Great moments in Phillies All Star Game history

Quick, think about the great moments in Phillies All Star Game history. After all, both the Midsummer Classic and the Phils have been around for a very long time. Surely, there are more moments that we can count.

But in fact, that’s not the case. While many Phillies players have appeared in the game, there haven’t been many years in which they made a real impact in baseball’s exhibition that "means" something.

Nevertheless, there have been a few moments here and there. And as MLB plays the All Star Game on Tuesday night, here are some of the best Phils moments in All Star Games past.

1964: Callison Walks It Off

Johnny Callison is the only Phillies player in the game’s history to win the MVP award, thanks to his walk-off home run during the 1964 classic at Shea Stadium. The NL won that game 7-4.

That is still the finest moment ever by a Phillie in an All Star Game, and it’s hard to see how it gets beat.

1967: Dick Allen Goes Yard

Only four Phillies players have ever hit a home run in the All Star Game, and three years after Callison’s dramatic shot, Dick Allen hit one out, giving the National League a 1-0 lead leading off the 2nd inning. The NL went on to beat the AL 2-1 in a 15 inning marathon.

Allen put up 6.1 fWAR in 122 games that year, slugging 23 bombs while stealing 20 bases. He was awesome.

1981 & 1989: The Amazing Mike Schmidt

No one played in more All Star Games than Schmidt, who appeared in 12 of them, and 1981 was his best of the bunch. He went 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs in that game, the only one of the 12 in which he hit a bomb. The last one, in 1989, came after he announced his retirement, and the fine people of America saw fit to induct him into the starting lineup as a tribute.

That was a good day.

1978: Boone’s Big Knock

In 1978, Bob Boone got himself an important knock, hitting a two-run single in the bottom of the 8th inning to extend the NL’s lead to 6-3. The Senior Circuit would go on to win 7-3 during a time when they would win 10 straight from the American League and 21 out of 23.

1993: Kruk Almost Dies

Of course, we remember the 1993 All Star Game as the one where John Kruk was almost killed by Randy Johnson. It was certainly one of the funniest moments in Midsummer Classic history, but there are some who didn’t like Kruk’s comedy routine and saw it as embarrassing.

Certainly, with the games now "counting" for homefield advantage in the World Series, Kruk probably would have tried to hang in there a little better, seeing as how the Phillies were in first place at the time and DID eventually end up in the World Series, where they did NOT have home field advantage and LOST Game 6 on the ROAD!

Luckily, the game did not count. As it shouldn’t have.

2008: Utley Swears On Live TV for the First Time

In 2008, Chase Utley had the best first half of his career. He entered the All Star Game with a .291/.372/.582 slash line, a .955 OPS, with a wRC+ of 142, 25 home runs and 25 doubles.

Obviously, he was voted onto the All Star team, and as he was being introduced in Yankee Stadium, he was booed by the fans there. As you heard, Utley responded in kind.

One year later, in the postseason, he responded in a different way, slugging five homers in the World Series.

2011: Halladay At His Peak

More recently, in 2011, the year of the Super Rotation, Roy Halladay was tabbed to start the game for the NL, and he didn’t disappoint. He threw two shutout innings against the AL in the National League’s 5-1 victory.

I miss Roy Halladay, guys.

2012: Papelbon Closes The Door

The following year, 2012, Jonathan Papelbon came on and closed out the NL’s 8-0 shutout of the AL, throwing a scoreless 9th.

We forget because of all his drama, but Papelbon was a damn good relief pitcher when he was here.

2013: Cliff Lee Is A Vulcan

In 2013, the most charming man in America, Cliff Lee, made the All Star team. As he was being introduced to the crowd (one of my favorite traditions), Lee made an impression.

And hey, there’s a Dominic Brown sighting in there too, guys. Video proof that, yes, Domonic Brown was once an All Star.

2014: Chase Utley’s Last One

Chase had one good moment left in him as a Phillie, and that was in the ‘14 All Star Game, when he hit a line drive double to right-center to put the NL on the board in the 2nd inning.

2016: Will Odubel Do Something?

Odubel Herrera, the Phils lone representative, is likely to only get one plate appearance at most. Here’s hoping it involves something like this...

Give me just one Odubel All Star Game bat flip, please, please please.