Fansided

Top 10 moments in MLB All-Star Game history

By Joshua Sadlock

Cal Ripken Jr., (R) of the Baltimore Orioles, asked to move to short stop position by American Leaguer Alex Rodriguez (L) during the first inning of the baseball All-Star game 10 July, 2001 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. Ripken is making in final appearance in the All-Star game after nineteen season and played most of them as short stop. AFP PHOTO/John MABANGLO (Photo by JOHN G. MABANGLO / AFP) (Photo credit should read JOHN G. MABANGLO/AFP/Getty Images)
Cal Ripken Jr., (R) of the Baltimore Orioles, asked to move to short stop position by American Leaguer Alex Rodriguez (L) during the first inning of the baseball All-Star game 10 July, 2001 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. Ripken is making in final appearance in the All-Star game after nineteen season and played most of them as short stop. AFP PHOTO/John MABANGLO (Photo by JOHN G. MABANGLO / AFP) (Photo credit should read JOHN G. MABANGLO/AFP/Getty Images) /
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(Original Caption) 7/14/1970-Cincinnati, OH- On a single to center hit by Chicago Cubs’ Jim Hickman, Cincinnati Reds’ Pete Rose scores the winning run in the 12th inning, colliding with Cleveland Indians’ catcher Ray Fosse. The run gave the National League All-Stars a 5-4 victory.
(Original Caption) 7/14/1970-Cincinnati, OH- On a single to center hit by Chicago Cubs’ Jim Hickman, Cincinnati Reds’ Pete Rose scores the winning run in the 12th inning, colliding with Cleveland Indians’ catcher Ray Fosse. The run gave the National League All-Stars a 5-4 victory. /

6. Pete Rose clocks Ray Fosse, 1970

The All-Star Game used to really mean something to the players. There was no interleague play during the regular season, which meant that outside of the World Series, the best players from each league never got a chance to measure themselves against their counterparts from the other side. Players went all out and really cared about winning — even without home-field advantage in the World Series on the line. One of the greatest examples of how seriously players took the All-Star Game back in the day came in 1970 when Pete Rose absolutely unloaded on Cleveland Indians catcher Ray Fosse on a play at the plate.

The 1970 All-Star Game had gone to extra innings, and in the bottom of the 12th, the National League mounted a two-out rally. After singling, Rose had advanced to second on a single by Billy Grabarkewitz of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Chicago Cubs All-Star Jim Hickman than rapped another single up the middle to center fielder Otis Amos of Kansas City.

Rose was barreling around third trying to score the go-ahead run, and the throw clearly beat him to the plate by a wide margin. Instead of giving himself up or attempting to slide as a player would have today, Rose crashed into Fosse at full speed. He dislodged the ball and scored the winning run. Fosse suffered a serious shoulder injury on the play.

It turns out that the collision left Fosse with a fractured and separated left shoulder, but x-rays at the time did not reveal the full extent of the injury. He attempted to keep playing for another month, making it worse in the process. Fosse would finish the year hitting .307/.361/.469 with 18 home runs and 61 RBI in 120 games. He would make another All-Star Game in 1971, but he was never the same after the injury. Fosse hit just .256/.301/.355 over the final eight seasons of his career.

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