Triple-A All-Star Game | |
---|---|
Status | Inactive |
Frequency | Annual |
Location(s) | Varies (see prose) |
Years active | 32 |
Inaugurated | July 13, 1988 (Pilot Field, Buffalo, New York, United States) |
Most recent | July 10, 2019 (Southwest University Park, El Paso, Texas, United States) |
Participants | Triple-A minor league baseball players |
Organized by | Triple-A Baseball |
The Triple-A All-Star Game was an annual baseball game held from 1988 to 2019 between professional players from the affiliated Triple-A leagues of Minor League Baseball. These leagues were the International League (IL) and Pacific Coast League (PCL) from 1998 to 2019. Previously, the American Association competed along with the IL and PCL before it disbanded following the 1997 season. The 2020 game was cancelled along with the entire minor league season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 game was postponed and not rescheduled after a delayed start to the season. There has been no announcement about its resumption in the future.
All-Star players were selected through a vote by team managers and general managers, members of the media, and fans. From the inaugural 1988 event through 1997, teams of American League-affiliated Triple-A All-Stars faced off against teams of National League-affiliated Triple-A All-Stars. During this period, six games were won by National League teams, and four were won by American League teams. From 1998 through 2019, the IL and PCL each fielded a team composed of players in their respective leagues. The International League won 12 games, while the Pacific Coast League won 10.
Traditionally, the game took place on the day after the mid-summer Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The game was meant to mark a symbolic halfway-point in the season (though not the mathematical halfway-point which, for most seasons, was usually one month prior). The Triple-A leagues shared a common All-Star break, with no regular-season games scheduled for two days before the All-Star Game itself. Some additional events, such as the All-Star Fan Fest and Triple-A Home Run Derby, took place each year during this break in the regular season.
At a meeting of the three Triple-A leagues of Minor League Baseball in 1986, International League (IL) president Harold Cooper proposed establishing committees to find ways to improve their product. One result was the creation of the Triple-A All-Star Game. [1] In August 1987, the American Association (AA), International League, and Pacific Coast League (PCL) announced plans to begin holding joint all-star games in 1988 which would occur the day after the annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game. [2] The first was to be played at Pilot Field in Buffalo, New York, home to the IL's Buffalo Bisons. [3] The host city would then alternate annually between cities in each Triple-A league. [4]
Due to the odd number of leagues, it was decided that one team would be made up of All-Stars from American League (AL) affiliates and the other of players from National League (NL) affiliates, with each Triple-A team having at least one representative. [5] Starting players were elected by voters in each Triple-A city, while reserve players were chosen by a committee of the three league presidents and representatives from Baseball America , which sponsored the game. [6]
At the inaugural Triple-A All-Star game on July 13, 1988, in Buffalo, the AL All-Stars defeated the NL team, 2–1, before a sellout crowd of 19,500 people and a national television audience watching on ESPN. [7] Ed Jurak (Tacoma Tigers, PCL) was selected as the first Triple-A All-Star Game Most Valuable Player after leading off the top of the ninth inning with a triple and then scoring the winning run on Bob Geren's (Columbus Clippers, IL) ground out. [7] Another part of the All-Star festivities was the Triple-A Home Run Derby, a contest to see which player could hit the most home runs. The first, held the day before the 1988 game, was won by Columbus' Geren. [8]
The AL-versus-NL format continued to be used through the 1997 Triple-A All-Star Game. [7] [9] In the final game to utilize this format, the AL affiliates defeated the NL affiliates, 5–3, at Sec Taylor Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, home to the AA's Iowa Cubs, on July 9, 1997. [9] All told, the National League won six Triple-A All-Star Games, and the American League won four. [7] [9]
The American Association ceased operations after the 1997 season. [10] So in 1998, the teams were reorganized so that one consisted of International League All-Stars and the other of Pacific Coast League All-Stars. [11] The first IL versus PCL match-up occurred on July 8, 1998, at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia, home of the IL's Norfolk Tides, with the IL team winning, 8–4. [11]
From 2006 to 2016, the winning league earned the distinction of having its league champion (determined at the end of the season) being given home team status for the Triple-A National Championship Game, a single game to determine a Triple-A champion in the postseason. [12] This changed in 2017, when home team status began being awarded to the team from the league which hosted the championship game. [13]
The most recent edition of the Triple-A All-Star Game was played on July 10, 2019, at Southwest University Park in El Paso, Texas, home to the PCL's El Paso Chihuahuas. [14] The PCL won, 9–3, before 9,706 in attendance and a national television audience on MLB Network. [14] Ty France (El Paso, PCL) and Eric Haase (Columbus, IL) were selected as the Top Stars (MVPs). [14] Over 22 meetings, the International League won 12 Triple-A All-Star Games, and the Pacific Coast League won 10. [11] [14] [15] [16]
The start of the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic before ultimately being cancelled on June 30. [17] [18] This resulted in the cancellation of the 2020 game, which had been slated for PNC Field in Moosic, Pennsylvania, home of the IL's Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. [19]
In conjunction with Major League Baseball's restructuring of Minor League Baseball in 2021, the IL and PCL disbanded, and Triple-A teams were reorganized into the Triple-A East and Triple-A West. [20] Opening Day for the 2021 season was postponed for nearly a month to temporarily eliminate commercial air travel and give players the opportunity to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before the season started. [21] While the 2021 schedule originally included a three-day All-Star break, [22] this was removed after the delayed start. [23] [24] The 2021 Triple-A All-Star Game, scheduled to be held at the Dell Diamond in Round Rock, Texas, home to the Triple-A West's Round Rock Express, [25] was postponed and not rescheduled. [26] In 2022, the Triple-A East and West were renamed the International League and Pacific Coast League, respectively, and they carried on the history of those leagues prior to reorganization. [27] The 2022 Triple-A schedule included a four-day All-Star break from July 18–21, but there has been no indication that the All-Star Game will resume. [28]
In the 2019 Triple-A All-Star Game, the most recently held, each league's roster consisted of 33 players, though the actual number of players on gameday may have been less due to call-ups, injuries, or players choosing not to participate. [29] Thirteen players were elected for each team through a vote by team managers and general managers, members of the media, and fans. [29] Twenty additional players were selected by each league office to fill out their rosters. [29] One goal of adding these additional players was to ensure every Triple-A team was represented.
The game itself consisted of a single nine-inning game to determine a champion. The league in which the host city competed was considered the home team, and the other team was designated as the visiting team. Designated hitters batted in place of pitchers. The only All-Star game to ever go beyond the prescribed nine innings was the 2004 event. [15] Rules restricted the game from going beyond 10 innings, but the International League scored in the bottom of the 10th inning, avoiding a tie game as the result. [15]
Historically, players wore their respective team's uniforms. Players on the home team wore their club's white home uniforms, while players on the away team wore their club's gray road uniforms. Often, a patch depicting the game's logo was sewn onto their jerseys and/or caps. [30] One exception was in 2017, when players wore league-specific jerseys paired with the appropriate home/road pants and their respective team's cap. [31]
The game was umpired by a four-man crew, with one umpire behind home plate and the others covering each base. Two of the umpires worked in the IL, while two worked in the PCL. Positions rotated each year, such that IL umpires were assigned to home plate and second base in even years, and PCL umpires manned those positions in odd years. [32]
National League (6 wins) | American League (4 wins) |
International League (12 wins) | Pacific Coast League (10 wins) |
Date | City | Ballpark | Host team (league) | Notes | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
July 15, 2020 | Moosic, Pennsylvania | PNC Field | Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (IL) | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic [18] | [19] |
July 2021 | Round Rock, Texas | Dell Diamond | Round Rock Express (AAAW) | Cancelled due to delayed season start [26] | [25] |
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards at the Triple-A All-Star Game went by various names. One player was selected in the inaugural 1988 contest for the SportsTicker "Star of Stars" Award. From 1989 through 1997, the award was bestowed upon one player from each Triple-A league. For 2004, this award was renamed the TSN "Star of the Game" Award. From 2005 to 2016, it was known as the MiLB.com "Top Star" Award. From 2017 to 2019, it was the Bush's Beans "Top Star" Award. [35]
Additional awards were given out to honor the best overall performance and/or best pitching performance from 2000 to 2008. From 2000 to 2003, two players were honored as the Maurice Lacroix/Lou Gehrig Players of the Game—one as "Player of the Game" and one as "Pitcher of the Game." In 2004, one player was selected as the Dodge Most Valuable Player. From 2005 to 2007, this award has given out as the Bank of America Most Valuable Player Award. The Bank of America Most Valuable Pitcher Award was given in 2008. [35]
The teams with the most MVP winners (excluding additional awards from 2000 to 2008) were the Buffalo Bisons (IL), Oklahoma City RedHawks (PCL), and Richmond Braves (IL) with five MVPs each. The Columbus Clippers (IL), Durham Bulls (IL), Indianapolis Indians (IL), Las Vegas 51s (PCL), and Syracuse Chiefs (IL) are tied for second place with four MVPs each. The only player to win more than one regular MVP award is Luis Lopez, who won in 1994 with Richmond and in 1995 with Buffalo. [35]
As of the 2023 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, of the more than 1,200 players that participated in the Triple-A All-Star Game, [38] 118 have also been selected for the MLB All-Star Game. [37] [39] [40] [41] These players are:
The Triple-A Home Run Derby was an annual home run hitting contest usually held two days before the Triple-A All-Star Game. [42] Though the rules changed from year to year, the 2019 iteration featured eight players—four of the top home-run-hitters from each league—competing to see who could hit the most home runs within a time limit. [43] [44] The single-elimination tournament consisted of three rounds. The first two rounds determined which of the four hitters from each league would compete in the final round against the winner from the other league. [44]
Fifteen contests were won by Pacific Coast League players, while 13 were won by International League players, two by American Association players, and one by a retired player. Rob Stratton (2003 and 2007) and Chad Huffman (2009 and 2018) were the only participants to win the derby twice. Juan González is the only player to win the Triple-A Home Run Derby and the Major League Baseball Home Run Derby. He won the Triple-A version in 1990 and the MLB version in 1993. [45]
Each Triple-A All-Star Game was broadcast on radio across various regional and national sports networks. [7] [9] [11] [14] [15] [16] The 1988 and 1989 events were televised on ESPN. [7] It was carried on Prime Network from 1990 to 1992. [7] The 1993 game was not televised, but it returned to SportSouth/Prime Network in 1994. [9] ESPN2 broadcast the game from 1995 to 2009. [9] [16] It aired on MLB Network from 2010 to 2019. [14] [16]
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball (MLB).
The Salt Lake Bees are a Minor League Baseball team affiliated with the Los Angeles Angels. They compete in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, the team plays its home games at Smith's Ballpark, which opened in 1994. With a seating capacity of 15,411, it boasts the largest capacity in the league. Previously known as the Salt Lake Buzz from 1994 to 2000 and the Salt Lake Stingers from 2001 to 2005, the team adopted the Bees moniker in 2006. Since their inception in 1994, they have been a part of the PCL, including the 2021 season when the league was called Triple-A West.
The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an elevation of 5,100 feet (1,555 m) above sea level.
The Memphis Redbirds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. They are located in Memphis, Tennessee, and are named for their Major League Baseball affiliate. The Redbirds play their home games at AutoZone Park, which opened in 2000 and is located in Downtown Memphis. The team previously played at Tim McCarver Stadium in 1998 and 1999.
The Omaha Storm Chasers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They are located in Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb southwest of Omaha, and play their home games at Werner Park, which opened in 2011. The team previously played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium from 1969 to 2010.
The Triple-A World Series was an interleague postseason championship series between the league champions of the affiliated Triple-A leagues of Minor League Baseball to determine an overall champion of the classification held in 1983 and from 1998 to 2000.
Triple-A has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). There are 30 teams, one per each Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise, with 20 in the IL and 10 in the PCL. Triple-A teams are generally located in smaller cities as well as larger metropolitan areas without MLB teams, such as Austin, Jacksonville, Columbus, and Indianapolis. Four Triple-A teams play in the same metro areas as their parent clubs.
The Triple-A National Championship Game is a single interleague postseason baseball game between the league champions of the two affiliated Triple-A leagues of Minor League Baseball (MiLB)—the International League (IL) and Pacific Coast League (PCL)—to determine an overall champion of the classification. With the exceptions of 2020 and 2021, the game has been held at the end of each season since 2006.
The Reno Aces are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Reno, Nevada, and play their home games at Greater Nevada Field, which opened in 2009. The Aces have been members of the PCL since 2009, including the 2021 season in which it was known as the Triple-A West. They won the PCL championship in 2012 and 2022. Reno went on to win the Triple-A National Championship Game in 2012.
Werner Park is a minor league ballpark located just west of Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb in Sarpy County southwest of Omaha. Opened in 2011, it is owned by Sarpy County. It is the home of the Omaha Storm Chasers and USL League One professional soccer club Union Omaha. The Omaha Mavericks of the University of Nebraska Omaha also use the stadium for some home college baseball games.
Bryce Everett Brentz is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Boston Red Sox. During the 2014 and 2016 seasons, he appeared in a total of 34 MLB games with Boston. He bats and throws right-handed, and is listed at 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 m) and 215 pounds (98 kg).
Corey Drew Seager is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Texas Rangers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers selected Seager in the first round of the 2012 MLB draft, and he made his major league debut in 2015. He was the 2016 National League (NL) Rookie of the Year and was an MLB All-Star in his first two full seasons in the majors. He was named the NL Championship Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) and the World Series MVP while leading the Dodgers to the 2020 World Series title. After seven years with the Dodgers, Seager entered free agency and signed a 10-year contract worth $325 million with the Rangers. He was an All-Star in 2022 and 2023. Seager won the World Series with the Rangers in 2023 and was named World Series MVP for the second time.
Joc Russell Pederson is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, and San Francisco Giants. He is a two-time World Series champion and a two-time All-Star.
The El Paso Chihuahuas are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in El Paso, Texas, and play their home games at Southwest University Park, which opened in 2014. The Chihuahuas moved to El Paso from Tucson, Arizona, where they were known as the Tucson Padres. They played in the PCL until the 2021 restructuring of the minor leagues when they shifted to the Triple-A West, but this league was renamed the PCL in 2022. The Chihuahuas won the PCL championship in 2016.
Maxwell Steven Muncy is an American professional baseball infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the Baylor Bears. He was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the fifth round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft. He played in MLB for the Athletics in 2015 and 2016 and later joined the Dodgers in 2018.
Willie Shawn Lamont Calhoun is an American professional baseball left fielder in the Los Angeles Angels organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees.
Michael Robert Tauchman is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees, and San Francisco Giants, and in the KBO League for the Hanwha Eagles. In his senior year of college in 2013 at Bradley University he batted .425, leading all NCAA Division I baseball players. The Rockies selected Tauchman in the 10th round of the 2013 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2017.
Robert Andrew Witt Jr. is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Kansas City Royals of Major League Baseball (MLB). He was selected second overall by the Royals in the 2019 MLB draft and made his MLB debut in 2022.
The Nashville Sounds Minor League Baseball team was established in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1978, after Larry Schmittou and a group of investors purchased the rights to operate an expansion franchise of the Double-A Southern League. The Sounds played their home games at Herschel Greer Stadium from its opening in 1978 until the end of the 2014 season. In 2015, the Sounds left Greer for First Tennessee Park, now known as First Horizon Park, a new facility located on the site of the historic Sulphur Dell ballpark, home to Nashville's minor league teams from 1885 to 1963.
Michael James Busch is an American professional baseball infielder for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He played college baseball for the North Carolina Tar Heels and made his MLB debut in 2023 with the Dodgers.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)