10 Greatest MLB All-Star Game Moments (From Babe Ruth to Shohei Ohtani)
When the 2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game ended in a tie, fans didn’t shrug and head for the exit. They erupted in boisterous disapproval.
An exhibition game ending in a tie might raise eyebrows in most sports, but it then quickly becomes a trivial footnote. NFL and NBA all-star events, for instance, tend to be light on defense and heavy on flash, with players rarely showing any competitive fire. But baseball has always been different.
The MLB All-Star Game has long been a stage where players don’t just show up, they show out. Players certainly have their fun during this midseason classic, but they often still perform as if pride, legacy, and history were on the line. And fans love that.
So that night in Milwaukee, when both teams ran out of pitchers and Commissioner Bud Selig ended that game in a 7-7 tie, the boos were deafening. Players looked stunned, and the backlash was such that MLB changes the rules for further contests. “This Time It Counts” was the buzz in 2003, reminding fans that the league that won the game would now get home-field advantage in the World Series.
The message from MLB was simple: the game mattered now.
But hasn’t the All-Star Game always mattered — not because of what’s at stake but because of what it represents? Despite being an exhibition game, it has long produced unforgettable moments that remind us why we love the game.
Pete Rose barreled into Ray Fosse and injured him during a so-called “friendly game.” John Kruk flailing helplessly as Randy Johnson launches a fastball over his head. Cal Ripken Jr. hitting a farewell homer, Ichiro circling the bases for an inside-the-park homer, or Ted Williams surrounded by All-Stars in a moment of unscripted reference.
That’s what inspired this list: a countdown of the 10 most memorable moments in MLB All-Star Game history. Whether controversial, hilarious, or simply iconic, these are the plays, players, and milestones that remind us why, every July, baseball still gives us something that feels bigger than just an exhibition game.
10. The Bambino Sets the Bar (1933)
The very first MLB All-Star Game was played on July 6, 1933, at Chicago’s Comiskey Park — a one-time promotional event to coincide with the World’s Fair. But when Babe Ruth stepped to the plate in the third inning and launched a two-run home run into the right-field stands, the exhibition instantly became something more.
It was Ruth's 13th All-Star season, and he was already baseball’s biggest icon. So, who else but the Sultan of Swat should christen the event with its first homer?
Fans roared, and his teammates mobbed him at the plate, setting a tone of celebration and spectacle. Ruth’s blast didn’t just give the American League a lead; it gave the fledgling event a mythic beginning, one worthy of its greatest star.
9. Another All-Star Game Debuts (1933)
On September 10, 1933 — the same year as MLB’s first All-Star Game — the Negro Leagues held their own historic debut All-Star showcase, the East-West Game. It was also held at Chicago’s Comiskey Park.
More than 20,000 fans packed the stands to see the best Black baseball players in the country, many of whom had been barred from Major League rosters. Stars like Satchel Paige, Turkey Stearnes, and Josh Gibson turned the game into a dazzling display of skill, pride, and resilience.
And now, with MLB officially recognizing Negro Leagues statistics as major league records in 2024, this game isn’t just a cultural milestone — it’s a foundational chapter in Major League Baseball history. The East-West Game would go on to rival the other All-Star Game in both attendance and prestige, showcasing why MLB would never reach its truest potential until all players we welcomed into their clubhouses.
8. Reggie’s Moonshot in Motown (1971)
The 1971 All-Star Game at Detroit’s Tiger Stadium was already packed with legends — Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Brooks Robinson—but it was Reggie Jackson, in just his second All-Star appearance, who stole the show.
In the third inning, Jackson connected on a pitch from Dock Ellis and launched a towering moonshot that struck the light tower atop the right-field roof. The ball was estimated to have traveled over 500 feet, disappearing into the summer sky before crashing off a rooftop transformer.
The moment was pure spectacle — raw power meeting perfect timing — and instantly became one of the most iconic home runs in All-Star Game history. Even among baseball’s biggest stars, this blast made Reggie look larger than life.
7. Ichiro’s Inside-the-Park Magic (2007)
In the 2007 All-Star Game at San Francisco’s picturesque AT&T Park, Ichiro Suzuki delivered a moment as rare as it was electrifying.
In the fifth inning, with Ken Griffey Jr. chasing a ball that angled off the right-field wall, Ichiro rounded the bases at full throttle and crossed home plate for the first — and still only — inside-the-park home run in All-Star Game history.
It was classic Ichiro: speed, precision, and flair — all in a single play. The ball had ricocheted wildly off the wall, but it was Ichiro’s instincts and hustle that turned a hit that put the American League on the board. He finished the night 3-for-3, claimed MVP honors, and gave fans a moment to remember on one of the game’s biggest stages.
6. Bo Knows All-Star Moments (1989)
The 1989 All-Star Game in Anaheim opened with a bang — literally — when American League lead-off hitter Bo Jackson crushed the second pitch he saw into the black seats in straightaway center field.
The ball traveled an estimated 448 feet, and just like that, Bo had set the tone for the night. His raw power left the crowd stunned, the players grinning, and the legend of Bo on full display in his first and only All-Star Game.
To make the moment even more surreal, former President Ronald Reagan was in the broadcast booth with Vin Scully when the homer left Jackson’s bat — creating one of the most uniquely American scenes in baseball history.
Bo would go on to earn MVP honors, but that first swing remains one of the most jaw-dropping introductions in All-Star Game lore.
5. Teddy Ballgame Walk-Off Dinger (1941)
The 1941 All-Star Game at Briggs Stadium in Detroit delivered one of the first truly legendary finishes in Midsummer Classic history — and it came off the bat of none other than Ted Williams.
Just days after wrapping up the first half of what would become his iconic .406 season, Williams came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with two runners on and the American League trailing 5–4. Facing Cubs pitcher Claude Passeau, Williams launched a towering walk-off three-run homer into the right-field stands, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
He rounded the bases with a clap and a pair of hops before being grabbed by one of his teammates at home plate. It was a moment of pure baseball theater — a dramatic, come-from-behind win sealed by one of the game’s greatest hitters at the peak of his career.
4. The Color Line Cracks at Ebbets Field (1949)
The 1949 All-Star Game at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn was more than a meeting of baseball’s best. It was a powerful statement of progress.
Just two years after breaking the color barrier, Jackie Robinson became the first Black player to appear in a Major League All-Star Game, representing the National League. He went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and played alongside fellow barrier-breakers Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe, all wearing Dodgers blue on their home turf.
On the American League side, Larry Doby made history, too, becoming the first Black All-Star in AL history — just two years after integrating the league with the Cleveland Indians.
For the first time, Black stars from both leagues stood on the field together, not as pioneers, but as equals — teammates, competitors, and stars. This was an All-Star Game that showcased talent, but also transformation.
3. Ohtani’s Two-Way Showcase (2021)
The 2021 All-Star Game at Coors Field was billed as Shohei Ohtani’s coming-out party.
Already a sensation for his two-way dominance, Ohtani made history by becoming the first player ever to start an All-Star Game as both a pitcher and a hitter, leading off for the American League and then taking the mound in the bottom of the first.
It was a feat unseen since the days of Babe Ruth — but even Ruth never pulled off this dual threat on the All-Star stage. Ohtani pitched a clean inning, touching triple digits, and although he went hitless at the plate, the moment itself was what mattered.
Surrounded by the game’s brightest stars, Ohtani wasn’t just part of the show—he was the show, redefining what’s possible in modern baseball.
2. Cal’s Farewell Moment (2001)
The 2001 All-Star Game in Seattle was a celebration of longevity, respect, and one perfect moment of baseball theater.
Playing in his 19th and final Midsummer Classic, Cal Ripken Jr. took the field at third base — until Alex Rodriguez, in a gesture of tribute, urged Ripken to switch positions and take shortstop one last time, where he had built his Hall of Fame legacy.
The crowd roared in appreciation, and then, as if scripted by the baseball gods, Ripken stepped to the plate and launched a solo home run in his first at-bat. It was vintage Ripken: quiet poise, timeless power, and grace under the spotlight.
He was named MVP that night, but the real prize was the enduring image of a legend taking one last bow at his rightful position — cementing his Iron Man legacy in an unforgettable way.
1. Hubbell Ks Baseball Legends (1934)
The 1934 All-Star Game at the Polo Grounds delivered one of the most jaw-dropping pitching performances in baseball history — and one you can only see in the All-Star Game.
After surrendering hits to the first two batters, Carl Hubbell, the screwballing lefty for the New York Giants, did the unthinkable: he struck out Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons, and Joe Cronin in succession — five Hall of Famers, one after another, mowed down in their prime.
It was one of the earliest “wow” moments in All-Star lore, setting a bar for dominance that would later be echoed by Pedro Martínez, who struck out five of the first six batters in the 1999 All-Star Game at Fenway, and Satchel Paige, who did the same against elite hitters in the 1934 Negro Leagues East-West Game.
Three different eras. Three different leagues. One shared standard of brilliance.
MLB All-Star Game Legends Will Always Live On
From Babe Ruth’s mythic blast in 1933 to Shohei Ohtani’s two-way brilliance in 2021, the MLB All-Star Game has delivered a century’s worth of unforgettable moments that continue to echo through baseball history. These highlights aren't just stats or soundbites — they’re memories etched into the soul of the sport.
For fans who want to hold onto that legacy, Pristine Auction offers a dedicated baseball auction filled with authenticated memorabilia that captures the spirit of these All-Star legends. Whether it’s a signed bat, a game-used jersey, or a rare collectible, there’s no better place to bring a piece of baseball history home. Because the moments may pass — but the memories live on.
