MLB All-Star Week is always packed with memorable moments. When you gather a collection of the best players in the sport and put them on one field, amazing things tend to happen. The crowds enjoy soaking in every second of the events, but they obviously love it even more when one of their own shines brightest in the All-Star Game or Home Run Derby. And some of the game's greats have been at their best while in the friendly confines of their home stadium during All-Star Week.
Here are 10 of the greatest All-Star performances by hometown players.
2019: Shane Bieber wins MVP
Bieber’s first All-Star appearance was a nerve-racking experience. He admitted afterward that he “kind of lost all feeling in my body” making his way to the Progressive Field mound for the top of the fifth inning. Fortunately, he had the feel for all of his pitches. He froze Willson Contreras on a mid-90s fastball, got Ketel Marte to whiff on a curveball and turned Acuña into a statue with a slider. The Cleveland faithful showered Bieber with cheers after his one inning of work, which earned him MVP honors. He became just the third hometown player to win All-Star Game MVP since the award’s inception in 1962.
2018: Bryce Harper puts on a show in D.C.
Not all indelible All-Star moments take place during the game. The Home Run Derby has created its own unforgettable scenes – like on July 16, 2018.
It was a night of celebration for the more than 43,000 fans inside Nationals Park. Although the season was dominated by Harper’s impending free agency, that was put on the back burner for a few hours as Washington’s six-time All-Star helped author one of the most dramatic comebacks in Derby history. After defeating Freddie Freeman and Max Muncy to advance to the finals, Harper trailed Cubs slugger Kyle Schwarber, 18-9, with less than a minute remaining in his round. It seemed like an insurmountable deficit.
And then Harper went absolutely bonkers. He tied Schwarber at the buzzer and won the contest with another dinger in bonus time. Harper triumphantly tossed his bat down the first-base line as the crowd erupted. Yes, it was a celebration. But it was also a recognition of everything Harper had given Nats fans since debuting as a teenager in 2012.
2015: Todd Frazier takes HR Derby crown
Three years earlier, we had another buzzer beater and another wild environment for the Derby. Frazier was the runner-up in the 2014 edition and now looked to claim victory with the Great American Ball Park crowd rooting him on every step of the way. Frazier knocked off two-time Derby champ Prince Fielder in the first round. In the semis, he got past 2015 AL MVP Josh Donaldson, smashing a tying home run with fewer than 10 seconds remaining and then sending his clinching homer over the wall in left-center as the four-minute timer displayed all zeroes.
The 2007 Reds first-round Draft pick matched up with then-Dodgers rookie Joc Pederson in the finals and matched him with 14 home runs upon the end of regulation time. Needing just one homer in bonus time to win, Frazier blistered the first pitch he saw into the left-field seats to capture the trophy that was just beyond his grasp the year prior.
2013: The Dark Knight rises in Queens
Kershaw had a stellar case to start this game, but National League manager Bruce Bochy decided instead to give the ball to 24-year-old Mets phenom Matt Harvey. And this was Harvey at the peak of his powers in front of the Citi Field masses.
After allowing the first two batters to reach, he got Miguel Cabrera to fish out of the zone at a 92 mph slider for a strikeout. He did the same thing to José Bautista to end the inning and strand those runners. His second frame was perfect and highlighted by a 98 mph fastball that blew away Adam Jones. In his first and only All-Star appearance to date, Harvey threw 32 pitches, including 22 strikes, and got eight swings and misses. Although he would help lead the Mets to a World Series appearance two years later, there is no debating that in 2013, Harvey was on a different level.
2000: Chipper Jones goes 3-for-3 in Atlanta
The American League won the 2000 All-Star Game as Derek Jeter, a nemesis of the Braves in two recent Fall Classics, was named MVP. So, you can assume that some fans at Turner Field weren’t particularly happy with the end result here. But Jones definitely put a smile on their faces, as he did for 19 seasons, with his flawless showing at the plate.
The 1999 NL MVP began his night batting right-handed and sent a sharp single up the middle past David Wells. Two innings later, batting lefty, he swatted a game-tying homer to the opposite field against James Baldwin. He tacked on another single when he faced Jason Isringhausen in the fifth. At the time, Jones was the 11th player to register at least three hits and a homer in an All-Star Game. Only two players – Garret Anderson in 2003 and Ichiro Suzuki in 2007 – have done it since.
1999: Pedro Martinez dominates at Fenway
Everyone at Fenway Park on this night was left in awe -- twice.
The first time occurred before the game, when nominees for the MLB All-Century Team gathered together on the diamond. It was perhaps the greatest collection of baseball talent ever assembled on one field. And the headliner was none other than Red Sox legend Ted Williams. As the 80-year-old “Splendid Splinter” was carted toward the mound, stars of current day and yesteryear all waited their turn to greet the Red Sox icon.
Once the field was cleared, Martinez headed toward that mound. The game began. The awe resumed. The first batter, Barry Larkin, flailed helplessly at Martinez’s changeup. Larry Walker? Caught looking at a 97 mph fastball down the middle. Sammy Sosa? Couldn't catch up to 96. On to the second inning.
Mark McGwire? Overpowered by another fastball. Jeff Bagwell? Whiffed on a changeup, and Matt Williams was then immediately caught stealing after reaching on an error. That’s five strikeouts – including four in a row – against three future Hall of Famers plus the two men who broke Roger Maris’ home run record mere months prior. Martinez was the easy choice for All-Star Game MVP. You can argue that he should have won AL MVP that season, too.
1997: Sandy Alomar Jr. delivers deciding blow
When it comes to clutch home runs by Sandy Alomar Jr. in 1997, this isn’t the one that usually comes to mind. But it is the only one that qualifies for this list. After entering the game at catcher in the top of the sixth inning, he crushed a two-run shot off of Shawn Estes in the seventh to break a 1-1 tie and propel the American League to victory. The fateful swing made Alomar the first hometown player to win All-Star Game MVP, and it kickstarted an undefeated streak for the AL that lasted until 2010.
1954: Al Rosen homers twice in Cleveland
A lot of players had big days in the 1954 All-Star Game, but no one stood out like Rosen. He thrilled the nearly 70,000 fans at Cleveland Stadium by bashing two home runs and collecting five RBIs, each of which tied single-game All-Star records. His first homer was a three-run clout against future Hall of Famer Robin Roberts. His second blast was a two-run shot off Johnny Antonelli. Rosen added a single in the sixth inning and a walk in the eighth for good measure.
Rosen’s monster day contributed to an 11-9 American League victory. This game trails only the 1998 contest at Coors Field for the highest scoring in All-Star history.
1946: Ted Williams’ historic day
Williams is often referred to as the greatest hitter who ever lived. You could also call him the most productive hitter in a single All-Star Game who ever lived. No, that’s not nearly as catchy, but it’s no less true. Here was Williams’ stat line on this July 9 afternoon at Fenway:
He went 4-for-4 with two homers, four runs scored, five RBIs and one walk. It was all part of a 12-0 American League win, which is the widest margin of victory in All-Star history.
As mentioned above, other players have homered twice or driven in five runs in an All-Star Game before. Other players have tallied four hits – most recently Carl Yastrzemski in 1970. But only Williams reached each of those benchmarks in one game. His four runs still stand as an All-Star record. And will we ever see another player go deep off an eephus pitch in a Midsummer Classic?
1934: Carl Hubbell K’s 5 baseball legends
Sixty-five years before Pedro humbled some of the modern game’s greats, this New York Giants ace struck out a quintet of baseball royalty in succession at the Polo Grounds. Hubbell, the 1933 NL MVP, threw three shutout innings on this day, but what most everyone remembers is what he did during the first two. He began his start by allowing a single and a walk, which is typically not what you want when the on-deck hitter is Babe Ruth. But Hubbell responded in epic fashion.
He sat down the Bambino on three consecutive screwballs. Lou Gehrig followed, and he also couldn’t make contact against the left-hander’s repertoire. Jimmie Foxx did manage a foul tip, but the end result was the same: K.
Hubbell then opened the second inning by whiffing Al Simmons and Joe Cronin. These five future Hall of Famers would ultimately combine for more than 13,000 hits and 2,200 home runs in the Majors. But they were powerless against Hubbell, who made it to Cooperstown in 1947.