July 11th

The Major League All-Star Game is held today pitting The American League vs. The National League in the annual summer classic.  It is the first time the game was broadcast during prime time TV.  (With the exception of a 1969 day game, The All Star Game has been played in the evening during prime time … and to large ratings … ever since.) 

I guess you could call this a major pitching duel.  The game went 15 innings with a record of 30 combined strikeouts split between twelve pitchers, each of whom had at least one, ultimately ending in a 2-1 victory for The National League when Tony Perez homered off of Catfish Hunter to win the ballgame.  

In another rarity, ALL of the game's scoring came via home runs … Richie (Dick) Allen homered in the second inning off Dean Chance to give The National League a 1-0 lead.  They were then shut out for the next 12 straight innings.  Brooks Robinson tied the game with a home run off Chicago Cubs Pitcher Ferguson Jenkins in the sixth inning for The American League, who were then shut out for the next nine innings. 

Check out the National League pitching used that day:  Juan Marichal, Fergie Jenkins, Don Drysdale, Bob Gibson and Tom Seaver.  The impressive line-ups for both squads included Hank Aaron, Dick Allen, Ernie Banks, Lou Brock, Orlando Cepeda, Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays, Tim McCarver, Pete Rose, Tony Perez, Joe Torre, Bill Mazeroski, Tommy Agee, Rod Carew, Tony Conigilaro, Jim Fregosi, Bill Freehan, Al Kaline, Harmon Killebrew, Mickey Mantle, Tony Oliva, Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson and Carl Yaztremski … a virtual sea of future hall-of-famers (although, despite the power these line-ups would otherwise indicate, collectively they only managed three runs between them … and each of those came via a solo home run!)  

  

 

  

  

  

  

  

  

   

The Monkees (with Jimi Hendrix as their opening act) appear at The Coliseum in Charlotte, NC