The 2014 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 85th edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, held at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the home of the Minnesota Twins. This was the third All-Star Game played in the Twin Cities; Metropolitan Stadium hosted the game in 1965, while the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome hosted the game in 1985. It was televised in the United States on Fox as part of a new eight-year deal. In preparation for the game the Twin Cities' transit company, MetroTransit, completed the new METRO Green Line light-rail between downtown Minneapolis and downtown Saint Paul, and began service on June 14, 2014.
Host selection
The Chicago Cubs were the only other team that made a bid for hosting the 2014 All-Star Game. Typically the leagues alternate hosts every year, except for 2006, 2007, 2015, and 2016, which were hosted by the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Cincinnati Reds and San Diego Padres, respectively. With 2014 being the American League's turn, Chicago made a bid hoping an exception would be made for the National League Cubs in order to honor the centennial of Wrigley Field (which last hosted an All-Star Game in 1990).
Fan balloting
Starters
Balloting for the 2014 All-Star Game starters began online April 24 and ended on July 3. The top vote-getters at each position (including the designated hitter for the American League) and the top three among outfielders, were named the starters for their respective leagues. The results were announced on July 6.
Final roster spot
After the rosters were finalized, a second ballot of five players per league was created for the All-Star Final Vote to determine the 34th and final player of each roster. The online balloting was conducted from July 6 through July 10.
Rosters
Game summary
Starting lineup
The American League took a 3â€"0 lead in the first inning on a Derek Jeter double, a Mike Trout triple and a Miguel Cabrera home run. The NL scored two runs in the second with three consecutive hits by Aramis RamÃrez, Chase Utley and Jonathan Lucroy against Jon Lester. Lucroy tied the game at three in the fourth with another RBI double. The American League took a 5â€"3 lead in the 5th on a Trout double and a José Altuve sacrifice fly. The lead held up and the AL won by the score of 5â€"3.
Box score
Umpires:Home Plate - Gary Cederstrom (crew chief); First Base - Jeff Nelson; Second Base - Bob Davidson; Third Base - Scott Barry; Left Field - Todd Tichenor; Right Field - Vic Carapazza
Weather: Temperature: 72 °F (22 °C), partly cloudy; Wind: 11 mph, in from left field
Time of Game: 3:13
Attendance: 41,048
Controversy
In postgame interviews, pitcher Adam Wainwright suggested that he intentionally gave Derek Jeter some easy pitches to hit, knowing that it was the Yankee shortstop's final All-Star appearance before retiring at the end of the season. Because the American League took a 3â€"0 lead in the first inning partly because of Jeter's double off of Wainwright, some writers questioned the integrity of the rule awarding home field advantage in the World Series to the winning league in the All-Star Game.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball All-Star Game winners
- All-Star Futures Game
- Home Run Derby
References
External links
- Official website of the All-Star Game
- 2014 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at ESPN