Philadelphia is known for a lot of things: Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and Boathouse Row. The LOVE sculpture, the Rodin Museum and the Franklin Institute. Cheesesteaks, roast pork and soft pretzels. The Mummers, the Phanatic and Gritty.For three decades, though, it hasn’t been known for the MLB All-Star Game. The Phillies hosted in the bicentennial year of 1976, and their late patriarch, David Montgomery, wanted his team to have the game again for America’s 250th birthday.So here we are again. A lot has happened since Veterans Stadium played host in 1996. John Smoltz has gone from NL starting pitcher to Fox’s lead game analyst. Kenny Lofton has gone from AL leadoff hitter to the commissioner’s ambassador program. And a whole lot of fun has happened in those 28 All-Star Games in between.Five teams besides the Phillies haven’t hosted at all in that time: the Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs (who have the game in 2027), Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays. Four cities have hosted twice: Atlanta, Cleveland, Denver and Seattle. Many moments have stuck in our brains forever.In selecting the top 10, we’ll leave off an obvious one: Ichiro Suzuki’s inside-the-park homer — the only one in All-Star history — from 2007. We revisited that moment in depth last summer before Suzuki’s big day in Cooperstown, which frees us up to showcase 10 other indelible moments.Is that bending the rules? Sure it is! But the All-Star Game is just for fun, so let’s go with it. Here are 10 non-Ichiro moments since Al Leiter got Dan Wilson to fly to Gary Sheffield and finish off the Philly festivities of 1996.10. Picture this, 2017, MiamiThe record shows that Robinson Canó was the MVP of the 2017 All-Star Game for his tiebreaking 10th-inning homer in a 2-1 AL victory. But a different Seattle Mariner from the Dominican Republic made a more lasting impression.With two outs in the sixth inning, Nelson Cruz came to the plate against Zack Greinke. He called time, pulled a cellphone from his back pocket and handed it to catcher Yadier Molina. Cruz wrapped his arm around the plate umpire, the inimitable Cowboy Joe West, and posed for a photo.
The 10 most unforgettable MLB All-Star Game moments of the last 30 years
Jacob deGrom, Barry Bonds and Cal Ripken Jr. are among the players who've made the past three decades of Midsummer Classics so eventful.














