Leading up to the Midsummer Classic, FishStripes is counting down our top 10 "hats-off" moments in Marlins All Star Game history. The Fish have 18 All Star Games under their belt, so clearly, with such a wealth of thrilling game moments to choose from, your opinion on the order and relevance of each moment may vary. Feel free to jump in on the comments and post your personal top ten, or simply rip ours to shreds. Or, ya know, just post your Ichthy picks and ignore me completely.
The Marlins' #6 All Star Game moment went down in 2005 at Comerica Park in Detroit. It was another year that the Fish sent four representatives to the Midsummer Classic, with Miguel Cabrera, Luis Castillo, Paul Lo Duca and Dontrelle Willis each making an appearance in the game. The '05 ASG would prove to be the National League's ninth loss in a row, but around these parts we prefer to think that had nothing to do with the Marlins.
OK, Dontrelle Willis might have had a teensy bit to do with it. He definitely did not deliver the one of the game's hats-off moments (unless you are happening by FishStripes from an AL blog). The D-Train replaced Roger Clemens on the mound in the bottom of the sixth, with the American League up 5-0. He gave up a leadoff single to Vlad Guerrero, and followed that up with a two-run bomb to Mark Teixeira to put the National League in an even deeper hole.
It took a Fish to get the National League on the scoreboard. In the top of the seventh, Luis Castillo belted a leadoff single off of Rangers pitcher Kenny Rogers (whose hobbies include beating up cameramen) to get the ball rolling. Andruw Jones stepped up to the plate next and put the NL on the board with a two-run homer. Technically, Castillo was the first to score, so he gets the credit from us. Too bad Paul Lo Duca would ground into a double play in the next at-bat to sorta kill the momentum of the inning. Nevertheless, the shutout was over, thanks in part to Louie.
Yes, with only 18 games to choose from, the majority of which were NL losses, a leadoff single is indeed considered to be a top moment in the history of the All Star Game. Talk to us in a century or so.