For those hoping that baseball would adopt more of a hockey shootout vibe, you went to bed happy
Somehow it was Philadelphia Phillies Krukian slugger Kyle Schwarber who was named the MVP of the 2025 All-Star Game, in spite of Chicago White Sox hurler Shane Smith having his own sort of immaculate appearance: hitting a batter to show who’s boss, then getting the next on a fielder’s choice out at second base:
Another highlight having little to do with the actual game (sorry, MVP in Our Hearts Shane), was the midgame recognition of Henry Aaron’s record-breaking 715th home run in Atlanta, 51 years ago. That this game was played on 7-15 made the moment all the more touching:
That said (oh please, it’s Georgia, where voter disenfranchisement cost Atlanta the ASG in 2021 but with no improvement made on the issue was gifted back the game in 2025, huh wonder what’s different), MLB made the choice to truncate Vin Scully’s classic call of the homer while broadcasting for the visiting Dodgers, eliminating the introductory statement of “a Black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol.” On the night most celebratory of all that baseball is, we got more revision of history. It will never be enough, and no space is safe from propaganda.
As for the game, the AL seemed destined from the get-go to finally cough a game back to the Nationals, falling behind 2-0 in the first (Tarik Skubal, weak) and 6-0 in the sixth. At that point, the Americans remembered they are the superior league and battled back, with four in the top of the seventh. Come the ninth, a one-out double by Bobby Witt Jr. brought the AL to 6-5, and a two-out, two-strike Baltimore Chop from Steven Kwan tied the game.
In the shootout*, three players from each team volunteered to home run derby the decision, and Schwarber clubbing three but the game out of reach. This All-Star Game is officially regarded as a tie, with additional notation of the NL’s carnival-sideshow win.
*yes I know it’s an exhibition and these games can’t run all night, but jeez man