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History reigns tonight in the Bronx

Bob Feller, Joe DiMaggio, and honorary captain Lou Gehrig represented the 1939 junior circuit that prevailed over Mel Ott and the seniors 3-1. It was the American League’s fifth victory in the midsummer classic in what was only its seventh year. The stage of course was Yankee Stadium. It was the first ever All-Star Game held in “The House that Ruth Built.” Nearly 63,000 fans witnessed DiMaggio’s home run and Feller’s clutch pitching performance.

Tonight, fans will pack the legendary ballpark not just to see the 2008 All-Star Game, but to pay tribute to Yankee Stadium’s rich history and all of the players and coaches that have graced the field with their presence.

Last night, Josh Hamilton got things going with a bang as he belted 28 first round home runs during the Home Run Derby. Everyone may still be talking about his ridiculous showing today, but no one will argue that the excitement for the game is no longer there.

Future Yankee legends Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter get the chance tonight to give back to their home ballpark under the national spotlight for one of the final times this year. Each will be making their ninth career All-Star appearance. It’s only fitting that the Yankee captain gets the start at shortstop. Rivera’s fate, on the otherhand, has yet to be determined by American League manager Terry Francona. Tito is likely to use Rivera instead of Jonathan Papelbon in a save situation because he’s not blind to the history of Yankee Stadium and the accomplishments of Rivera in pinstripes. Plus, if the Red Sox closer gets the call in the ninth, the 55,000 in attendance will rattle the stadium with boos.

Yankee Stadium played host to the All-Star Game in 1960 and 1977. Both games were taken by the National League and featured a number of Hall of Famers. Yogi Berra, Nellie Fox, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron and Ernie Banks headlined the 1960 game. Showcased in 1977 were stars named George Brett, Dennis Eckersley, Carlton Fisk, Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson, Carl Yastrzemski, Johnny Bench, Goose Gossage, Ken Griffey Sr., Mike Schmidt, Tom Seaver and Dave Winfield.

Tonight will mark the fourth time that the game has come to the Bronx. The rosters of both sides represent present-day legends as well as up-and-coming superstars that are still looking to gain respect. FOX begins their coverage at 8 p.m. eastern time as Ben Sheets of the Brewers gets the nod against Cleveland’s Cliff Lee. Don’t miss it.

And again, let’s not forget—this one counts.

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Kyle Schassburger is a guest contributor to Southside Perspective.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 15th, 2008 at 3:21 pm and is filed under Babe Ruth, Southside Perspective, Terry Francona, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Mel Ott, Bob Feller, Kyle Schassburger, Cliff Lee, All-Star Game, New York Yankees, Yankee Stadium, Mariano Rivera, MLB, Jonathan Papelbon, Josh Hamilton, Ben Sheets, Derek Jeter. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.