After nine consecutive losing appearances, the American League appeared to be on their way to yet another disappointing loss. The National League jumped out 3-0, but the American League came back in the bottom of the third and, for the first time since 1964, actually took the lead.
Luis Aparicio led off with a single and Earl Weaver sent up Reggie Jackson, who was in only his fourth full season. Jackson made his at-bat debut with a homerun that struck a light tower on Tiger Stadium's roof some 520 feet from home plate. It was just a preview of what was to come from the future hall of famer.
Two batters later, Frank Robinson (who, incidentally, became the first to home for both sides in the All-Star Game) stepped up to the plate and fired a rocket into the lower right-field seats putting the American League up, 4-3. Then they added two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Roberto Clemente's homer in the eighth was the only action the National League could muster and it would not be enough.
What made this game so exceptional was not only that the American League had finally won their first Midsummer Classic since 1962, but that all six home runs were shots from future hall of fame players! The sports headlines in newspapers across the country read: "Stop the presses! The American League wins one!" The All-Star curse was finally broken, but would the American League be able to maintain the momentum into the next season?
"I don't see why you reporters keep confusing Brooks and me. Can't you see that we wear different numbers." - Frank Robinson in The Aurora County All-Stars (Deborah Wiles, Sandpiper Publishing, 02/01/2009, Page 156)
1971 All-Star Game |
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1971 All-Star Game Fast Facts | ||
Game Number | 42 | |
Date / Box Score | 07-13-1971 | |
Location | Tiger Stadium | |
Attendance (Rank) | 53,559 | |
National Anthem | Bob Taylor (Local Singer) | |
M.V.P. Award | Frank Robinson | |
League Items | A.L. | N.L. |
Starting Pitchers | Vida Blue | Dock Ellis |
Managers | Earl Weaver | Sparky Anderson |
Coaches | Billy Hunter | Walter Alston |
Billy Martin | Preston Gomez | |
- | Danny Murtaugh | |
1971 All-Star Game Fast Facts |
1971 All Star GameLine Score / Box Score |
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1971 All-Star Game Fast Facts | ||||||||||||
League | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
National | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 |
American | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | x | 6 | 7 | 0 |
N.L. Pitcher(s) | A.L. Pitcher(s) | |||||||||||
Dock Ellis (L) Juan Marichal (4th) Fergie Jenkins ( 6th) Don Wilson (7th) |
Vida Blue (W) Jim Palmer (4th) Mike Cuellar (6th) Mickey Lolich (8th) |
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N.L. Home Runs | A.L. Home Runs | |||||||||||
Johnny Bench (2nd) Hank Aaron (3rd) Roberto Clemente (8th) |
Frank Robinson (3rd) Reggie Jackson (3rd) Harmon Killebrew (6th) |
1971 All-Star GameNational League All-Star Squad |
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Lineup | Name | Team | Position | Notes |
2. | Hank Aaron | Atlanta Braves | OF | |
7. | Glenn Beckert | Chicago Cubs | 2B | |
6. | Johnny Bench | Cincinnati Reds | C | |
Bobby Bonds | San Francisco Giants | OF | ||
Lou Brock | St. Louis Cardinals | OF | ||
Steve Carlton | St. Louis Cardinals | P | Did Not Pitch | |
Clay Carroll | Cincinnati Reds | P | ||
Roberto Clemente | Pittsburgh Pirates | OF | ||
Nate Colbert | San Diego Padres | 1B | ||
Willie Davis | Los Angeles Dodgers | OF | ||
Larry Dierker | Houston Astros | P | Injured | |
9. | Dock Ellis | Pittsburgh Pirates | P | Starting Pitcher |
8. | Bud Harrelson | New York Mets | SS | |
Fergie Jenkins | Chicago Cubs | P | ||
Don Kessinger | Chicago Cubs | SS | ||
Juan Marichal | San Francisco Giants | P | ||
Lee May | Cincinnati Reds | 1B | ||
1. | Willie Mays | San Francisco Giants | OF | |
5. | Willie McCovey | San Francisco Giants | 1B | |
Felix Millan | Atlanta Braves | 2B | ||
Pete Rose | Cincinnati Reds | OF | ||
Manny Sanguillen | Pittsburgh Pirates | C | Did Not Play | |
Ron Santo | Chicago Cubs | 3B | ||
Tom Seaver | New York Mets | P | Did Not Pitch | |
4. | Willie Stargell | Pittsburgh Pirates | OF | |
Rusty Staub | Montreal Expos | OF | Did Not Play | |
3. | Joe Torre | St. Louis Cardinals | 3B | |
Don Wilson | Houston Astros | P | ||
Rick Wise | Philadelphia Phillies | P | Did Not Pitch | |
BOLD = Fan's choice to start the game (Manager chooses pitcher). |
1971 All-Star GameAmerican League All-Star Squad |
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Lineup | Name | Team | Position | Notes |
8. | Luis Aparicio | Boston Red Sox | SS | |
9. | Vida Blue | Oakland Athletics | P | Starting Pitcher |
Don Buford | Baltimore Orioles | OF | ||
Leo Cardenas | Minnesota Twins | SS | Did Not Play | |
1. | Rod Carew | Minnesota Twins | 2B | |
5. | Norm Cash | Detroit Tigers | 1B | |
Mike Cuellar | Baltimore Orioles | P | ||
Dave Duncan | Oakland Athletics | C | Did Not Play | |
Ray Fosse | Cleveland Indians | C | Injured | |
7. | Bill Freehan | Detroit Tigers | C | |
Frank Howard | Washington Senators | OF | ||
Reggie Jackson | Oakland Athletics | OF | ||
Al Kaline | Detroit Tigers | OF | ||
Harmon Killebrew | Minnesota Twins | 3B | ||
Mickey Lolich | Detroit Tigers | P | ||
Sam McDowell | Cleveland Indians | P | Injured | |
Bill Melton | Chicago White Sox | 3B | Did Not Play | |
Andy Messersmith | California Angels | P | Did Not Pitch | |
Thurman Munson | New York Yankees | C | ||
2. | Bobby Murcer | New York Yankees | OF | |
Tony Oliva | Minnesota Twins | OF | Injured | |
Amos Otis | Kansas City Royals | OF | ||
Jim Palmer | Baltimore Orioles | P | ||
Marty Pattin | Milwaukee Brewers | P | Did Not Pitch | |
Jim Perry | Minnesota Twins | P | Did Not Pitch | |
Boog Powell | Baltimore Orioles | 1B | Did Not Play | |
6. | Brooks Robinson | Baltimore Orioles | 3B | |
4. | Frank Robinson | Baltimore Orioles | OF | |
Cookie Rojas | Kansas City Royals | 2B | ||
Sonny Siebert | Boston Red Sox | P | Did Not Pitch | |
Wilbur Wood | Chicago White Sox | P | Did Not Pitch | |
3. | Carl Yastrzemski | Boston Red Sox | OF | |
BOLD = Fan's choice to start the game (Manager chooses pitcher).Game / Box Links: 1971 Box Score | 1971 Play-by-Play |
The home run hit by Frank Robinson in the third inning made him the first player to hit All-Star home runs from both leagues (his National League long ball took place during the 1959 All-Star Game when he was playing for the Cincinnati Reds).
The attendance was a record (at the time) for the Midsummer Classic and the gate revenue was an all time high $435,134.
The shot hit by Reggie Jackson in the bottom of the third is a true classic as it hit the light tower on top of the second deck of the stadium in right center.