Ranking top Blue Jays moments at the MLB All-Star Game, from Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s MVP, mic’d up Alek Manoah
The MLB All-Star Game is all about making memories, and there have certainly been some notable games involving the Blue Jays in recent history.
The 2023 Midsummer Classic is set for Tuesday when the best baseball players gather in Seattle to compete in the All-Star Game.
Toronto has five members representing their club in the AL squad: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kevin Gausman, Bo Bichette, Jordan Romano and Whit Merrifield. It is the third All-Star selection for Guerrero Jr. and Merrifield and the second for Gausman, Romano and Bichette.
It’s another chance for the Blue Jays players to make a lasting impression not only on the game, but on themselves and their families.
Sporting News takes a look at the best moments from Toronto players in All-Star Games history.
The Blue Jays’ best moments at the MLB All-Star Game
5th All-Star Game 1991
Your first is always the most memorable.
In 1991, Toronto hosted its first-ever All-Star Game as the game’s biggest stars and fans flocked to the SkyDome to watch the Midsummer Classic. The Blue Jays had selected three players for the AL All-Star Team – Roberto Alomar, Joe Carter and Jimmy Key.
While Alomar played 4-0 as a second baseman in the starting XI, Carter and Key played crucial roles for the AL. Carter did not start the game but was substituted on for Rickey Henderson in the fourth inning. The Toronto outfielder ended the day 1-1 with a walk and a run.
Key was the second pitcher to capture the mound for the AL, coming into the third inning after Jack Morris pitched the first two. The left-hander from Toronto allowed a single batter, knocked out a batter and pitched a scoreless inning. The AL won the competition 4-2 and Key secured victory for the team.
In addition to the Blue Jays artists, there were also some notable moments from other stars at the event. Cal Ripken Jr. and Andrew Dawson each hit a successful home run, while Carlton Fisk became the oldest player to hit in the All-Star Game.
4. Joe Carter, 1992
A year after Carter played in the 1991 Toronto All-Star Game, the Blue Jays outfielder was again selected to the AL roster, this time with a starting spot in right field.
Carter helped with the cleanup and helped the AL early on in offense. In the first inning, he hit a single to right field to weigh bases with just one out. Two batters later, Carter hit with a single from Cal Ripken Jr. and the AL was 4-0 by the end of the top half of the inning.
Carter extended the team’s lead to 5-0 in the next inning by beating Blue Jays teammate Roberto with a two-out single. A pop out to second base in the fifth inning would end Carter’s day and end the 1992 All-Star Game 2-on-3 with a run scored and an RBI. The AL beat the NL 13-6 when the full nine frames were completed.
3. Alek Manoah, 2022
One of the most memorable moments in Blue Jays history at the All-Star Game happened just last season at the 2022 edition.
Alek Manoah was in the middle of a breakthrough year, earning his first All-Star award. After Shane McClanahan gave up two runs in the first inning, the powerful Toronto righty came into play in the second inning. Manoah delivered a nearly clean inning, knocking out three of the four batters he faced. The only batsman to reach base, Jeff McNeil, was hit in the foot by a 2-0 pitch from Manoah.
The best part? Manoah had a microphone the whole time. While on the Hill, he spoke to FOX broadcasters Joe Davis and John Smoltz. In fact, there’s an argument that Smoltz is the reason Manoah didn’t play three-up, three-down since the former pitching ace was the one who demanded the backdoor slider with two strikes against McNeil.
2. Dave Stieb, 1983
There have been quite a few dominant pitching performances in the history of the All-Star Games. Dave Stieb owns one of these.
In 1983, the Blue Jays hurler got the starting shot for the AL team. The first inning was not smooth for the AL as the first two batters reached base due to errors and a runner came by to score. However, Stieb knocked out Andre Dawson, went against Al Oliver and then knocked out Dale Murphy and Mike Schmidt.
The second and third innings were flawless for Stieb. The right-hander rigged the NL and scored his fourth strikeout in the third inning when he caught Tim Raines looking. Stieb finished the day with three innings without a hit and was eventually rewarded with the win as the AL drubbing 13-3 to claim their first All-Star win in 12 years.
1.Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 2021
The Blue Jays’ most impressive performance at the All-Star Game came just two years ago when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. became the youngest player ever to be named All-Star MVP.
The Toronto slugger made his first All-Star appearance in 2021 and was selected as the AL team’s first baseman. Second in the lineup, Guerrero Jr. did not disappoint the crowd at Coors Field.
Guerrero Jr. missed his first shot in the opening inning, but it was his second plate appearance that knocked fans out of their seats. In the third inning, Guerrero Jr. hit a monstrous 468-foot solo home run on Corbin Burnes to extend the AL lead to 2-0.
In the fifth inning, Guerrero Jr. came through again for the AL team. With runners at the corners, the first baseman hacked a groundball at second. Guerrero Jr. was initially thrown out, but Teoscar Hernandez scored from third base on the play and extended the AL lead to make it a 3-0 game.
Guerrero Jr. finished the 2021 All-Star Game 1-3, 2 RBIs and a home run. At 22 years and 119 days, he not only became the youngest All-Star MVP, but also the second-youngest player to hit a home run in an All-Star game. Only Johnny Bench (21 years, 228 days old) managed the feat at an earlier age.