2001 Major League Baseball All-Star Game

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E National League 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 1 American League 0 0 1 0 1 2 0 0 x 4 8 0
Date	July 10, 2001
Venue	Safeco Field
City	Seattle,Washington
Managers	Bobby Valentine (NYM) Joe Torre (NYY)
MVP	Cal Ripken Jr. (BAL)
Attendance	47,364
Ceremonial first pitch	Luis Aparicio,Orlando Cepeda,Ferguson Jenkins,Juan Marichal andTony Pérez
Television	Fox (United States) MLB International (International)
TV announcers	Joe Buck andTim McCarver (Fox) Gary Thorne andKen Singleton (MLB International)
Radio	ESPN
Radio announcers	Charley Steiner andDave Campbell
← 2000 Major League Baseball All-Star Game 2002 →

The2001 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 72nd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of theAmerican League (AL) andNational League (NL), the two leagues comprisingMajor League Baseball. The game was held on July 10, 2001 atSafeco Field inSeattle,Washington, home of theSeattle Mariners of the American League. The American League defeated the National League, 4–1. This wasCal Ripken Jr.'s 19th and final All-Star Game. It was also the final All-Star Game for San Diego Padres right fielderTony Gwynn.

The American League squad for the game featured eight players from theSeattle Mariners.^[1]

Notes

• ^a Player declined or was unable to play.
• ^b Player replaced vacant spot on roster.
• ^c Player played at either shortstop or third base during the game.^[2]

Before the start of the first inning,Alex Rodriguez voluntarily elected to switch to third base to allowCal Ripken Jr. to play at the shortstop position one final time at the All-Star Game, which the crowd gave a standing ovation.^[2] The move allowed Ripken to set the record for most MLB All-Star appearances at shortstop (15). Seattle's ownIchiro Suzuki gave his hometown fans something to cheer for early, when in the first, he singled off starter (and former Mariner)Randy Johnson, and then stole second. Johnson stranded him at second to hold the AL scoreless in the first inning. Ripken followed this with a home run in the third inning, which also got a standing ovation, to put the AL up 1–0.

The AL scored one more run in the fifth whenIván Rodríguez singled homeJason Giambi to make it 2–0.Ryan Klesko hit a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to one in the sixth, scoringJeff Kent from third. In the sixth, with the score 2–1,Derek Jeter andMagglio Ordóñez hit back to back home runs offJon Lieber to extend the AL's lead to 4–1.

That ended the scoring for the night. Mariner closerKazuhiro Sasaki retired the side in order in the ninth to secure the win for the AL. Cal Ripken was awarded the game's MVP, becoming the fourth player ever—and first from the American League—to win two All-Star Game MVP awards.

Notes

• ^d Player changed starting position before the first inning.^[2]

• Cal Ripken Jr., most famous during his career as ashortstop, was elected as athird baseman to start the game.Texas Rangers shortstopAlex Rodriguez was elected to start at short. However, Rodriguez insisted that Ripken play shortstop for the first inning.American League managerJoe Torre agreed and allowed the change. When fans noticed the fielding change, they gave both players astanding ovation.^[3]
• This was the first All-Star Game to be awarded byCommissionerBud Selig after being named to that post.
• American League starting pitcherRoger Clemens was booed in the pregame ceremonies for striking out 15 Mariners in a one-hit shutout in the previous season's playoffs. Also in the pregame ceremony, theFort Lewiscolor guard provided the colors presentation, accompanied byTacoma andEverett, Washington high school students who presented the flags in the outfield. AfterDiana Krall andMýa sang theCanadian andU.S.national anthems, respectively,Tony Pérez, as the only link to the1979 All-Star Game, the only other All-Star Game in Seattle, joined theceremonial first pitch ceremonies.
• The filmSummer Catch had a premiere in Seattle at the now-defunct theater chain General Cinemas Pacific Place 12 to coincide with the All-Star Game. In attendance wasMeatloaf,Jessica Biel,Wilmer Valderrama and fellowThat '70s Show costarDanny Masterson.^[4]

• All-Star Game site
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• Major League Baseball All-Star Game
• 2001 Major League Baseball season
• Baseball competitions in Seattle
• 2001 in sports in Washington (state)
• 2001 in Seattle
• July 2001 sports events in the United States

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• Use mdy dates from November 2013