Frequency Annual Inaugurated 1988 | Location(s) Varies (see prose) | |
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Most recent July 13, 2016 (BB&T Ballpark, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States) Previous event July 15, 2015 (Werner Park, Papillion, Nebraska, United States) Next event July 12, 2017 (Cheney Stadium, Tacoma, Washington, United States) | ||
The Triple-A All-Star Game is an annual baseball game sanctioned by Minor League Baseball between professional players from the two Triple-A leagues in minor league baseball—the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). Each league fields a team composed of players in their respective leagues as voted on by fans, the media, and each club's field manager, coaches, and general manager. The event has taken place every year since 1988 when the first Triple-A All-Star Game was played in Buffalo, New York. Prior to 1998, a team of American League-affiliated Triple-A All-Stars faced off against a team of National League-affiliated Triple-A All-Stars.
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Traditionally, the game has taken place on the day after the mid-summer Major League Baseball All-Star Game. The game is meant to mark a symbolic halfway-point in the season (though not the mathematical halfway-point which, for most seasons, is usually one month prior). Both Triple-A leagues share a common All-Star break, with no regular-season games scheduled for two days before the All-Star Game itself. Some additional events, such as the All-Star Fan Fest and Triple-A Home Run Derby, take place each year close to and during this break in the regular season. The host city alternates annually between teams of the IL and PCL. The PCL's Tacoma Rainiers will host the 2017 game at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma, Washington. An International League team will host in 2018. The El Paso Chihuahuas of the PCL will host the 2019 game at Southwest University Park in El Paso, Texas.
History
The Triple-A All-Star Game has been played every season since 1988. At the time, there were three Triple-A leagues in the United States: the American Association, International League, and Pacific Coast League. Due to the odd number of leagues, it was decided that one team would be made up of All-Stars from American League affiliates and the other of National League affiliates. The American Association ceased operations after the 1997 season. So in 1998, the teams were reorganized so that one team consisted of International League All-Stars and the other of Pacific Coast League All-Stars. From 1988 to to 1997, the site of the game alternated annually between teams of all three leagues. Since 2003, the host city has alternated annually between teams of the IL and PCL.
The game itself consists of a single nine-inning game to determine a champion. The only All-Star game to ever go beyond the prescribed nine innings was the 2004 game held in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, at McCoy Stadium. Triple-A rules restricted the game from going beyond 10 innings, but the International League scored in the bottom of the 10th inning, avoiding a tie game as the result. The league in which the host city competes is considered the home team for the game and the other team is designated the visiting team. Players wear their respective team uniforms. Players on the home team wear their club's white home uniforms, while players on the away team wear their club's gray road uniforms.
Since 2006, the league that wins the All-Star Game has also earned the distinction of having its league champion (determined at the end of the season) being given home team status for the Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game, a Triple-A championship game held between the IL and PCL in the post-season.
Awards
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards at the Triple-A All-Star Game have gone by various names. From the inaugural 1988 contest through 1997, one player from each Triple-A league was selected for the SportsTicker "Star of Stars" Award. For 2004, this award was renamed the TSN "Star of the Game" Award. Since 2005, it has been known as the MiLB.com "Top Star" Award.
From 2000 to 2003, two players were honored as the Maurice Lacroix/Lou Gehrig Players of the Game—one as "Player of the Game" and one as "Pitcher of the Game." In 2004, one player was selected as the "Dodge Most Valuable Player." From 2005 to 2007, this award has given out as the Bank of America Most Valuable Player Award. The Bank of America Most Valuable Pitcher Award was given in 2008.
The team with the most MVP winners (excluding additional awards from 2000 to 2008) is the International League's Gwinnett Braves (formerly the Richmond Braves) with six MVPs. The IL's Buffalo Bisons and Pacific Coast League's Oklahoma City Dodgers (formerly the 89ers and RedHawks) are tied for second place with five MVPs. The only player to win more than one regular MVP award is Luis Lopez who won in 1994 with the IL's Richmond Braves and in 1995 with the IL's Buffalo Bisons.
Notable All-Stars
Of the more than 1,000 players named as Triple-A All-Stars, 98 have also been selected for the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. These players are: