When your franchise is decades older than the very first iteration of your sport’s all-star event, you’re bound to have some iconic players making some key plays during the league’s premier mid-year showcase. The Boston Red Sox are no exception to that.
Over 125 seasons and……….well, a lot of All-Stars later (I ain’t counting all of these; there’s at least four guys on there though, no arguing that), the law firm of Rafaela, Chapman, and Contreras (Suarez is on vacation, it appears) will look to add
on to that legacy of Sox getting the job done during the Midsummer Classic or the preceding Home Run Derby.
With the 96th MLB All-Star Game set to take place in Philadelphia tonight, what better way to celebrate than by counting down the best Red Sox memories from All-Star festivities of yesteryear?
One catch, though: We’re looking at the moments that happened after the 1999 ASG at Fenway. Sorry, that’s too easy. You and I both know that the two best Red Sox All-Star moments are Ted Williams riding out in the golf cart from center and the masterclass that Pedro put on immediately afterwards. You can pick which order you want to put them in. Regardless, including 1999 into this countdown would make everything a foregone conclusion, so let’s mix it up a bit and call this a list of 21st century Sox memories from the ASG.
Honorable Mention: Johnny Damon Doin’ Some Karaoke With Alter Bridge (Detroit 2005)
Dudes rock.
I thought I had maybe imagined this while trying to find the footage. I was striking out for a little bit, thinking I perhaps had a Mandela Effect thing going on. Surely, World Series champion and 2005 All-Star Johnny Damon was not singing some butt rock at Comerica Park before the Home Run Derby, right?
Nope, it was real. Johnny Damon (and Mike Piazza!) were getting fans revved up to see some dingers with the best way the knew how: belting out the tunes. All-Stars can be crooners, too.
5. Brock Holt Just Being There As An All-Star (Cincinnatti 2015)
That was awesome, huh? .280/.349/.379 sure looks like the triple slash of an All-Star to me, dear reader.
In a season that was as garbage as 2015 was, it was nice to have a win like this one. Someone had to represent the team in Cincy—I’m glad it was our ol’ pal Brock. That can be the the beauty of MLB’s All-Star Game: Future Hall of Famers can rub elbows with guys who are cult heroes in their own cities.
And Holt took a bag off of one of the best defensive catchers we’ve ever seen! Not too shabby for a guy who was selected just because every team has to have a representative!
4. Manny And Papi Have Liftoff In Space City (Houston 2004)
The best 1-2 combo in the league in 2004 showed everybody what they were about during the 2004 All-Star Game, as Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz both left the yard en route to a massive 9-4 win for the Junior Circuit.
Manny was first in the opening frame, sending a two-run bomb into the Crawford Boxes to really open up the scoring. It was part of a six-run first inning against, guess who, Roger Clemens. Papi followed in the sixth inning to extend the AL’s lead with a massive dinger.
The duo went on to have no other notable hits in the 2004 season.
3. David Ortiz: Derby Champion (Anaheim 2010)
Speaking of Ortiz homers….
It took Papi a couple of tries (he was in three straight derbies between 2004 and 2006), but he was finally able to claim the Home Run Derby crown at Angels Stadium in 2010. Ironically enough, he beat future teammate Hanley Ramirez in the final.
Much like his lack of output in 2004, Mr. Ortiz went on to have a quiet career after his triumph in the summer of 2010.
(By the way, look at how far news videos have come based off of that video from the AP)
2. JD Drew Ties It Up In The Bronx (New York 2008)
JD Drew waited a while to become an All-Star. When he finally got his chance, he did not disappoint.
His two-run dinger in the seventh inning finally got the AL on the board at the old (but not the OLD old) Yankee Stadium in 2008. The game eventually lasted for 15 innings—the NL actually got the lead right back after Drew’s heroics before the AL tied it again—before the American League walked it off late into the summer night. Still, Drew’s home run was enough to earn him the MVP nod.
Drew didn’t even have the best homer as a Boston player en route to an ASG MVP award in the 21st century, though…
1. Jarren Duran Gives The AL The Lead (Texas 2024)
Jarren Duran’s excellent 2024 campaign with the Sox was punctuated with a huge go-ahead homer in the fifth inning to put the American League out in front in Texas. The AL went on to hold onto the lead for the rest of the game, and number 16 was rewarded with the game’s MVP award for his efforts. He was also rewarded with an interview from that guy who didn’t amount to much after he and his pal hit some homers of their own in Texas 20 years earlier.
On top of that, his homer ensured that people would forget that Tanner Houck gave up a nuke to that Ohtani fella earlier in the night. Nice teammate!
Hopefully, this article will be a lil’ out of date by the end of the night. Let me know if you think I forgot any memories in the comments below. Regardless of whether you think I did or didn’t, though, enjoy the game!
