All-Star game in Yankee Stadium

What a great All-Star game we witnessed this week. Outstanding pitching, great throws, a couple of homeruns and some good hitting. When did the all-stars decided they should be running? 6 stolen bases. Made some good catchers look bad. However, what I will remember most is the pre game celebration. Luckily I was able to attend 2 all-star games (1962-1969). Seeing Schmidt and Brett, Yogi and Willie, Hank and Ernie was great. I only wish Bench and Koufax had made it.

1962 - President Kennedy through out the first pitch. Stan the Man, playing in his last all-star game started the game winning rally with a pinch hit single. Maury Wills (the year he stole more than 100 bases) pinch ran and promptly stole second. No homerun derby then - we saw it in batting practice. Willie Mays and Ernie Banks were the only ones to make it to the bleachers in RFK. Johnny Callison blasted alot over the fense in batting practice and singled in the game. "The Great One" Roberto Clemente had 3 hits. Don Drysdale, who won 25 that year, started for the National League and mowed down the first 7 American Leaguers - then little Luis Aparicio lined a triple to right center. What a great day for a 13 year old to be at the ballpark!

1969 - Tremendous thunderstorm washed out the game the night before. The following day, the National League crushed the American League with Willie McCovey hitting 2 out. Johnny Bench, in his first full season, hit one out and was robbed by YAZ of another. The next day, Charles Finley offered a lot of money to the Reds for Bench - I thing it was $100k. Imagine what Bench would bring today.