MSL to MLB: MSL's Baseball All-Star Game History

Five Selected, Four Played in Mid-Summer Classic

The Mid-Suburban League’s history in baseball’s Mid-Summer Classic has been a bit middling. The last players from the league to appear in an All-Star Game were Fremd’s Todd Hundley (New York Mets) and Barrington’s Dan Wilson (Seattle Mariners) Five players from the MSL’s core schools have been chosen for Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game but one of them didn’t see action.

Dave Kingman
Prospect

All-Star Games: 1976 (NL New York Mets), 1979 and 1980 (NL Chicago Cubs)

1976 (Started in right field, 0-for-2): Kingman was coming off a 36-homer season in 1975 and on the way to 37 more for the Mets in 1976 when he was voted by the fans as a starting outfielder for the National League’s 7-1 win at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium. Kingman fouled out to first off cult phenomenon Mark Fidrych of the Tigers and struck out against Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter of the Yankees. Kingman had a putout and played the first 4 innings as the NL won its fifth straight All-Star Game.

1979 (Did not play): King Kong in Seattle’s Kingdome seemed perfect as the big slugger was on his way to his best big-league season with an MLB-best 48 HR, 115 RBI and a career-high .288 for the Cubs. But he was banged up with a hyperextended knee and bruised elbow and didn’t see action as teammate Bruce Sutter got the win with 2 scoreless innings as the NL came back to extend its All-Star winning streak to 8 games 7-6. MVP Dave Parker of the Pirates had a memorable performance in right field by throwing out Jim Rice trying for a triple in the seventh inning and cutting down Brian Downing trying to score the go-ahead run on Graig Nettles’ single to end the eighth.

1980 (Started in left field, 0-for-1): The excitement of ‘79 for Kingman had worn off well before the All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium in an injury-plagued and controversy-filled season (.278, 18 HR, 57 RBI in 81 games). Kingman was voted to start in the outfield, played the first 3 innings in left with an injured shoulder and struck out on a head-high fastball from eventual AL Cy Young winner Steve Stone of Baltimore. Ken Griffey Sr. of the Reds replaced Kingman and went 2-for-3 with a homer off Tommy John to earn MVP honors as the NL won its ninth straight All-Star Game 4-2.

Todd Hundley
Fremd

All-Star Games: 1996 and 1997 (NL New York Mets)

1996 (Catcher, 0-for-1): Hundley was in the midst of one of the greatest offensive seasons for a catcher with 41 homers and 112 RBI. The Dodgers’ Mike Piazza started at catcher and earned MVP honors by going 2-for-3 with a homer and an RBI as the NL won 6-0 at Philadelphia’s Veterans Stadium. Hundley caught the eighth, flew out to center field off the White Sox’ Roberto Hernandez and was replaced by Pittsburgh’s Jason Kendall in the ninth.

“It’s been a long road,” Hundley told longtime Daily Herald baseball and Cubs beat writer Bruce Miles. “I think of all the tough times in New York and all of the good times. Now it’s a time to relax and enjoy this, being in the same place with all of these elite ballplayers.”

1997 (Did not play): Hundley was on the way to another solid season (30 HR, 86 RBI) when he was named to the All-Star Game at Cleveland’s still-new Jacobs Field, but didn’t play because of a stretched ligament in his right elbow. Mike Piazza started, the Braves’ Javy Lopez came in and homered and the Marlins’ Charles Johnson also saw action. The AL won 3-1 to start a 13-game stretch where the only game it didn’t win was the infamous 12-inning tie at Milwaukee’s Miller Park in 2002.

Dan Wilson
Barrington

All-Star Game: 1996 (AL Seattle Mariners)

1996 (Pinch hitter, 0-for-1): One of the best defensive catchers in big-league history was also in the middle of his best offensive season (.285, 18 HR, 83 RBI) when he was named to the AL All-Star team at Veterans Stadium. Hall of Famer Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez of the Rangers started and the Indians’ Sandy Alomar Jr. replaced Rodriguez. Wilson made the final out of the AL’s 6-0 loss against Al Leiter when he pinch hit for the White Sox’ Roberto Hernandez.

“It’s an honor to be in here with these people,” Wilson told Bruce Miles. “You see these guys on a daily basis, so you’re not as awestruck as you might think. I’m looking forward to it.”

Fritz Peterson
Arlington

All-Star Game: 1970 (AL New York Yankees)

1970 (Pitcher, faced one hitter in relief): The lefty was rewarded during his best season (20-11, 2.90 ERA, 40 walks in 260.1 innings) with his selection to the AL All-Star team for the game at Cincinnati’s brand-new Riverfront Stadium. Peterson had a small part in the NL’s 5-4 win in 12 innings best remembered for the Reds’ Pete Rose barreling over Cleveland catcher Ray Fosse to score the game-winning run on a two-out single by the Cubs’ Jim Hickman.

The AL led 4-1 going to the bottom of the ninth when the A’s Catfish Hunter came in and gave up a leadoff homer to the Giants’ Dick Dietz and two singles while getting only one out. Peterson came on to face Giants’ lefty slugger Willie McCovey and he singled to center to cut the deficit to 4-3. Mel Stottlemyre, Peterson’s Yankee teammate, came in and gave up a tying sacrifice fly to Roberto Clemente.

“Making the All-Star team meant a lot,” Peterson told the Herald’s Bob Frisk for a long feature story in late August 1970. “It was a goal I always had.”

Mike Marshall
Buffalo Grove

All-Star Game: 1984 (NL Los Angeles Dodgers)

1984 (Did not play): The young outfielder from Buffalo Grove was chosen as an outfielder for the NL team that would win 3-1 at Candlestick Park. But Marshall didn’t see action behind an outfield that included Tony Gwynn, Tim Raines, Darryl Strawberry, Dale Murphy and Claudell Washington. Marshall finished the season with 21 homers and 65 RBI and had his best season for the 1985 NL West champions (.293, 28 HR, 95 RBI).

“I hadn’t thought about it until the last couple of days, and even then I didn’t think I would have a chance of making it,” Marshall told longtime Daily Herald baseball scribe Mark Ruda. “Then I heard a couple of rumors. I was still surprised but I was very happy. I guess I would rank it up there as one of the biggest things that’s happened in my life.”

Other Area All-Stars

Greg Luzinski
Notre Dame (Prospect Heights)
The “Bull” played in four consecutive All-Star games from 1975-78 for the Phillies and started the last three in left field after pinch hitting in his first appearance. Went 2-for-8 in the 4 games, with a 2-run homer off Orioles’ Hall of Famer Jim Palmer in the NL’s 1977 win at Yankee Stadium and went 1-for-2 with an RBI in the NL’s 1978 win at San Diego.

Brett Butler
Libertyville
The outfielder was with the Dodgers when he made his lone appearance in 1991 in the AL’s 4-2 win at Toronto’s Skydome. Came in as a pinch runner for Tony Gwynn and grounded out to end the game against Dennis Eckersley.

Scott Sanderson
Glenbrook North
Star of the Spartans’ 1974 state champions was chosen for the 1991 game with the Yankees at Toronto’s Skydome but did not pitch.

Jason Kipnis
Glenbrook North
Cleveland second baseman made two appearances as a reserve - getting an RBI double off Craig Kimbrel in the AL’s 3-0 win at New York’s Citi Field in 2013 and striking out in his only at-bat in a 6-3 win at Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark in 2015.

Paul DeJong
Antioch
Cardinals shortstop came into the 2019 game at shortstop in the 6th inning. Walked, stole a base and had 2 assists, including the start of a 6-4-3 double play on the White Sox’ Jose Abreu in NL’s 4-3 loss.

Note: Player photos, stats and game information from Baseball Reference.