Fast Facts | ||||||||
Game Number | 72 | |||||||
Date / Box Score | 07-10-2001 | |||||||
Location | Safeco Field | |||||||
Attendance (Rank) | 47,364 | |||||||
M.V.P. Award | Cal Ripken, Jr. | |||||||
1st Pitch | From | To | ||||||
Luis Aparicio | Bret Boone | |||||||
Orlando Cepeda | Edgar Martinez | |||||||
Fergie Jenkins | Freddy Garcia | |||||||
Juan Marichal | Mike Cameron | |||||||
Tony Perez | Kazuhiro Sasaki | |||||||
League Items | A.L. | N.L. | ||||||
Starting Pitchers | Roger Clemens | Randy Johnson | ||||||
Managers | Joe Torre | Bobby Valentine | ||||||
Coaches | Bruce Bochy | Tony Muser | ||||||
Dusty Baker | Lou Piniella | |||||||
Honorary Captains | Ralph Branca | |||||||
Bobby Thomson | ||||||||
2001 All-Star Game Fast Facts |
2001 All Star GameLine Score |
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2001 All-Star Game Capsule | ||||||||||||
League | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
National | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
American | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | x | 4 | 8 | 0 |
N.L. Pitcher(s) | A.L. Pitcher(s) | |||||||||||
Randy Johnson Chan Ho Park (L, 3rd) John Burkett (4th) Mike Hampton (5th) Jon Lieber (6th) Matt Morris (7th) Jeff Shaw (8th) Billy Wagner (8th) Ben Sheets (8th) |
Roger Clemens Freddy Garcia (W, 3rd) Andy Pettitte (4th) Joe Mays (5th) Paul Quantrill (6th) Mike Stanton (6th) Jeff Nelson (7th) Troy Percival (8th) Kazuhiro Sasaki (S, 9th) |
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N.L. Home Runs | A.L. Home Runs | |||||||||||
None - - |
Cal Ripken, Jr. (3rd) Derek Jeter (6th) Magglio Ordonez (6th) |
2001 All-Star GameNational League All-Star Squad |
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Lineup | Name | Team | Position | Notes |
Moises Alou | Houston Astros | OF | ||
9. | Rich Aurilia | San Francisco Giants | SS | |
Lance Berkman | Houston Astros | OF | ||
3. | Barry Bonds | San Francisco Giants | OF | |
John Burkett | Atlanta Braves | P | ||
Sean Casey | Cincinnati Reds | 1B | ||
Cliff Floyd | Florida Marlins | OF | Replaced Reed | |
Brian Giles | Pittsburgh Pirates | OF | ||
1. | Luis Gonzalez | Arizona Diamondbacks | OF | |
Vladimir Guerrero | Montreal Expos | OF | ||
Mike Hampton | Colorado Rockies | P | ||
2. | Todd Helton | Colorado Rockies | 1B | |
Charles Johnson | Florida Marlins | C | ||
Randy Johnson | Arizona Diamondbacks | P | Starting Pitcher | |
7. | Chipper Jones | Atlanta Braves | 3B | |
8. | Jeff Kent | San Francisco Giants | 2B | |
Ryan Klesko | San Diego Padres | 1B | ||
Jon Lieber | Chicago Cubs | P | ||
Matt Morris | St. Louis Cardinals | P | ||
Phil Nevin | San Diego Padres | 3B | ||
Chan Ho Park | Los Angeles Dodgers | P | ||
6. | Mike Piazza | New York Mets | C | |
Albert Pujols | St. Louis Cardinals | 3B | ||
Rick Reed | New York Mets | P | Replaced - Injury | |
Jimmy Rollins | Philadelphia Phillies | SS | ||
Curt Schilling | Arizona Diamondbacks | P | Did Not Pitch | |
Jeff Shaw | Los Angeles Dodgers | P | ||
Ben Sheets | Milwaukee Brewers | P | ||
4. | Sammy Sosa | Chicago Cubs | OF | |
Billy Wagner | Houston Astros | P | ||
5. | Larry Walker | Colorado Rockies | OF | |
BOLD = Fan's choice to start the game (Manager chooses pitcher). |
2001 All-Star GameAmerican League All-Star Squad |
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Lineup | Name | Team | Position | Notes |
Roberto Alomar | Cleveland Indians | 2B | ||
4. | Bret Boone | Seattle Mariners | 2B | |
Mike Cameron | Seattle Mariners | OF | Replaced Vaughn | |
Tony Clark | Detroit Tigers | 1B | ||
Roger Clemens | New York Yankees | P | Starting Pitcher | |
Freddy Garcia | Seattle Mariners | P | ||
Jason Giambi | Oakland Athletics | 1B | ||
Troy Glaus | Anaheim Angels | 3B | ||
5. | Juan Gonzalez | Cleveland Indians | OF | |
Cristian Guzman | Minnesota Twins | SS | ||
Derek Jeter | New York Yankees | SS | ||
7. | Edgar Martinez | Seattle Mariners | DH | |
Joe Mays | Minnesota Twins | P | ||
Eric Milton | Minnesota Twins | P | Did Not Pitch | |
Jeff Nelson | Seattle Mariners | P | Replaced Rivera | |
6. | John Olerud | Seattle Mariners | 1B | |
Magglio Ordonez | Chicago White Sox | OF | ||
Troy Percival | Anaheim Angels | P | ||
Andy Pettitte | New York Yankees | P | ||
Jorge Posada | New York Yankees | C | ||
Paul Quantrill | Toronto Blue Jays | P | ||
3. | Manny Ramirez | Boston Red Sox | OF | |
8. | Cal Ripken, Jr. | Baltimore Orioles | 3B | M.V.P. |
Mariano Rivera | New York Yankees | P | Replaced - Injury | |
2. | Alex Rodriguez | Texas Rangers | SS | |
9. | Ivan Rodriguez | Texas Rangers | C | |
Kazuhiro Sasaki | Seattle Mariners | P | ||
Mike Stanton | New York Yankees | P | ||
1. | Ichiro Suzuki | Seattle Mariners | OF | |
Mike Sweeney | Kansas City Royals | 1B | ||
Greg Vaughn | Tampa Bay Devil Rays | OF | Replaced - Injury | |
Bernie Williams | New York Yankees | OF | ||
BOLD = Fan's choice to start the game (Manager chooses pitcher).Audio Moment: Hear The Game! |
Cal Ripken Jr., who was playing in his final All-Star Game, became the oldest player to hit a home run during an All-Star Game, the first American League player to win two All-Star Most Valuable Player Awards, and the fourth player to win two of them.
Perhaps the most memorable "light" moment took place during the sixth inning when Vladimir Guerrero's bat shattered and flew towards honorary National League coach Tommy Lasorda. The National Baseball Hall of Fame manager did not bleed Dodger blue, but he did take a hard tumble, lost his hat, then hopped off where he had to fend off Barry Bonds who attempted to place a chest protector on Lasorda.
Did you know that the 72nd All-Star Game had twenty-two first time all-stars, eight rookie all-stars and players from seven different countries?