Garceau: Past Orioles Star In All-Star History
The Orioles will be well represented in Tuesday's All-Star game in San Diego. Manny Machado was voted the starter at third base he'll be joined by Mark Trumbo, Matt Wieters and pitchers Zach Britton and Brad Brach. Wieters is an All-Star for the fourth time, Machado is a 3-time All-Star, Trumbo and Britton are making their second trip and Brad Brach gets the honor for the first time.
Better All-Star representation has come with better baseball in Baltimore. The Orioles also sent five players to the All-Star Game in 2013. They've sent at least three players in each of the past five seasons. The Orioles have a proud history in the mid-summer classic with 5 Orioles winning 6 All-Star game MVP awards.
Let's turn back the clock...
Brooks Robinson 1966: Brooks became the first Orioles All-Star MVP winning the honor in '66 (same year O's won their first World Series). It was the 37th All-Star game but only the fifth year the MVP was awarded and Brooks did it in a unique way. He became the first MVP and one of only 2 in All-Star history to be named MVP on the losing team. The N.L. won that game, played in St. Louis, 2-1 in 10 innings. Brooks played all 10 innings at third base getting three of the A.L's six hits. He tripled off Sandy Koufax and scored his team's only run on a wild pitch.
Frank Robinson 1971: In a 20 game stretch from 1963-1982 this was the American League's only win. Some consider this one of the greatest All-Star games ever. There were 26 future Hall of Famers present in Detroit including 21 players. Roberto Clemente homered in his final All-Star game at bat, Reggie Jackson hit a ball onto the right field roof an estimated 520 feet and Frank Robinson hit a 2-out, 2-run homer to give Earl Weavers A.L. team a 6-4 win. All six home runs hit in the game and all the runs scored were by future Hall of Fame players. The six total home runs hit by both teams tied an All-Star Game record.
Cal Ripken 1991: It was the all Cal All-Star show at Skydome in Toronto. He had a remarkable first half (hitting .348 with 18 home runs and 54 runs batted in) and was on his way to an MVP season in the Orioles last year at Memorial Stadium. Ripken put on an incredible power display to win the Home Run Derby and didn't stop there, the following night Cal hit a 3-run homer off former teammate Dennis Martinez to lead the A.L. to a 4-2 All-Star game win.
Robbie Alomar 1998: A year after his brother Sandy was named All-Star MVP Robbie Alomar came up big for the American league in a 13-8 win in Colorado. The 21 combined runs set an All-Star record. Alomar had 3 hits, a home run and a stolen base.
Cal Ripken 2001: Cal went out with a bang in his final All-Star game that was played in Seattle. The game started with Alex Rodriguez swapping spots moving Cal back to his original shortstop position. Then in one of the most dramatic moments in All-Star history Cal jumped on a Chan-Ho-Park pitch the homer putting an exclamation mark on his All-Star career. The trip around the bases, the standing ovation, and curtain call a Hollywood finish to his 19th and final All-Star game.
Miguel Tejada 2005: Tejada became the second Orioles player to win the MVP award in Detroit. Tejada homered off of John Smoltz in the second inning and drove in another run in the following inning; the American League jumped off to a 7-0 lead and won the 76th All-Star game 7-5.
