1991 ALL-STAR GAME
The 1991 Mid-West Winter League All-Star Game was held on Sunday, November 3rd, 1991 in the home of the Stockton Wings.
“Special recognition is given here to Brandon Hogan & Greg “Sarge” Stauffer for taking on the past All-Star Games Project as they will be playing these out and catching up not only the MWWL but some past MWBL All-Star Games as well. Thank you very much Brandon & Sarge for helping out with these projects. I hope you enjoy the Mid-West Winter & Mid-West Baseball League as much as we have done for the past 25 Years!”
The 1991 All-Star game was scheduled to start at 7:15 PM on the East Coast. Mother nature had a different timetable in mind. Both starting pitchers were getting loose in the pen. Nolan Ryan, winner of 23 games on the season for the A.L., and Mark Langston, who went 24 -9 with a 2.17 ERA in an incredible 41 starts, for the NL. Then as predicted in the 1982 hit by Toto, “I bless the rains down in Africa”, and bless them it did. A torrential storm came crashing down.
The groundcrew earned their pay and got the field back in playable shape after a 75-minute delay. Both Starters now had to start their preparations all over again. Would it impact either of these two flame-throwing All-Stars?
Ryan Sandberg led off the game with a Texas Leaguer. The left-handed hitting Ken Griffey Jr. followed that with an opposite-field flare to left. Cal Ripken, having his best year since his breakout 1983 immediately drove a double into the gap. Sandberg scored and Griffey put on the afterburners scoring right behind him. Designated hitter, Frank Thomas worked a freebie with a base on balls and First baseman Palmeiro put a seeing-eye ground ball past Fernandez to load them with still no outs.
That was the end of the day for The Ryan Express, who it goes without saying was impacted by that delay and restarted his routine. Jim Abbott was called on to end the bleeding. He did the job getting the next three batters out, but not before Ripken scored on a Sac Fly. It was 3-0 for the National League Squad.
Langston did not have the same problems getting loose to take the mound. He eased through a quick bottom of the first, giving up just one bloop single.
Abbott having done his job gave way to Greg Swindell. Skipper may have wished to reconsider that move. After dispatching of the first two batters, Junior showcased that classically beautiful high backswing as he put one deep, deep, deep into Centerfield, for a 4-0 lead.
In the top of the third Jose Rijo enjoyed similar results against the Senior Circuit. After securing the first two outs, the NL squad used two walks, a single, a double, and some ultra-aggressive baserunning to score three more. Now with a score of 7-0, this game had the makings of a blowout.
The National League would breeze along until the A.L. showed life by tagging Randy Johnson for 2 runs in the bottom of the 4th, bringing the score back down to 7-2. The American League pitching would get it together on the mound yielding just one more run the rest of the way.
Griffey Jr. was able to add a single and stolen base in the 4th and a double in the 6th. Bringing him to 4 for 4 on the day and just a triple short of the cycle. Due up in the 9th would they let him go for it? An unheard-of 5th AB in an All-Star Game? Yes, they would. However, Harvey would deny Junior the feat getting him to ground out weakly. Despite denying him the cycle, Harvey would not deny Griffey Jr. the All-Star Game MVP in what was a unanimous vote by the Baseball Writers Association.
FINAL SCORE: National League 8 – American League 2
All-TIME RECORD: American League 18 – National League 4
1991 ALL-STAR GAME MVP – Ken Griffey Jr. – 4 for 5 with a Double & Home Run in the game.
