1996 ALL-STAR GAME
The 1996 Mid-West Winter League All-Star Game was held on Friday Night, November 1st, 1996 in the home of the Santa Rosa Beach Bums.
“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. 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!”
Following an intense and grueling workout session on the preceding Friday evening, the National League players convened for a highly secretive closed-door meeting on the Saturday morning leading up to the All-Star Game scheduled for that night. With the memory of two consecutive losses haunting them, the N.L. squad carried an air of determination and urgency as they geared up for the impending challenge.
The N.L. had grappled with sluggish starts in recent years, yet this time around, they initiated the game with a tantalizing glimmer of hope. It all began with an error and a walk, setting the stage with two players on base and only one out, signaling a promising start. However, Kevin Brown, with a steely focus, thwarted their aspirations, striking out Juan Gone Gonzalez and inducing Palmeiro to pop up, extinguishing the burgeoning momentum.
Jason “How the Heck did I even make this All-Star Team” Isringhausen, a teammate of Brown, faced a formidable challenge as he surrendered a colossal hit to Brady “I definitely didn’t use PEDs during this season” Anderson, granting the N.L. a slender 1-0 advantage.
In a spectacular turn of events, Ken Caminiti extended the N.L.’s lead by launching Fernandez’s pitch a staggering 9 miles deep down the line, elevating the N.L. score to 2-0.
The American League finally broke their silence when Bonds capitalized on Glavine’s pitching, sending a soaring hit beyond the confines of the field to start the sixth inning. Despite threatening to level the score, Kevin Appier swiftly quelled their momentum, securing two quick outs.
As tension mounted with the game hanging in the balance, the N.L. turned to their perennial All-Star MVP hopeful, Ken Griffey Jr., who kick-started the bottom of the inning with a resounding double. Sensing an opportunity, the N.L. manager summoned Mark McGwire from the bench. While attention fixated on Junior, Fassero’s misguided curveball met its fate in the powerful swing of Big Mac, propelling the ball over the fence for a game-changing 2-run blast, catapulting the N.L. to a commanding 3-run lead.
However, the game was far from decided. Terry Steinbach opened a stirring A.L. resurgence with a pinch-hit home run, narrowing the deficit by one. His feat was quickly echoed by Ellis Burkes, sending a one-out pinch-hit homer, transforming it into a nail-biting one-run game. This prompted the N.L. coaching staff to spring into action, signaling the end for Myers and the onset of strategic decisions.
Capitalizing on their home-field advantage, the N.L. orchestrated a series of strategic moves, incorporating double switches, pinch runners, and formidable relief pitching to stymie the formidable American League lineup. Struggling with the N.L.’s distinctive style of play, the A.L. manager found themselves grappling with a shortage of bench players, resulting in outfielder Ellis Burkes being deployed at second base in a desperate bid to counter the N.L.’s tactics.
Amidst some questionable fielding, the N.L. managed to notch a couple of insurance runs, sealing the final score at 7-3 in their favor. Mark McGwire‘s pivotal home run earned him the MVP accolade in a closely contested vote, securing the N.L.’s hard-fought victory in the All-Star Game.
FINAL SCORE: National League 7 – American League 3
All-TIME RECORD: American League 20 – National League 7
1996 ALL-STAR GAME MVP – Mark McGwire – Home Run & 4 RBIs in the game.
