Vintage 1997 MLB All-Star Game Commemorative Lapel Pin
Jacobs Field, Cleveland, OH (Cleveland Indians)
Major League Baseball
Lapel Pin Dimensions (approx.): Height 4 cm x Width 4 cm
Mint Condition /
High Quality
1997 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1997 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 68th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 8, 1997, at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, the home of the Cleveland Indians of the American League. The game resulted in the American League defeating the National League 3-1. The game marked the fifth time the All-Star Game was held in Cleveland and first since 1981. It was also the first All-Star game held at Jacobs Field, which opened three years earlier.
The American League jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning led by a home run by Edgar Martínez of the Seattle Mariners. No one would score after that until the 7th inning when Javy López of the Atlanta Braves would tie the game with a home run of his own. However, in the bottom of the 7th, Bernie Williams of the New York Yankees walked and then Sandy Alomar, Jr. of the Cleveland Indians hit a home run to give the American League the lead and the win, as they held on to defeat the National League 3-1. Interestingly, all the runs were driven in and scored by players either born (Alomar, López & Williams) or raised (Martinez) in Puerto Rico. Winning pitcher José Rosado’s family roots are also from that island.
The loudest ovation of the All-Star Game, which came early in the player introductions, was reserved for Kenny Lofton, whom the Indians had traded to the Atlanta Braves prior to the start of the 1997 season. Lofton was on the National League roster, but was injured and did not play. Also in the pregame ceremonies, Albert Belle, who was representing the Chicago White Sox, was booed for leaving the Indians as a free agent the previous winter.
Unlike past years, the performance of O Canada, this year by the McAuley Boys, was not televised. Instead, the Fox network, airing its first All-Star Game, went into a commercial break, resulting in angry phone calls from Canadian television viewers. The Canadian National Anthem was later shown on tape delay after the game in the Cleveland area. Country star LeAnn Rimes sang the National Anthem following the commercial break. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of baseball’s breaking of the color barrier, the ceremonial first pitch featured former Indian Larry Doby, the first African-American player to play in the American League.
One of the more colorful moments in All-Star Game history occurred during an at bat with Randy Johnson of the Seattle Mariners pitching and Larry Walker of the Colorado Rockies at the plate. The teams of the two former Montreal Expos teammates had faced each other about one month prior. However, when Johnson started on June 12, Walker chose not to play, explaining that, “I faced Randy one time in spring training and he almost killed me.” In this All-Star Game, Walker batted against Johnson, who theatrically threw over his head. Ever adaptable, Walker placed his batting helmet backwards and switched sides in the batters’ box to stand right-handed for one pitch. He ended the at bat by drawing a walk. The incident momentarily drew mirth and laughter from players in both dugouts, fans and announcers, and comparisons to Johnson pitching against John Kruk in the 1993 All-Star Game, in which he also threw over his head. In spite of garnering a reputation of avoiding Johnson,Walker batted .393 (11 hits in 28 at bats) against him in his career,[6] nearly double the rate of all left-handed batters at .199.
Alomar was named MVP of the game, becoming the first player to win the All Star Game MVP award as a member of the host team (Pedro Martínez in 1999 and Shane Bieber in 2019 would later win MVP awards in their home ballparks). After the game, Major League Baseball CEO Paul Beeston presented Alomar with the MVP Award in lieu of the Commissioner of Baseball, who would not be named until after the next All-Star Game, when then-Chairman of the Executive Committee Bud Selig was officially named Commissioner.
This was the last All-Star Game in which the Milwaukee Brewers were a member of the American League. The Brewers moved to the National League for the 1998 season.
Date: July 8, 1997
Venue: Jacobs Field (Progressive Field)
City: Cleveland, Ohio
Managers:
Bobby Cox (ATL)
Joe Torre (NYY)
MVP: Sandy Alomar Jr. (CLE)
Attendance: 44,916
Ceremonial first pitch: Larry Doby
1997 All-Star Game
National League All-Star Squad
Lineup
Name
Team
Position
Notes
1.
Craig Biggio
Houston Astros
2B
2.
Tony Gwynn
San Diego Padres
OF
3.
Barry Bonds
San Francisco Giants
OF
4.
Mike Piazza
Los Angeles Dodgers
C
5.
Jeff Bagwell
Houston Astros
1B
6.
Larry Walker
Colorado Rockies
OF
7.
Ken Caminiti
San Diego Padres
3B
8.
Ray Lankford
St. Louis Cardinals
OF
9.
Jeff Blauser
Atlanta Braves
SS
Moises Alou
Florida Marlins
OF
Rod Beck
San Francisco Giants
P
Did Not Pitch
Kevin Brown
Florida Marlins
P
Royce Clayton
St. Louis Cardinals
SS
Shawn Estes
San Francisco Giants
P
Steve Finley
San Diego Padres
OF
Andres Galarraga
Colorado Rockies
1B
Tom Glavine
Atlanta Braves
P
Injured
Mark Grace
Chicago Cubs
1B
Todd Hundley
New York Mets
C
Injured
Charles Johnson
Florida Marlins
C
Bobby Jones
New York Mets
P
Chipper Jones
Atlanta Braves
3B
Darryl Kile
Houston Astros
P
Did Not Pitch
Barry Larkin
Cincinnati Reds
SS
Injured
Kenny Lofton
Atlanta Braves
OF
Injured
Javy Lopez
Atlanta Braves
C
Greg Maddux
Atlanta Braves
P
Starting Pitcher
Pedro Martinez
Montreal Expos
P
Denny Neagle
Atlanta Braves
P
Did Not Pitch
Curt Schilling
Philadelphia Phillies
P
Tony Womack
Pittsburgh Pirates
2B
N.L. Pitcher(s):
Greg Maddux
Curt Schilling (3rd)
Kevin Brown (5th)
Pedro Martinez (6th)
Shawn Estes (L, 7th)
Bobby Jones (8th)
1997 All-Star Game
American League All-Star Squad
Lineup
Name
Team
Position
Notes
1.
Brady Anderson
Baltimore Orioles
OF
2.
Alex Rodriguez
Seattle Mariners
SS
3.
Ken Griffey, Jr.
Seattle Mariners
OF
4.
Tino Martinez
New York Yankees
1B
5.
Edgar Martinez
Seattle Mariners
DH
6.
Paul O’Neill
New York Yankees
OF
7.
Cal Ripken, Jr.
Baltimore Orioles
SS
8.
Ivan Rodriguez
Texas Rangers
C
9.
Roberto Alomar
Baltimore Orioles
2B
Sandy Alomar, Jr.
Cleveland Indians
C
MVP
Albert Belle
Chicago White Sox
OF
Did Not Play
Jeff Cirillo
Milwaukee Brewers
3B
Roger Clemens
Toronto Blue Jays
P
David Cone
New York Yankees
P
Joey Cora
Seattle Mariners
2B
Jason Dickson
Anaheim Angels
P
Did Not Pitch
Nomar Garciaparra
Boston Red Sox
SS
Pat Hentgen
Toronto Blue Jays
P
Randy Johnson
Seattle Mariners
P
Starting Pitcher
David Justice
Cleveland Indians
OF
Injured
Chuck Knoblauch
Minnesota Twins
2B
Mark McGwire
Oakland Athletics
1B
Mike Mussina
Baltimore Orioles
P
Did Not Pitch
Randy Myers
Baltimore Orioles
P
Mariano Rivera
New York Yankees
P
Jose Rosado
Kansas City Royals
P
Frank Thomas
Chicago White Sox
1B
Injured
Jim Thome
Cleveland Indians
1B
Justin Thompson
Detroit Tigers
P
Bernie Williams
New York Yankees
OF
A.L. Pitcher(s):
Randy Johnson
Roger Clemens (3rd)
David Cone (4th)
Justin Thompson (5th)
Pat Hentgen (6th)
Jose Rosado (W, 7th)
Randy Myers (8th)
Mariano Rivera (S, 9th)
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