Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game comes to Philadelphia for the fifth time in July.
The Phillies have a rich history in the contest, dating to the first All-Star Game, held in Chicago’s Comiskey Park in 1933. Hall of Famer Chuck Klein started in right field and batted third for the National League and Dick Bartell started at shortstop. Connie Mack’s American League team beat the National League, 4-2, with some guy named Babe Ruth clouting a home run.
Ninety-two years later, Kyle Schwarber was the MVP of last summer’s game in Atlanta.
Let’s take a look at some of the top Phillies All-Star moments in chronological order.
1952 – Phillies lefty Curt Simmons started the rain-shortened game and pitched three shutout innings in the NL’s 3-2 win at Shibe Park in North Philadelphia. Phillies pitchers started six straight All-Star Games from 1950 to 1955. Hall of Famer Robin Roberts got the ball in 1950 and 1951 then again from 1953 to 1955 as he ended up with five starts, which ties Don Drysdale and Lefty Gomez for most ever.
1964 – This season ended in great disappointment as the Phillies blew a 6 ½ game lead over the final 12 games to lose the NL pennant, but it included a couple of summertime highlights. Eventual Hall of Famer Jim Bunning pitched a perfect game on Father’s Day at Shea Stadium and a few weeks later, Johnny Callison became the Phils’ first All-Star game MVP when he clubbed a three-run walk-off homer against Boston’s Dick Radatz to lift the NL to a 7-4 win at Shea.
(Original Caption) Phillies outfielder Johnny Callison is mobbed by his National League teammates after he hit a ninth inning home run to break the 4-4 tie in the All-Star game here July 7th, to give the win to the National League by a score of 7-4. Shown left to right in the foreground are: Walt Alston, National League manager; winning pitcher Juan Marichal (wearing jacket); Callison; Billy Williams (26), who also homered in the game; and Ron Hunt (33), who singled in the game.
1967 – The NL prevailed, 2-1, on a homer by Cincinnati’s Tony Perez against Catfish Hunter in the top of the 15th inning in Anaheim. Amazingly, Hunter was in his fifth inning of work when he surrendered the home run. Times have changed. All the runs in the game were scored on home runs. Brooks Robinson provided the AL with its only run on a homer. The NL’s first run came when Dick Allen of the Phillies led off the top of the second with a solo homer against Dean Chance.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – SEPTEMBER 7: First-year third baseman Richie Allen #15 of the Philadelphia Phillies (later Dick Allen) runs to field a ball during a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 7, 1964 at Shibe Park (Connie Mack Stadium) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The eventual seven-time All-Star was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 1964. (Photo by James Drake/Getty Images)
1981 – Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt leads all Phillies with 12 All-Star selections and nine starts at third base. His two-run homer in the top of the eighth against Rollie Fingers lifted the NL to its 10th straight win, 5-4, in Cleveland. Schmidt also had a double in the game, but did not win the MVP award for his heroics. It went to Gary Carter, who belted two homers. Schmidt retired in May 1989 but was still elected to start that summer’s All-Star Game in Anaheim. He was in uniform but did not play.
PHILADELPHIA, PA – CIRCA 1980’s: Third Baseman Mike Schmidt #20 of the Philadelphia Phillies in action at making the play at thirdbase during a circa 1980’s Major League Baseball game at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Schmidt played for the Phillies from 1972-89. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
1993 – Randy Johnson, the 6-foot-10 left-hander with the triple-digit fastball, was death on left-handed hitters during his Hall of Fame career. He held them to a .199 batting average in 22 seasons. John Kruk, a .300 hitter over his career, knew this when he dug into the batter’s box against Johnson in the third inning at Baltimore’s Camden Yards. Johnson threw the first pitch over the lefty-hitting Kruk’s head. The Phillies first baseman, always one to embrace a comedic moment, feigned heart palpitations, creating a golden YouTube moment. He eventually walked back to the dugout after taking a fastball down the middle and flailing at two death-on-lefty sliders.
BALTIMORE, MD – JULY 13: John Kruk #29 of the Philadelphia Phillies on the National League team strikes out in the third innning against Randy Johnson #51 of the Seattle Mariners on the American League team during the 1993 All-Star Game on July 13, 1993 in Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. The American League defeated the National League 9-3. (Photo by MLB via Getty Images)
1999 – A very memorable All-Star Game at Fenway Park. Before the game, all-time great Ted Williams was surrounded on the field by stars from both leagues, a group of players that included eventual Hall of Famers Cal Ripken Jr., Ken Griffey Jr., Tony Gwynn, Barry Larkin, Derek Jeter, Jeff Bagwell, Mike Piazza and others. Phillies ace Curt Schilling got the start for the NL against Boston ace Pedro Martinez. Both right-handers were firing. Schilling struck out three in two innings but allowed a pair of runs and took the loss. Martinez struck out five of the six batters he faced.
BOSTON – JULY 13: Curt Schilling of the National League throws a pitch during the 1999 MLB All-Star Game at Fenway Park on July 13, 1999 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
2005 – Bobby Abreu put up big numbers in his nine seasons with the Phillies. He holds a place on the team’s Wall of Fame. Abreu made two All-Star teams as a Phillie. At Detroit’s Comerica Park, he became the first Phillie to win the All-Star Home Run Derby. With Phillies coach Ramon Henderson doing the pitching, Abreu hit 41 blasts that summer night on his way to hoisting the champion’s trophy and the flag of his native Venezuela.
2006 – Ryan Howard arrived like a supernova in 2005. He hit 22 homers in 88 games and won the NL Rookie of the Year Award. The next season, he hit 58 homers and drove in 149 runs, both MLB bests, to win the NL MVP Award. On his way to the MVP, he made a stop in Pittsburgh for the All-Star Game. He became the second straight Phillie, following Abreu the year before, to win the Home Run Derby. Howard hit 23 home runs with eight of them splashing down in the Allegheny River as he outslugged New York Met David Wright.
PITTSBURGH – JULY 10: National League All-Star Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies holds up the trophy after winning the CENTURY 21 Home Run Derby at PNC Park on July 10, 2006 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
2024 – The Phillies had the best record in baseball at 62-34 at the All-Star break and were rewarded with a club record eight All-Stars for the game in Arlington, Texas. Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Alec Bohm started in the infield. Starting pitchers Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez were all on the club. Relievers often slip through the cracks, but Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman were so good that season they couldn’t be denied.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JULY 16: Jeff Hoffman #23 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates with Will Smith #16 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at the end of the eighth inning against the American League during the 94th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Globe Life Field on July 16, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
2025 – Kyle Schwarber led the NL with 56 home runs in 2025. In a harbinger of things to come, he dominated the first-ever swing-off in All-Star Game history to give the NL the win in Atlanta. The game was tied 6-6 after nine innings. Schwarber took three swings in the swing-off and produced home runs of 428, 461 and 382 feet, respectively. He became the first Phillie to win All-Star Game MVP honors since Callison, who also did it via the longball, in 1964.
Honorable mentions
1977 – Greg Luzinski homers off Jim Palmer in first inning at Yankee Stadium, helping the NL win, 7-5.
1994 – Doug Jones, who succeeded Mitch Williams as Phillies closer, pitches a scoreless inning to get the win in 10 innings in Pittsburgh.
1995 – Heathcliff Slocumb gets the win with a scoreless inning and two strikeouts in Arlington.
2010 – The Charlie Manuel led NL team stops a 13-year winless streak with a 3-1 victory in Anaheim.
2011 – The year after winning 21 games and the NL Cy Young in 2010, Roy Halladay starts for the NL in Phoenix and pitches two scoreless innings.
2021 – J.T. Realmuto hits a 420-foot homer at Coors Field against future teammate Gregory Soto.