The 2002 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 73rd playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues that make up Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 9, 2002 at Miller Park, now named American Family Field, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the home of the Milwaukee Brewers of the NL. The game controversially ended with a 7–7 tie due to both teams running out of available pitchers. Beginning the next year, home field advantage in the World Series would be awarded to the winning league to prevent ties (this rule would stay until 2017).
No player was awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award due to the game ending in a tie. The roster selection for the 2002 game marked the inaugural All-Star Final Vote competition (then known as "The All-Star 30th Man" competition). Johnny Damon and Andruw Jones represented the American and National Leagues as a result of this contest.
Players in italics have since been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
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National League starting pitcher Curt Schilling was sharp early on, striking out three through two innings pitched. In the bottom of the first, Barry Bonds hit a deep fly ball off AL starter Derek Lowe, which looked to be deep enough to be a home run. Instead, center fielder Torii Hunter reached over the wall and caught Bonds' drive, denying the NL an early lead. Bonds playfully picked up Hunter as the NL took the field the next inning.
The NL got on the board in the bottom of the second inning, when a Mike Piazza groundout scored Vladimir Guerrero from third base. The NL scored three more runs in the next inning, when Todd Helton singled home Jimmy Rollins. Barry Bonds got revenge for having his first-inning home run taken away, belting a two-run hit to give the NL a 4–0 lead. The AL finally scored in the fourth, on the strength of a Manny Ramírez RBI single.
The AL cut the NL lead in half in the fifth, when Alfonso Soriano hit a homer off Éric Gagné to cut the lead to 4–2. The NL got a run back with Damian Miller's RBI double to put the NL up 5–2. The AL put together a high-scoring inning in the seventh to take the lead. An RBI groundout from Garret Anderson, an RBI single from Tony Batista, and a two-run double from Paul Konerko scored four runs for the AL, giving them a 6–5 lead after their half of the seventh.
The NL regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh, with a two-run single from Lance Berkman, allowing Mike Lowell and Damian Miller to score. The AL quickly tied the score in the eighth, with Omar Vizquel's RBI triple. Neither team scored in the ninth and the game went into extra innings. Vicente Padilla and Freddy García each pitched scoreless tenth innings, keeping the game tied.
A serious problem arose at this point, as Padilla and Garcia were the last available pitchers on each team. After a scoreless top of the 11th inning, AL and NL managers Joe Torre and Bob Brenly met by the first base dugout with Commissioner Bud Selig to discuss the situation.
Selig controversially ruled that if the NL did not score in the bottom of the 11th, the game would be declared a tie.[1] After the decision was announced over the stadium's public address system, fans loudly booed and jeered, with beer bottles being thrown onto the field, and chants of "Let them play!", "Refund!", "Bud must go!" and "Ripoff!" were heard.[2] Garcia retired the NL side in the 11th, and the game ended in a 7–7 tie, to further booing and bottle throwing. No MVP award was given.
The Home Run Derby took place on July 8 with eight players, four from each league, competing to try to hit as many home runs as possible.