The 2008 baseball all star game was the last one to be held in Yankee Stadium. This version of the all stars baseball game was the 79th exhibition between the American and National leagues. The 2009 baseball all star game will commemorate the 80th exhibition to determine home field advantage for the World Series. In a closely fought game there were a couple of “dingers” that left some lucky fans all star game baseballs as souvenirs.
Fan Balloting for the All Stars Baseball Game
Fan balloting to select the starting lineup for the 2008 baseball All Star game began on April 29. As is the custom, a designated hitter was also chosen because the game was being held in an American League stadium. Those players that receive the most votes for their position become the starting lineup for each league. The top vote getter for the American League was Alex (A Rod) Rodriquez at 3,934,518 and Chase Utley for the National League at 3,889,602 votes.
A second ballot consisting of five players per league is used to pick the last player on each roster. A record 47.8 million votes were cast dwarfing the previous year’s record of 23.2 million. Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays received a record breaking 9 million votes for the American League while Corey Hart of the Brewers was voted to the National League roster. The 2009 baseball all star game will follow the same format.
The Hall of Fame Comes to the 2008 Baseball All Star Game
As this was to be the last All Star game to be played at historic Yankee Stadium, all living members of Baseball’s Hall of Fame were extended invitations to attend. Forty nine members participated in a pre-game parade down Sixth Avenue to the delight of baseball fans. In a spectacle all its own, each member of the Hall was introduced at the start of the game and took their historic positions on the field. The current roster for each league was then introduced and instead of lining up along the baselines they took their positions beside their heroes.
One for the Record Books
The 2008 baseball All Star game achieved a few firsts in the history of the game. The American League eventually prevailed 4-3 and secured home field advantage, for what turned out to be the Tampa Bay Rays, in the World Series. The low scoring game only generated two homeruns giving a couple of lucky fans Rawlings All Star game baseballs as souvenirs. The teams played to a scoreless tie for four innings before Matt Holliday on the National League team hit a solo dinger in the fifth inning. J.D. Drew hit two run shot in the seventh to tie the game at 2-2.
This was the longest game in All Star game history taking 4 hrs 50 min to complete and lasting 15 innings to tie the 1967 exhibition. The game also broke records for:
• Most combined strikeouts at 34
• Most stolen bases at 7
• Most runners left on base at 28
• Most pitchers used at 23
Electro-Mech is not only an electronic baseball scoreboards manufacturer, but it follows all the latest MLB news and hottest sporting events. Continue to catch all your baseball news with us and watch as all the greats and hall-of-famers continue to light up our scoreboards with points!