 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "1996 Major League Baseball All-Star Game" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(June 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date | July 9, 1996 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | Veterans Stadium | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| City | Philadelphia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Mike Piazza (LA) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 62,670 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ceremonial first pitch | Mike Schmidt,Richie Ashburn,Jim Bunning,Steve Carlton andRobin Roberts | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Television | NBC (United States) MLB International (International) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TV announcers | Bob Costas,Joe Morgan andBob Uecker (NBC) Gary Thorne andKen Singleton (MLB International) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Radio | CBS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Radio announcers | John Rooney andJim Hunter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The1996 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 67th playing of the midsummer classic between theall-stars of theAmerican League (AL) andNational League (NL), the two leagues comprisingMajor League Baseball. The game was held on July 9, 1996, atVeterans Stadium inPhiladelphia, the home of thePhiladelphia Phillies of the National League. This marked the 15th and final All-Star Game appearance ofOzzie Smith, who retired after the 1996 season. Smith entered the game in the top of the sixth inning. His first at-bat was greeted by chants of "Oz-zie, Oz-zie" from the Philadelphia crowd. Iron ManCal Ripken Jr., who was in the midst of his record-breaking run of consecutive games played, broke his nose during the pre-game AL team picture.[1] However, he was ready to go at game time and started at SS.
During the pregame ceremonies,Kelsey Grammer ofFrasier sang theAmerican National Anthem and Canadian singerSarah McLachlan sangthe Canadian National Anthem.U.S. CongressmanJim Bunning (who was elected to the baseballhall-of-fame in 1996) joined other Phillies' hall of fame alumniMike Schmidt,Steve Carlton,Richie Ashburn andRobin Roberts in tossing the ceremonial first pitches.
Joe Carter, theToronto Blue Jays representative to the All-Star Game, received boos from the crowd for his home run that ended the1993 World Series.[2][3][4]
The game resulted in the National League defeating the American League 6–0. The National League would not win another All-Star Game until2010.
Then-Chairman of the Executive CommitteeBud Selig presented the All-Star Game MVP Award toMike Piazza.Bobby Brown had presented the MVP Award in1993, while National League PresidentLen Coleman had presented the award in1994 and1995. After presenting the MVP Award at the1998 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Selig was officially namedCommissioner of Baseball.
This is the only All-Star Game in which not a single pitcher walked a batter; appropriately, Braves closerMark Wohlers was the final pitcher of the game.
This was the second and final time Veterans Stadium hosted the All-Star Game. It was also the last Midsummer Classic to be played onartificial turf (there are now five MLB stadiums with artificial turf, but all are of the next-generation variety). Philadelphia would not host the All-Star Game again until 2026, which will take place atCitizens Bank Park.
Players initalics have since been inducted into theNational Baseball Hall of Fame.
| Home Plate | Randy Marsh (NL) |
| First Base | Larry McCoy (AL) |
| Second Base | Charlie Reliford (NL) |
| Third Base | Joe Brinkman (AL) |
| Left Field | Larry Poncino (NL) |
| Right Field | Chuck Meriwether (AL) |
| American League | National League | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Order | Player | Team | Position | Order | Player | Team | Position |
| 1 | Kenny Lofton | Indians | CF | 1 | Lance Johnson | Mets | CF |
| 2 | Wade Boggs | Yankees | 3B | 2 | Barry Larkin | Reds | SS |
| 3 | Roberto Alomar | Orioles | 2B | 3 | Barry Bonds | Giants | LF |
| 4 | Albert Belle | Indians | LF | 4 | Fred McGriff | Braves | 1B |
| 5 | Mo Vaughn | Red Sox | 1B | 5 | Mike Piazza | Dodgers | C |
| 6 | Iván Rodríguez | Rangers | C | 6 | Dante Bichette | Rockies | RF |
| 7 | Cal Ripken Jr. | Orioles | SS | 7 | Chipper Jones | Braves | 3B |
| 8 | Brady Anderson | Orioles | RF | 8 | Craig Biggio | Astros | 2B |
| 9 | Charles Nagy | Indians | P | 9 | John Smoltz | Braves | P |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| National League | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | 6 | 12 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:John Smoltz (1–0) LP:Charles Nagy (0–1) Home runs: AL: None NL:Ken Caminiti (1),Mike Piazza (1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Joe Carter...walked out onto the sizzling Veterans Stadium turf...held his head high...and heard the boos even before he was introduced. Hard-core Philly baseball fans...(will) never forgive Carter for the dramatic ninth-inning home run that won the 1993 World Series.
As Carter took his first swing and the on-field introduction was made, the boos rained down.