MLBbros & Iconic Moments In All-Star History
The MLB All-Star Game will finally return next week after a one–year hiatus.
As anticipation builds for the first MLB All-Star since COVID flipped the sports world upside down, I thought it would be a good idea to kick the week off with a few dope All-Star moments from some legendary MLBbros.
The Last Black All-Star MVP
Before Vladdy Jr. captured the hearts of Americans (and Canadians), there was another former clubhouse kid who set the baseball world on fire.
Prince Fielder, son of slugger Cecil Fielder, stepped onto Chase Field in Arizona for his third All-Star appearance (and first of three straight).
Fielder made sure his presence was felt, going 1-for-2 with a three-run bomb in the fourth inning that put the National League up for good.
The young slugger finished the season batting .299 with 38 bombs, 120 RBI and 107 walks. He would go on to make the All-Star team three more times before his retirement.
Torii Robs Barry
In one of the most iconic moments in recent All-Star Game history, Home Run King Barry Bonds stepped into the box at Miller Park looking to put the National League up early.
Unfortunately for Bonds, nine-time Gold Glove winner and fellow MLBbro Torii Hunter was manning center field .
As Bonds unloaded on the 1-1 pitch from Derek Lowe, Hunter made a beeline for the right-center field fence. Breaking his dead sprint, Torii begins to time his jump perfectly before leaping to rob Bonds.
The play turned out to be the deciding factor in the game, as the game ended in a 7-7 tie.
The Kid Hits The Warehouse
An Oral History of Ken Griffey Jr.’s MLB Home Run Derby Dopeness
I’m sure you’ve seen the clip 1000 times, but you can’t speak about All-Star weekend without talking about Junior.
The 13-time All-Star has given us countless memories over the years, but arguably his most iconic came in Camden Yards.
During the 1993 Home Run Derby, Ken Griffey Jr. came into his fourth straight All-Star appearance on the verge of his first 40-homer season and the beginning of his Seattle prime.
But it was the Derby where Griffey made his mark. With his trademark backwards hat and million–dollar swing, he crushed a baseball out of Camden and off of the warehouse next door. Just look at that swing, truly a work of art.
Back-to-Back-to-Back Black Champs
MLB history is full of Black sluggers, and the Home Run Derby has been the perfect place to display the pop.
But from 1994 to 1996, the MLBbros exclusively held down the Derby crown. As a matter of fact, two of those three seasons, the final round was on full display with Black power.
In 1994 we saw Griffey Jr. defeat Atlanta Braves legend Fred McGriff at Three Rivers Stadium (thank God the cookie–cutter stadium era ended.)
In 1995, the Black power surge continued, with Frank Thomas defeating his future teammate, then Cleveland Indians Albert Belle.
We saw the third straight Black champ in 1996 when Bonds defeated Mark McGwire.
We haven’t gotten a full All-Star Weekend since 2019.
So with all eyes on the baseball world, let’s hope our MLBbros can add to these moments.
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