Tuesday, July 15, 2014

1985 MLB All-Star Game Ballot



Above is a 1985 All-Star Game ballot sent by a reader.  I haven't posted on the package she sent yet, but due to the game being tonight, I wanted to post this today.  In hand, the ballot itself is actually cooler than I thought it would be.  I probably need to make a point to track down ballots for the other games Wallach was in, if not everyone he appears on.

1985 was the All-Star game in which Lou Whitaker forgot his jersey (hard to believe it was his responsibility), and had to buy a souvenier jersey and write his number with a sharpie.  He wore borrowed pants, and Twins socks. (The bottom video explains all of this)

Tim Wallach didn't win the fan vote in 1985.  That honor went to Graig Nettles.  Wallach was however named to the team for the 2nd time in his career.  He also hit more homeruns, had more hits, more RBI's and fewer errors than Nettles.  That's probably why he won the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards in 1985.  But the fans wanted Nettles.

Much like the season as a whole, Wallach out played Nettles in the game as well.  Nettles went 0 for 2. Wallach scored a run, and smoked a ground rule double.  The fact it was a ground rule double, prevented Darryl Strawberry from scoring on the hit.  It likely cost Wallach a chance at the games MVP award.  Wallach also drew a walk for good measure.

I've yet to find a photo of Wallach from the '85 All-Star Game.  If anyone knows of a good source to find photos from All-Star games, I'd love to hear about it.  I've tried every place I can think of and have come up more or less empty.  I did however find a video of Goose Gossage recording the final out, and it features a good amount of Wallach.

1985 was the 2nd year in a row that Gossage recorded the final out in the All-Star Game with Wallach on the field and Tony Pena catching.  The photo below is from the 1984 All-Star Game.  I thought it was the same game until I realized everyone was in home white's.


At the end of the video below is Lou Whitaker batting in his home-made jersey:


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