When the Major League Baseball All-Star Game debuted on July 6, 1933 in Chicago, the National Baseball Hall of Fame was not yet a part of the American lexicon.
But over the next nine decades, the connection between All-Stars and the Hall of Fame has become a yearly summer celebration for baseball.
The bond between the All-Star Game and Cooperstown may best be summed up in one game: The 1934 Mid-Summer Classic at the Polo Grounds in New York. Counting players, managers and umpires, 31 future Hall of Famers took the field that day – the single game in baseball history that featured the most future Hall of Famers.
Thirty-four of the 68 All-Stars named to date to the 2013 All-Star Game in New York City are represented in Cooperstown by artifacts in the Hall of Fame’s permanent collection. The Museum’s unparalleled archive features more than 40,000 pieces of memorabilia.
Members of the 2013 All-Star Game roster with artifacts in the Museum’s collection include:
American League
Clay Buchholz (Red Sox) – Ball and cap from Sept. 1, 2007 no-hitter
Miguel Cabrera (Tigers) – Team Venezuela batting helmet from 2009 World Baseball Classic; Bat used to hit home runs No. 39 and 40 during 2012 season; spikes worn on Oct. 3, 2012 when Cabrera clinched the AL Triple Crown
Robinson Cano (Yankees) – Bat used when he became one of three Yankees to hit grand slams in an Aug. 25, 2011 game
Bartolo Colon (Athletics) – Team Dominican Republic cap worn by Colon during 2006 World Baseball Classic
Nelson Cruz (Rangers) – Batting gloves worn when he hit a walk-off grand slam in Game 2 of the 2011 ALCS; Jersey from Game 6 of the 2011 ALCS when he hit his sixth home run of the postseason
Yu Darvish (Rangers) – Team Japan jersey from final game of 2009 World Baseball Classic, which Japan won; spikes worn by Darvish during 2009 WBC
Chris Davis (Orioles) – Cap from May 6, 2012 game when the Orioles’ slugger recorded a win on the mound in a 17-inning game against the Red Sox
Prince Fielder (Tigers) – Jersey from 2011 All-Star Game; bat used by Fielder when he became the youngest player to hit 50 home runs in a season in 2007
Felix Hernandez (Mariners) – Cap from Team Venezuela at 2009 World Baseball Classic; Jersey and game-used ball from Aug. 15, 2012 perfect game
Hisashi Iwakuma (Mariners) – Cap worn by Iwakuma during final game of 2009 World Baseball Classic, which Iwakuma started for Japan
Torii Hunter (Tigers) – Glove used by nine-time Gold Glove Award outfielder during 2004 season
Joe Mauer (Twins) – Game-used bats from 2006 and 2008 when the Twins catcher won AL batting titles
David Ortiz (Red Sox) – 2004 Red Sox home World Series jersey; batting helmet used in 2005 when he set the single-season home run record for a designated hitter
Dustin Pedroia (Red Sox) – Bat from 2007 World Series when Pedroia led off Game 1 of the Fall Classic with a homer
Mariano Rivera (Yankees) – Spikes worn during 1999 World Series, where Rivera was named MVP; Cap worn during 2000 World Series; Cap worn July 16, 2006 when he recorded his 400th career save; Jersey worn at 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium; Cap worn during 2009 World Series
Mike Trout (Angels) – Cap and spikes worn by the Angels’ star during his 2012 AL Rookie of the Year season
Justin Verlander (Tigers) – Ball from 2007 no-hitter; ball from 2011 no-hitter; and jersey from 20th win on Aug. 27, 2011
National League
Carlos Beltran (Cardinals) – Astros jersey from 2004 postseason when he hit eight home runs; Cap worn while with Team Puerto Rico in the 2009 World Baseball Classic
Madison Bumgarner (Giants) – Cap worn during his win in Game 4 of the 2010 World Series
Allen Craig (Cardinals) – Bat used to hit go-ahead home run in Game 7 of 2011 World Series
Michael Cuddyer (Rockies) – Bat used to hit sixth-inning triple on May 22, 2009 when Cuddyer hit for the cycle
Matt Harvey (Mets) – Baseball from the 2006 Goodwill Games played in Cooperstown on Aug. 30, 2006 between the Japan High School All-Star Team and the Northeast U.S. All-Star Team; Teams split a doubleheader and ball was signed by the four starting pitchers: Yuki Saito and Enoshita Yodai from Japan and Matt Harvey and Brian Dupra from Team USA
Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers) – Jersey from his 2011 Cy Young Award season
Craig Kimbrel (Braves) – Spikes worn during Aug. 31, 2011 game when he set a rookie record with his 41st save
Cliff Lee (Phillies) – Indians road jersey from 2008 season when Lee won AL Cy Young Award; Ball signed by Lee after winning first game at the new Yankee Stadium on April 16, 2009; Ball used during Game 1 of 2009 World Series, which Lee started; Cap worn by Lee during 2009 World Series
Andrew McCutchen (Pirates) – Road jersey from 2012 season; Ball hit by McCutchen for first out of the game on June 8, 2010 during big league debut of Washington’s Stephen Strasburg
Yadier Molina (Cardinals) – Catchers mask worn during 2006 season and World Series
Brandon Phillips (Reds) – Team USA jersey worn during World Baseball Classic Round 1 game against Mexico on march 8, 2013
Buster Posey (Giants) – Catcher’s mask and spikes from the 2010 World Series
Marco Scutaro (Giants) – Spikes worn during 2012 postseason and World Series
Troy Tulowitzki (Rockies) – Uniform vest and cap worn when he recorded an unassisted triple play on April 29, 2007; batting gloves from Aug. 10, 2009 used when he hit for the cycle
Joey Votto (Reds) – Bat from his May 13, 2012 walk-off grand slam as part of a three-homer game
Adam Wainwright (Cardinals) – Cap worn during first Civil Rights Game on Mach 31, 2007 in Memphis, Tenn.
David Wright (Mets) – Bat used to collect game-winning hit for Team USA against Puerto Rico on March 17, 2009 at World Baseball Classic.