7/13 All Stars: The Deacon Wins, DiMag Gets Three Hits, Pops Goes Long, Dock Talk, Game Stories

• 1943 - The AL defeated the NL in the first night All Star game, 5-3, which was broadcast to GIs via shortwave radio from Shibe Park. Pirates' OF Vince DiMaggio shined for the senior circuit with a single, triple and home run while scoring twice and driving in a run. P Rip Sewell and 1B Elbie Fletcher were also on the squad; Sewell pitched a perfect sixth inning and Fletcher went 0-for-2. 

Vince DiMaggio 1941 (photo Ben Sakoguchi)

• 1948 - The Bucs sent 3B Frank Gustine, LF Ralph Kiner and P Elmer Riddle to Sportsman’s Park for the All-Star Game. The AL jumped ahead quickly and won 5-2 as Gustine and Kiner each went 0-for-1 and Riddle never got in the game. 
• 1954 - OF Frank Thomas was the Buc representative in the All Star Game at Cleveland Stadium, an 11-9 AL victory. He struck out in his only at bat. The teams combined for an ASG record 20 runs on 31 hits, which included six home runs. 
• 1960 - P Vern Law became the second Pirate to win a 1960 All-Star Game‚ working two scoreless, one-hit innings in a 6-0 NL victory at Yankee Stadium. He matched P Bob Friend, who won the first game two days earlier at Municipal Stadium in a 5-3 senior circuit victory and then sat this game out. OF Bob Skinner went 1-for-3, OF Roberto Clemente drew a walk in his only at bat, SS Dick Groat went 0-for-1 and C Smoky Burgess and 2B Bill Mazeroski both went 0-for-2. 

Vern Law 1960 Fleer

• 1965 - The NL beat the AL 6-5 at Minnesota’s Metropolitan Stadium in the 36th All Star game. OF Willie Stargell, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, homered in the second, and recalled it as one of his most memorable long balls, not because of distance or the game situation, but because of its landing spot. He hit the ball into the bullpen area, where the band was seated, and it dropped over the fence and right into a tuba. OF Roberto Clemente went 0-for-2 and P Bob Veale didn’t get a call to work. 
• 1971 - The AL jumped on top early, scoring four times off P Dock Ellis in the third inning and then held on to take a 6-4 win from the NL in the All Star game held at Tiger Stadium. It was the first AL win since the second All-Star Game of 1962, and their last until the 54th All-Star Game in 1983. The AL went 1-19 during that span, but came back with a vengeance afterward. OF Roberto Clemente went 1-for-2 with a solo homer, 1B Willie Stargell 0-for-2 with a run scored after a HBP and C Manny Sanguillen didn’t get into the game. It’s thought that Dock talked his way into the start. At a presser the day before the game, Ellis told the media that NL manager Sparky Anderson wouldn't start two "brothers" (Vida Blue was the AL starter), verbally backing the skipper into a corner.
• 1976 - The NL put a hurtin’ on the AL by a 7-1 count in the All Star game at Veteran’s Stadium. OF Al Oliver was the only Bucco AS and went 0-for-1. President Gerald Ford threw out the first pitch.

Tony Pena 1983 Topps

• 1982 - The AL fell 4-1 to the NL in the All Star game at Stade Olympique (Olympic Stadium) in Montreal. C Tony Pena stole a base as a pinch runner and went 0-for-1 at the dish, as did 1B Jason Thompson. Former Bucco Al Oliver, now an Expo, went 2-for-2 with a run scored and double. It was the first All-Star Game ever played outside the United States. 
• 1993 - The AL banged the ball all around the Camden Yards lot in a 9-3 win over the NL. Bucco rep 2B Jay Bell went 0-for-1. Andy Van Slyke was slated to be the NL's starting center fielder but sat out the game with a broken collarbone suffered when he crashed into a wall at Busch Stadium. AL manager Cito Gaston didn’t make any friends in Baltimore. The fans got fired up when the Birds’ Mike Mussina warmed up in the bullpen in the ninth and roared "We Want Mike!", but Gaston held him out. The Camden Yard crowd littered the field after the final out until Moose quieted them down. He said afterward that he warmed up on his own because it was his day to throw (he did pitch on the 16th), but more conspiratorial types believe he was trying to catch Cito’s attention so he could make a hometown appearance. 
• 1999 - The AL took a 4-1 win from the NL in the All Star game at Fenway Park. 3B Ed Sprague was the Pirate rep and grounded out softly to third in his only at bat. Pedro Martínez added to his legend when he punched out the first four batters he faced to become the first to begin the All-Star Game by striking out the side. He fanned out five of the six batters he faced and was named MVP. The game began 15 minutes late after Ted Williams came out in a golf cart for the pre-game ceremonies and was mobbed by the AS players who wanted to honor the legend. 

Jack Wilson 2004 Topps Heritage

• 2004 - The junior circuit pounded out a 9-4 win over the NL All-Stars at Minute Maid Park. SS Jack Wilson was the lone Bucco representative and went 0-for-2 at the plate. At age 73, Jack McKeon became the oldest All-Star manager after becoming the oldest World Series skipper in 2003 with the Florida Marlins. 
• 2010 - The senior circuit finally solved the AL in the All Star game, taking a 3-1 win at Angels Stadium at Anaheim and snapping a 13-year losing streak. P Evan Meek was the Pirates rep and didn’t get in the game. Matt Capps, non-tendered in 2009 and then with Washington, got the win. It was the first game where the DH was made a permanent lineup fixture (before it only was used in AL parks), although it wouldn’t have any practical effect until the following year when the game was played at Chase Field. 
• 2016 - The AL dropped the NL 4-2 at Petco Park in San Diego in an oddity - the senior circuit was the visiting team because three straight games had gone to NL fields. Starling Marte made his first ASG appearance, singling in his only at bat and playing an inning in CF while Mark Melancon, in his third All-Star outing, got a walk and grounder to close out a frame. This was the last game that would decide home field advantage for the World Series, which had been in effect since 2003.