After the Jays won the 1992 World Series, Cito Gaston was named manager of the American League team for the 1993 All-Star Game. Three Jays—Joe Carter, John Olerud, and Roberto Alomar—were selected as starters by fan vote, a testament to the enthusiasm of Blue Jays fans. Cito further demonstrated his loyalty by adding four more Jays to the roster: Paul Molitor, Devon White, Pat Hentgen, and Duane Ward. This move didn’t sit well with fans of other teams, but Cito has always stood by his players.
The
game took place at the new and impressive Camden Yards in Baltimore. The Orioles had a strong team that year. Cal Ripken was selected by the fans, and Cito also included Mike Mussina on the roster. In hindsight, knowing how events would unfold, Cito might have chosen someone else for that spot.
I got to ask Pat Hentgen about that game and not getting to pitch, and he said this:
Yeah, that was when Cito called us into the office prior to the All-Star game and said, ‘Hey listen, you guys are young; I’ve got some other veteran guys that made the All-Star team, I’m going to pitch them and save you for backup in case we go extra innings. So you basically are not going to pitch. The way I see it, you are young, and you’ll be back another one. I remember walking out of his office thinking, ” Darn, I can’t believe he is thinking that.” But he was right. At that time, did I think I’d make another one? I wasn’t so sure; I didn’t know. You have many doubts as a professional athlete. Not everyone is super super confident. He was right, I made another one and pitched in 94 and 97. That 93 one was a great experience.
Now Pat uses the term ‘we’, which, though he doesn’t say it, suggests to me that Mike Mussina got the same talk. Mussina was in his second full season in the majors. Cito always preferred veteran players. Hentgen was disappointed to be told that he wasn’t likely to play in the game. Mussina would have the additional disappointment of not playing in the game in front of his hometown fans, though he had played in the 1992 All-Star Game. What are the chances of him getting into another All-Star game at his home field?
The game didn’t go into extra innings, and neither Hentgen nor Mussina were used. In Pat’s case, it was barely noticed. In Mussina’s?
Baltimore fans understandably wanted to see their pitcher take the mound. What’s harder to grasp is Mussina’s decision to warm up in the bullpen during the ninth inning without being asked by Cito. By doing so, he turned the crowd against Cito—and it worked. It was a questionable move. Cito’s response:
“By standing up, he (Mussina) showed me he’s a person with little class. Screw him. I just won’t take him next year”.
Cito didn’t follow through on his threat; he took Mussina to the 1994 All-Star Game and used him. Still, Oriole fans have never forgiven Cito, and the tension between him and Mussina lingered. Fans continued to wear ‘Cito Sucks’ T-shirts, and Cito even received death threats when the team visited Baltimore. Not exactly a proud chapter for anyone involved.
So, who was at fault? Honestly, both were. Cito should have put Mussina in—it was his home crowd, and All-Star Games are supposed to be for the fans. Cito wanted to save Mussina in case of extra innings, but with the AL leading 9-3 in the ninth, that was unlikely. I think Cito should have let Mussina pitch.
But Mussina wasn’t blameless either—his actions put Cito in a tough spot. Maybe youth was his excuse, but it wasn’t the right way to handle things. Once Mussina started warming up on his own, there was no way Cito would be pressured into using him. Mussina’s best approach would have been to ask his own manager, Johnny Oates (who was coaching on the AL staff), to speak to Cito. That might have worked—Cito is a reasonable guy.
In the end, the situation couldn’t have played out much worse. Mussina didn’t help matters after the game, saying:
“It was the biggest ovation I ever got for never being in a game,” Mussina said. “I knew I wasn’t going to get into the game. There was nothing said. They [the fans] all wanted to see me pitch. They’re die-hard Baltimore fans. They waited 35 years for this game.”
Oriole GM Frank Robinson had the proper response:
“I’m disappointed in the fan reaction. I don’t think it’s right,” said Robinson, who played in 11 All-Star Games and was honorary co-captain of this year’s AL team. “I’d like to have seen Mussina get in. But there was no reason for that. It’s an All-Star Game, an exhibition.
I don’t think anyone came out of this looking good.
How did the Jay players do in the game?
Roberto Alomar: Started the game, hitting leadoff. He went 1 for 3 with a solo home run in the 3rd off Andy Benes.
Paul Molitor: Started the game, batting second. He went 0 for 1 with a walk.
Joe Carter: Started the game, hitting cleanup. He went 1 for 3 with a strikeout.
John Olerud: Started the game, hitting 5th. He went 0 for 2.
Devon White: Replaced Ken Griffey in the top of the 6th. He went 1 for 2, with a double, run, RBI and stolen base.
Duane Ward: Pitched the 9th (yeah, while Mussina threw in the bullpen). He got 3 quick outs, 2 strikeouts and a ground out.
The lone Oriole to play, Cal Ripken, went 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
