When I set out to write this list, I prepared for a long haul. The Phillies have had no shortage of sluggers in their All-Star history, from Chuck Klein to Kyle Schwarber. Surely, then, they must have had plenty of round trippers across the 95 All-Star games that have been played. But there’s actually only five of them. That seems low to me. Then again, the pitchers are All-Stars too. The Dodgers have 12 All-Star homers in their history, the Yankees have 13. So the Phillies have fewer than their fellow
storied franchises, but they have less than you might expect, too. At any rate, here’s the famous five— and let’s see if Bryce, Kyle, and Brandon can add a few to the total.
1964: Johnny Callison and the Senior Circuit Say Sayonara at Shea
It took over 30 years for the first Phillie to hit an All-Star Game homer, butJohnny Callison made it worth the wait. The score was knotted up at four in the bottom of the ninth after Orlando Cepeda singled to bring Willie Mays home (with the assistance of an error from the Junior Circuit). Ken Boyer popped out, and Johnny Edwards was intentionally walked to bring up Ron Hunt. Unfortunately for the A.L., the Senior Circuit called in a fellow by the name of Henry Aaron to pinch-hit, which is something akin to bringing in Albert Einstein as a substitute teacher. Aaron ended up striking out, bringing the A.L. one out away from escaping the inning with the chance for a victory intact. Callison came to the plate and ended it with a homer to right, marking perhaps the only time the fans at Shea Stadium were excited to see a Phillie hit a gopher ball.
1967: Allen in Anaheim
After waiting three decades for their first ASG homer, the Phillies only had to wait three years for their next. Unfortunately, it was far less dramatic than Callison’s game-winner. Underneath the giant A that loomed over Anaheim Stadium, Dick Allen hit a solo shot against Dean Chance to lead off the second inning. It was the only run the National Leaguers would score in regulation. They wouldn’t score again until the top of the 15th— an impossibility in the modern day thanks to the new swing-off ending.
1977: The Bull Bashes a Baseball in the Bronx
Jim Palmer was a damn good pitcher, to put it lightly— but he had a bad day in the ‘77 ASG, hosted at Yankee Stadium. By the time Greg Luzinski came to the plate in the top of the first, Palmer had already allowed two runs, the first of which was surrendered on a leadoff homer to Joe Morgan. The Bull made Palmer’s day even worse by sending a rainbow ball to right for a four-run lead. The American Leaguers would fight back, but their efforts fell short.
1981: Schmidt versus Stache
If Mike Schmidt didn’t have an All-Star Game homer, I would’ve been shocked. Actually, I’m still shocked that he had only one, given both his slugging prowess and his appearance in 12 Midsummer Classics. His only All-Star Game homer came in the eighth inning of the 1981 game, against Rollie Fingers. Reasonable individuals can disagree on who had the better mustache (I’d say Rollie, sorry Mike), but there’s no disagreement on who had the better end of their encounter at Cleveland Stadium. Schmidt smacked a ball to center to take the lead, and the eventual victory.
2021: Rocky Mountain Realmuto
Thirty years elapsed between Schmidt’s ‘81 blast and the next Phillies ASG homer. By the time J.T. Realmuto came to the plate in the bottom of the fifth at Coors Field in 2021, an entire generation had reached adulthood and then some without ever seeing a Phillie hit a homer in the ASG. But a good catcher can solve all sorts of problems, and Realmuto is the BCIB. He took Gregory Soto (Phillie on future Phillie violence) deep to provide the Senior Circuit’s first run of the game. Unfortunately, the National League was only able to muster one more run, and they fell 5-2.
