ALL-STAR GAME INSIDER

Target Field

Tuesday, July 15 • 7 p.m.

It doesn't seem like it lately, but the All-Star Game has a history of dramatic endings. More than 10 percent of the games, nine of the 84 in history, have finished in walk-off fashion (not counting the players walking off to a tie in 2002), and five of them occurred in an 11-year span from 1961 to '72. The thrilling finishes:

1941

Ted Williams' famous bottom-of-the-ninth, three-run home run off Claude Passeau in Detroit is still the only time a game turned from defeat to victory on the game's final play.

1955

Stan Musial led off the bottom of the 12th in Milwaukee with a long blast to right field off Frank Sullivan, one of his six All-Star homers.

1961

The AL led 4-3 in the bottom of the 10th in San Francisco, but it's not surprising that the NL rallied, considering the Hall of Fame lineup it sent to the plate against Hoyt Wilhelm: Hank Aaron (single), Willie Mays (RBI double), Frank Robinson (hit by pitch) and Roberto Clemente (winning single).

1964

The NL's four-run ninth in Shea Stadium was capped by Johnny Callison's three-run blast off Dick Radatz.

1966

One of the highlights of longtime broadcaster Tim McCarver's playing career: a pinch-hit single for Joe Torre in the 10th inning in St. Louis, then scoring the winner on Maury Wills' single.

1970

Probably the most famous ending in All-Star history: Pete Rose bowls over AL catcher Ray Fosse in Cincinnati to score the winning run in the 12th inning on Jim Hickman's single. The collision ruined Fosse's promising career.

1972

A walk, a sacrifice bunt and Joe Morgan's single off Dave McNally brought home the winner in Atlanta.

1994

The game in Pittsburgh is better remembered for Fred McGriff's (above) dramatic tying homer in the ninth off Lee Smith; Moises Alou ended the game an inning later with an RBI double off Jason Bere.

2008

It wasn't particularly dramatic, but it was effective, and a welcome relief: At 1:37 a.m. in Yankee Stadium, Michael Young ended the longest-ever All-Star Game (nearly five hours) in the 15th inning with a sacrifice fly to score Home Run Derby winner Justin Morneau.