1979 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

Last updated

1979 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
1979 Major League Baseball All-Star Game logo.png
123456789 R H E
National League 2110010117101
American League 3020010006100
DateJuly 17, 1979
Venue Kingdome
City Seattle, Washington
Managers
MVP Dave Parker (PIT)
Attendance58,905
Ceremonial first pitch Danny Kaye
Television NBC
TV announcers Joe Garagiola, Tony Kubek,
and Tom Seaver
Radio CBS
Radio announcers Vin Scully, Brent Musburger,
and Jerry Coleman

The 1979 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 50th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues constituting Major League Baseball.

Contents

It was held on Tuesday, July 17, at the Kingdome in Seattle, Washington, the home of the third-year Seattle Mariners of the American League. The National League won 7–6 for their eighth consecutive win. [1] [2] [3]

The game featured memorable defensive play by starting right fielder Dave Parker, as he had two assists on putouts: one at third base in the seventh inning and another at home plate to end the eighth. With Parker receiving the MVP award for this game, [4] [5] and teammate Willie Stargell winning the National League MVP, NLCS MVP, and World Series MVP, all four possible MVP awards for the season were won by members of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The game was also notable for the play of Lee Mazzilli, providing the margin of victory. In his only All-Star appearance, Mazzilli tied the game in the eighth inning with a pinch hit home run off of Jim Kern of the Texas Rangers, and then put the National League ahead for good in the ninth, drawing a bases-loaded walk against Ron Guidry of the New York Yankees.

This was the only All-Star Game at the Kingdome. When it returned to Seattle in 2001, the Mariners had moved across the street to their new home at Safeco Field.

It was the second All-Star Game held indoors, the first was eleven years earlier at the Astrodome in Houston. The weather outdoors was unseasonably hot in Seattle, with a high temperature of 96 °F (36 °C). [6]

Rosters

Players in italics have since been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Game

Umpires

Home plate George Maloney (AL)
First base Lee Weyer (NL)
Second base Nick Bremigan (AL)
Third base Bill Williams (NL)
Left Field Terry Cooney (AL)
Right Field Dutch Rennert (NL)

Starting lineups

National League American League
OrderPlayerTeamPositionOrderPlayerTeamPosition
1 Davey Lopes Dodgers 2B 1 Roy Smalley Twins SS
2 Dave Parker Pirates RF 2 George Brett Royals 3B
3 Steve Garvey Dodgers 1B 3 Don Baylor Angels LF
4 Mike Schmidt Phillies 3B 4 Jim Rice Red Sox RF
5 George Foster Reds LF 5 Fred Lynn Red Sox CF
6 Dave Winfield Padres CF 6 Carl Yastrzemski Red Sox 1B
7 Bob Boone Phillies C 7 Darrell Porter Royals C
8 Larry Bowa Phillies SS 8 Frank White Royals 2B
9 Steve Carlton Phillies P 9 Nolan Ryan Angels P

Game summary

Tuesday, July 17, 1979 5:40 pm PDT at Kingdome in Seattle, Washington
Team123456789 R H E
National League 2110010117101
American League 3020010006100
WP: Bruce Sutter (1-0)   LP: Jim Kern (0-1)
Home runs:
NL: Lee Mazzilli (1)
AL: Fred Lynn (1)
Attendance: 58,905

American League starter Nolan Ryan began the game in sizzling fashion, striking out Davey Lopes and Dave Parker, but walked Steve Garvey. Mike Schmidt tripled in Garvey, and George Foster followed with a double down the right field line to score Schmidt for a 2–0 National League lead.

The American Leaguers came right back in the bottom of the first. George Brett walked with one out, Don Baylor doubled him in, and Fred Lynn put the AL up 3–2 with a two-out, two-run homer off Steve Carlton.

The NL regained the lead on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Parker in the second and an RBI groundout by Dave Winfield in the third. The AL went back up 5–4 in the bottom of the third when Carl Yastrzemski batted in a run with a single and Chet Lemon scored on a Schmidt error.

The score remained that way until the top of the sixth, when the NL tied it at five on a Winfield double off Mark Clear and an RBI single by Gary Carter. Pete Rose pinch-hit in and bounced into a double play, then entered the game, replacing Garvey at first and becoming the first player to appear in the All-Star Game at five different positions.

The AL went back up 6–5 in the bottom of the sixth. Gaylord Perry gave up a leadoff single to Yastrzemski, a double to Darrell Porter, and an RBI single to Mariner Bruce Bochte before leaving in favor of Joe Sambito without retiring a batter. Sambito pitched the NL out of trouble by getting Reggie Jackson to ground to Lopes at second, who gunned down Porter at the plate. After an intentional walk to Roy Smalley to load the bases, Sambito retired Brett and was relieved by Mike LaCoss. LaCoss then induced Baylor to hit into a force play end the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, Jim Rice led off and blooped a double to right with a high bounce off the artificial turf, but was thrown out by Parker as he tried to stretch it into a triple. Batting for Gary Matthews, Lee Mazzilli tied the score at six in the top of the eighth with an opposite-field homer off Jim Kern, the first pinch-hit home run in MLB All-Star game history.

The AL mounted one last threat in the bottom of the eighth when Brian Downing led off with a crisp single off Bruce Sutter and was sacrificed to second by Bochte. Sutter walked Jackson intentionally and then struck out Bobby Grich for the second out. Graig Nettles then lined a single to right, and Downing attempted to score, but once again the arm of Parker claimed another victim. Fielding the line drive on the first bounce, he fired a perfect strike on the fly to Carter, who blocked Downing's right hand from reaching the plate. Along with his other assist an inning earlier, this play earned Parker the game's MVP award.

The NL took the lead in the top of the ninth without recording a base hit. Joe Morgan walked with one out and was balked to second. Kern walked Parker intentionally, retired Craig Reynolds on a foul pop, but then walked Ron Cey to load the bases. Ron Guidry came in and walked Mazzilli, forcing in Morgan with the winning run. In the bottom of the inning, Sutter retired the side, with strikeouts of Rice and Rick Burleson to end the game and earn the win.

Footnotes and references

  1. "All-Star Game still a National pastime, 7-6". Eugene Register-Guard. wire services. July 18, 1979. p. 1B.
  2. "Walks decide exciting Star clash". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Associated Press. July 18, 1979. p. 21.
  3. "Nationals win another". The Bend Bulletin. UPI. July 18, 1979.
  4. Feeney, Charley (July 18, 1979). "Pirates' Parker MVP as NL edges AL, 7-6". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 16.
  5. Donovan, Dan (July 18, 1979). "All-Star MVP Parker guns down AL, 7-6". Pittsburgh Press. p. C10.
  6. "Traveler's roundup". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. July 18, 1979. p. 14.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Player declined or was unable to play.
  8. Player elected to start but declined due to injury.

Related Research Articles

The 1960 World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League (NL) and the New York Yankees of the American League (AL) from October 5–13, 1960. In Game 7, Bill Mazeroski hit the series winning ninth-inning home run, the only time a winner-take-all World Series game ended with a home run, and the first World Series to end on a home run. Mazeroski's home run gave the Pirates their third title overall and their first since 1925.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mookie Wilson</span> American baseball player

William Hayward "Mookie" Wilson is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder and coach who played for the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays over 12 major league seasons. He is perhaps best remembered as the Met who hit the ground ball that rolled through Bill Buckner's legs in the bottom of the 10th inning of game six of the 1986 World Series.

The 1986 American League Championship Series was a best-of-seven Major League Baseball postseason series between the Boston Red Sox and the California Angels for the right to advance to the 1986 World Series to face the winner of the 1986 National League Championship Series. The Red Sox came in with a 95–66 record and the AL East division title, while the Angels went 92–70 during the regular season to win the AL West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1982 World Series</span> 79th edition of Major League Baseballs championship series

The 1982 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1982 season. The 79th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the National League (NL) champion St. Louis Cardinals and the American League (AL) champion Milwaukee Brewers. The Cardinals won the series, four games to three.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lee Mazzilli</span> American baseball player and manager

Lee Louis Mazzilli is an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder for the New York Mets, Texas Rangers, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Toronto Blue Jays from 1976 through 1989. He was an MLB All-Star in 1979. Mazzilli also managed the Baltimore Orioles from 2004 through 2005 and coached the Yankees from 2000 through 2003 and in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stan Hack</span> American baseball player and manager

Stanley Camfield Hack, nicknamed "Smiling Stan", was an American third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Chicago Cubs and was the National League's top third baseman in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Usually a leadoff hitter, he batted .301 lifetime, scored 100 runs seven times and led the NL in hits and stolen bases twice each. His 1092 walks ranked fourth in NL history when he retired, and remain a franchise record; he also hit .348 in the World Series, which he competed in four times. His .394 career on-base percentage was the highest by a 20th-century third baseman until Wade Boggs exceeded it in the late 1980s, and was the top NL mark until 2001. Hack led the NL in putouts five times, in double plays three times and in assists and fielding percentage twice each. At the end of his career he ranked second in major league history to Pie Traynor in games (1836) at third base, second in NL history to Traynor in putouts (1944), assists (3494) and total chances (5684), and third in NL history in double plays (255).

The following are the baseball events of the year 1984 throughout the world.

The 1980 National League Championship Series was played between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Houston Astros from October 7 to 12. It was the 12th NLCS. Philadelphia won the series three games to two to advance to the World Series. It was the first playoff series victory in Phillies history. The Phillies went on to defeat the Kansas City Royals for their first World Series Championship.

The 1979 American League Championship Series was a best-of-five series that pitted the East Division champion Baltimore Orioles against the West Division champion California Angels, who were making their first postseason appearance. The Orioles won the Series three games to one and lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1979 World Series.

The 1974 National League Championship Series was a best-of-five series that matched the East Division champion Pittsburgh Pirates against the West Division champion Los Angeles Dodgers. It was the sixth NLCS in all. The Dodgers won the Series three games to one and lost the 1974 World Series to the Oakland Athletics.

The 1975 National League Championship Series was a best-of-five match-up between the East Division champion Pittsburgh Pirates and the West Division champion Cincinnati Reds. It was the seventh NLCS in all. The Reds swept the Pirates in three games and went on to win the World Series against the Boston Red Sox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Sambito</span> American baseball player

Joseph Charles Sambito is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Houston Astros, New York Mets (1985) and Boston Red Sox (1986–1987). He batted and threw left-handed.

The 1981 National League Division Series (NLDS), the opening round of the 1981 National League playoffs which began on Tuesday, October 6, and ended on Sunday, October 11. The Division Series was created on August 6 in response to the 1981 Major League Baseball strike, which caused the cancellation of roughly one-third of the regular season between June 12 and August 9; by the time play was resumed, it was decided that the best approach was to have the first-half leaders automatically qualify for postseason play, and allow all the teams to begin the second half with a clean slate. The series were best-of-five games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game</span>

The 1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 65th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 12, 1994, at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League—tying the Indians for the all-time record of most All-Star Games hosted by one franchise, as the Pirates had also hosted in 1944, 1959, and 1974. The game resulted in the National League defeating the American League 8–7 in 10 innings. It was the National League's first win since 1987.

The 1979 Major League Baseball season. None of the post-season teams of 1977 or 1978 returned to this year's postseason. In a rematch of the 1971 World Series, the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Baltimore Orioles in seven games in the 1979 World Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1974 Major League Baseball All-Star Game</span>

The 1974 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 45th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 23, 1974, at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League. The game resulted in the National League defeating the American League 7–2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1978 Major League Baseball All-Star Game</span>

The 1978 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 49th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 11, 1978, at San Diego Stadium in San Diego, home of the San Diego Padres of the National League. The game resulted in a 7–3 victory for the NL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1975 Major League Baseball All-Star Game</span>

The 1975 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 46th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on July 15, 1975, at Milwaukee County Stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, home of the Milwaukee Brewers of the American League. The game resulted in a 6–3 victory for the NL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1970 Major League Baseball All-Star Game</span>

The 1970 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 41st midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was played on the evening of July 14, 1970, at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, home of the Cincinnati Reds of the National League, and resulted in a 5–4 victory for the NL.

The 2009 Los Angeles Dodgers season saw the team defend their National League West title while earning the best record in the National League, and marked the 50th anniversary of their 1959 World Series Championship. The Dodgers reached the National League Championship Series for the second straight season only to once more fall short in five games against the Philadelphia Phillies.