1981 All-Star Game, August 9
Municipal Stadium
Cleveland, Ohio
The 1981 All-Star Game was a
rather unique event in that it was held in August for the first, and only, time
in its history. This was due to the fact that the MLB Players Association had
gone on strike in a labour dispute with the owners which caused 50 days’ worth
of games to be cancelled. After the two sides had finally worked out an
agreement, the All-Star Game kicked off the second half of the season.
This was the fourth Mid-Summer
Classic held in Municipal Stadium, and it would be the stadium’s last. When
Cleveland was chosen to host the All-Star Game in 1997, they had moved to their
new ballpark, Jacobs Field.
The announced crowd of 72,086
fans set a record for highest attendance at an All-Star Game and the mark still
stands to this day. The crowd roared when the players were introduced,
welcoming them back from the strike.
The American League, trying to
end a nine-game losing streak, were the first on the board Ken Singleton of the
Baltimore Orioles hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second off of
Cincinnati’s Tom Seaver, the National League’s starting pitcher. The lead stood
until the top of the fifth when Gary Carter of the Montreal Expos hit a solo
shot for the NL to tied the game at one.
In the top of the sixth, Dave
Parker of the Pittsburgh Pirates also hit a solo home run for the NL, giving
them a 2-1 lead. But the AL struck for three in the bottom half of the inning
on an RBI single by Baltimore’s Fred Lynn, a sacrifice fly by Buddy Bell and an
RBI single by Milwaukee’s Ted Simmons. The AL now led 4-2.
Carter hit his second home run
of the game in the seventh to make the score 4-3 and Mike Schmidt of the
Philadelphia Phillies hit the NL’s fourth home run in the eighth, this time
with a runner on to put the NL back in front by a 5-4 score.
The American League never
threatened in either the bottom of the eighth or ninth and the National League
won the All-Star Game for the tenth consecutive year. Gary Carter, with his two
home runs, was voted the game’s Most Valuable Player. Vida Blue was the winning
pitcher while Milwaukee’s Rollie Fingers took the loss. St. Louis Cardinal
closer, Bruce Sutter picked up the save.
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