Detroit Tigers right-hander Mark Fidrych was just the second rookie to start an MLB All-Star Game, dating back to the game’s inception in 1933. This year, in the 94th edition of the game, we’ll get the fifth, with Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes set to toe the rubber for the National League on Tuesday night in Arlington, Texas. Here’s a quick look back at the four previous rookies to get the Midsummer Classic starting call.
The 28-year-old was the pick for the AL in the season’s second All-Star matchup — the AL and NL played a second game in four seasons (1959-62) to fund its pension plan — at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, three weeks after the first game. The Rhode Island native entered the game with a 2.73 ERA, 84 strkeouts and 57 walks over 132 innings, including a four-game stretch between the two All-Star games in which he had 26 strikeouts and allowed just eight runs in 37 innings, covering four complete games.
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Stenhouse wasn’t quite as sharp in his only All-Star appearance (part of a three-season career); he got into an early jam with a hit batter, a Willie Mays single and a walk, but squeezed out of that and into the second. There, he was victimized by the opposing starter, Johnny Podres, who slapped a pitch into right field for a defense-aided double. Podres then scored on a single by leadoff hitter Dick Groat, for the only run scored on Stenhouse. He left trailing 1-0, but received a no-decision when Pete Runnels, pinch-hitting for Stenhouse, launched a solo homer in the third. Stenhouse’s final line: one run allowed on three hits and one walk with one strikeout in two innings.
Fidrych had become a national sensation in just 13 appearances, thanks to a 1.78 ERA and 0.997 WHIP while throwing complete games in 10 of his 11 starts. The star turn had already earned the confidence of AL manager Darrell Johnson, who told reporters, “So what if he’s so young, he’s not going to be scared out there.” The Red Sox skipper continued, “If he had any fear at all, he’d have shown it in our games. I haven’t seen any fear in him yet.” Fidrych didn’t show any fear before the game, but he did seem a bit flustered in a pregame availability, struggling with the microphone before noting the previously “most exciting thing”: “When I bought my mini-bike when I was 14 years old. Boy, that was something.”
On the Veterans Stadium turf in Philadelphia — away from his mini-bike — Fidrych found a new challenge, allowing a leadoff single to Pete Rose and a triple to No. 2 hitter Steve Garvey for an early deficit. But Fidrych rallied with three straight outs — though one, a groundout by George Foster, made it a 2-0 game — to get out of the inning. Fidrych’s second inning of work didn’t open much cleaner, with two singles and a passed ball to put runners on second and third with one out. But The Bird fanned opposing pitcher Randy Jones, and then got Rose to groundout back to the mound to strand the runners. His final line: two runs allowed on four hits with a strikeout over two innings while taking the loss. Still, Fidrych was anything but disappointed, telling reporters afterward, “How can I feel bad? Wow, I can’t believe I’m even here.
Valenzuela ignited “Fernandomania” in Southern California and then the rest of the country with a first half in which he struck out 103 batters while walking 35 en route to a 2.45 ERA over 110 innings (including eight complete games) — despite the first half ending with a players’ strike in mid-June. So Valenzuela was well rested for his start at Cleveland Stadium — against Tigers right-hander Jack Morris — at 20 years, 281 days, as MLB resumed its action following labor peace.
