The All-Star Game has been leaning to the right
While enjoying the National League’s 3-1 victory over the American League last night, I found myself thinking back to some of the AL’s dramatic (and sometimes heartbreaking) victories over the past few years and one thing kept coming up: In my memory, all the hits went to right field.
So I went back to the play-by-play in the box scores on Baseball-Reference and, looking at just the “This Time It Counts” Era, found that all but one of the eventual game-winners (no matter what inning) went to the right of the center fielder. Only Miguel Tejada’s home run to left-center to start the scoring in the second inning in 2005 went anywhere else.
| Year | Winner | Score | Batter | Inn. | Hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Brian McCann* | 7th | 3-run 2B to RF | ||
| 2009 | Adam Jones | 8th | SF to RF | ||
| 2008 | Michael Young | 15th | SF to RF | ||
| 2007 | Ichiro Suzuki* | 5th | 2-run ITP HR to RF | ||
| 2006 | Michael Young* | 9th | 2-run 3B to RCF | ||
| 2005 | Miguel Tejada* | 2nd | 1-run HR to LCF | ||
| 2004 | Ivan Rodriguez | 1st | 1-run 3B to RF | ||
| 2003 | Hank Blalock | 8th | 2-run HR to RCF |
*Named MVP
It’s not even like there was a majority of left-handed hitters — it’s 5-3, righties — and all but one of the pitchers (Matt Thornton this year) were right-handers: Heath Bell in ’09, then going back to Brad Lidge, Chris Young, Trevor Hoffman, John Smoltz, Roger Clemens and Eric Gagne.
Not sure if that means anything, but there it is.
