There have been 175 home runs in All-Star Game competition. Despite teams loaded with aces, fans aren’t coming to witness a pitchers’ duel. While we most remember the homers of October, the ones that leave the yard here carry almost the same mythical connotations. Which were the most memorable? Here are the Top 10:
10. Sandy Alomar Jr. • Cleveland, 1997
Cleveland rocks. Playing in front of his hometown fans at Jacobs Field, Alomar’s two-run drive in the bottom of the 7th off the Giants’ Shawn Estes broke a 1-1 tie, the decisive blow in the AL’s 3-1 win.
1971: A home run showcase Leading into the 1971 All-Star Game in Detroit, the buzz surrounded AL starting pitcher Vida Blue. With electric stuff and a 17-3 record, fans were anxious to see the Oakland A’s lefty face a loaded NL lineup. But stealing the show was his A’s teammate — Reggie Jackson — who pinch-hit for Blue in the third inning and blasted an outrageous home run, consistent with his super-sized personality. All of the game’s runs came via homers from Hall of Famers. Johnny Bench and Hank Aaron hit shots off Blue. Harmon Killebrew, Roberto Clemente and Frank Robinson also homered in the AL’s 6-4 win.
9. Ichiro Suzuki • San Francisco, 2007
Hitting a ball off the right-field wall at AT&T Park in San Francisco, Suzuki made his way all the way around the bases for the only inside-the-park home run in All-Star Game history. Suzuki went 3-for-3 on his way to MVP honors.
8. Bo Jackson • Anaheim, 1989
After catching a Pedro Guerrero drive in the top of the first inning to save two runs, Jackson led off the bottom of the inning with a 448-foot home run in his first All-Star at-bat prompting TV announcer Vin Scully to say, “Bo Jackson says hello.”.
7. Johnny Callison • New York, 1964
The Phillies outfielder hit a three-run home run with two out in the bottom of the 9th inning off the Red Sox’s intimidating reliever Dick Radatz to give the NL a 7-4 victory at Shea Stadium in New York.
6. Fred Lynn • Chicago, 1983
In the 50th anniversary game at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Lynn hit the first (and only) grand slam in All-Star history. His blast came as the AL set single-inning All-Star records for runs (7) and hits (6) and won for the first time since 1971.
5. Babe Ruth • Chicago, 1933
Could there have been a more appropriate man to hit the All-Star Game’s first home run? At age 38, Ruth was in the twilight of his career, but his two-run shot and spectacular catch in the 8th helped the AL to a 4-2 win at Comiskey.
4. Ted Williams • Detroit, 1941
His two-run home run in the bottom of the 9th gave the AL a 7-5 victory at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. In his return from World War II, five years later, Williams hit two All-Star Game home runs, one off a blooper pitch from Rip Sewell.
3. Cal Ripken Jr. • Seattle, 2001
In his final All-Star Game, Ripken hit a solo home run off Chan Ho Park in the 3rd inning to break up a scoreless tie, earn All-Star MVP honors for the second time, and become the oldest player to homer in the Midsummer Classic.
2. Stan Musual • Milwaukee, 1955
At County Stadium in Milwaukee, Musual hits a solo home run in the bottom of the 12th inning off the Red Sox’s Frank Sullivan to give the NL a 6-5 victory and the biggest comeback win in All-Star Game history after trailing 5-0.
1. Reggie Jackson • Detroit, 1971
At Tiger Stadium, Jackson blasted one of the most majestic home runs in baseball history — a 520-foot moon shot off Dock Ellis, which went through a light standard and off a generator on the roof, nearly 100 feet above the field — as the AL won 6-4.