With its 92-year history, the MLB All-Star Game is a tradition that has endured and excited fans for nearly a century. (File photo).
Anticipation is reaching a fever pitch as baseball fans await Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game. On July 15, 2025 at Truist Park in Atlanta, the best players from the National League and the American League will face off in the Midsummer Classic. The All-Star Game is a celebration of the season’s top talent.
While the All-Star Game may seem like something that has been cemented in baseball history, the tradition of the Midsummer Classic is less than 100 years old. Here are some fun facts about the inaugural MLB All-Star Game.
· The first All-Star Game was held on July 6, 1933 for a crowd of around 50,000 fans.
· The game took place at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. This was the historic home of the Chicago White Sox from 1910 to 1990, and was often referred to as the “Baseball Palace of the World.” Comiskey was demolished in 1991 to pave the way for a new stadium.
· Arch Ward, a sports editor, was the brainchild behind the MLB All-Star Game. The event was designed to boost interest in baseball during the darkest years of the Great Depression. Attendance at games had plummeted starting in 1930, and the average player’s salary fell. The All-Star Game was an attempt to draw fans back to the game.
· This year marks the return of All-Star players wearing their own team jerseys, a change from custom-designed All-Star jerseys. During the first All-Star Game, the National League wore gray NL uniforms, while the American League wore the home uniform of their respective teams.
· Babe Ruth played in the first All-Star Game. In fact, Ruth hit the first All-Star home run in the bottom of the third inning when he launched a two-run shot.
· Some other players who showcased their talents during the game included Lou Gehrig, Lefty Gomez, Jimmy Foxx, Joe Cronin, Al Simmons, Charlie Gehringer, and Lefty Grove for the American League. The National League featured Bill Hallahan, Gabby Hartnett, Chick Hafey, Carl Hubbell, Pie Traynor, and Chuck Klein.
· The American League won the game 4-2.
· The game’s popularity prompted Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis to establish the MLB All-Star Game as an annual event. The game also set a precedent for similar all-star exhibitions in other sports.
· The first MLB All-Star Game didn’t feature a Home Run Derby. That event was added in 1985 and has undergone some format changes since then. Many of baseball’s most prolific hitters have competed in the Home Run Derby, including Carl Ripken, Jr., Barry Bonds, Ryan Howard, David Ortiz, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, and Pete Alonso. Teoscar Hernández of the Dodgers won the Home Run Derby in 2024.
Baseball fans will be eager to see who makes headlines this year. With its 92-year history, the MLB All-Star Game is a tradition that has endured and excited fans for nearly a century.