Crazy All Star facts

[cincrazy]

While watching the MLB Network's Prime 9 episode of the greatest players that never made an All Star game, these three things jumped out at me:

1. Kirk Gibson, winner of an MVP, and two-time World Champ, never made an All Star team. WHHHHAATTTT?

2. Dennis Leonard won 20 games three times. Never made an All Star team. He was an excellent second half pitcher, but the three years he won 20 games he was around 7-7 on average at the break.

3. Hank Greenberg, while he did make four All Star teams, had 103 RBI at the break in 1935.... and missed the All Star game.

These three things fascinated me. Anything that anyone else can think of? There's a ton of baseball knowledge on this board, I'd love to see more oddities, whether related to the All Star game or not.

WOY, I'm especilaly interested to see what you may have to offer here :).

[Vottomatic]

That's just crazy. ;)

[westofyou]

Rico Carty was the first player ever selected to an All-Star team as a write-in candidate by fans, in 1970, the first year that voting was given back to the fans. Upon getting elected, he was quoted as saying "Thanks to the fans for making this possible, and thanks to Gillette for making this all necessary.

Mickey Mantle (1954-1960), Joe Morgan (1970-1977) and Dave Winfield (1982-1988) are the only three players in All-Star history to each bat safely in seven back-to-back All-Star games.

The All-Star Game was played at night for the first time in 1942, at the Polo Grounds (New York City).

In 1945, with severe wartime travel restrictions in effect, the All-Star Game scheduled to be played at Boston's Fenway Park was deferred until the next season.

From 1959-1962 the leagues played 2 AS games a season with one sending all the proceeds to a pension plan for the players. The second game in 1961 ended in a tie due to rain at Fenway Park. Since the defensing AL champs manager (Casey Stengel was let go he did NOT manage the games (hear that Tony?) instead second place Baltimore sent their manager Paul Richards to represent the league.

[Big Klu]

I hear that in 2012, there will actually be some players on the NL All-Star team who aren't St. Louis Cardinals. But I don't believe it.

[mattfeet]

Here's another crazy All-Star fact:

- Bryce Harper is an All-Star and Brandon Phillips isn't.