2008 All-Star Game Yankee Stadium

On July 15, 2008, Yankee Stadium hosted the All-Star Game for the final time, and baseball decided to throw the building the kind of party it deserved. Forty-nine living Hall of Fame members walked onto the field during the pregame ceremony. George Steinbrenner made one of his last public appearances, delivering baseballs to Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Reggie Jackson, and Goose Gossage for the ceremonial first pitches. And then the game itself refused to cooperate with anyone's schedule, stretching 15 innings and 4 hours and 50 minutes before the American League finally won 4-3 on a Michael Young sacrifice fly. It was exhausting. It was spectacular. It was the perfect farewell.

The Ceremony

The pregame ceremony was designed to honor Yankee Stadium's legacy, and it delivered in ways that no amount of planning could've guaranteed. The Hall of Famers were introduced one by one, walking to their positions on the field -- pitchers to the mound, catchers behind the plate, outfielders to the outfield grass. The crowd roared for each name, but the biggest ovation belonged to the four Yankees legends who threw the ceremonial first pitches: Berra, Ford, Jackson, and Gossage.

Steinbrenner's appearance added an unscripted emotional layer. The Boss was frail -- visibly diminished from the larger-than-life figure who'd ruled the franchise for 35 years -- but he was there, riding in a golf cart to deliver the baseballs to his four Hall of Famers. It was clear, even then, that this was a man saying his own goodbye. (Steinbrenner would make very few public appearances after that night. He died on July 13, 2010, two years almost to the day after the All-Star ceremony.)

Sheryl Crow sang the national anthem. Josh Groban performed "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch. The production was flawless. But the real show was the 2008 Stadium itself -- an 85-year-old building filled with the ghosts of Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, and Mantle, hosting one last national showcase.

The Game That Wouldn't End

The game started with the usual All-Star pleasantries and quickly became something else entirely. Pitching dominated early -- both leagues' managers burned through their rosters methodically, and by the middle innings, the benches were thinning. The American League took a 2-1 lead, then a 3-2 lead, but the National League kept clawing back.

The 15th inning arrived, and both teams were running on fumes. Position players were warming up in case they needed to pitch. The commissioner's office was reportedly discussing whether to end the game in a tie (memories of the disastrous 2002 All-Star Game in Milwaukee, which ended 7-7 after 11 innings, made that option politically impossible). Finally, Michael Young lofted a sacrifice fly to give the AL the 4-3 win and end the longest All-Star Game in history.

At 4 hours and 50 minutes, the game exceeded the previous record (the 2002 tie had lasted 2 hours and 58 minutes of actual game time before being called). Nobody wanted to leave the Stadium, and it seemed like the game itself agreed -- stretching well past midnight as if the building wanted one more night in the spotlight.

The Three Yankees All-Stars

Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Jason Giambi represented the Yankees in the game. Jeter went 0-for-1 with a walk. Rodriguez entered as a pinch-hitter and struck out. The Yankees' individual performances were forgettable, but nobody cared -- this night wasn't about the current roster. It was about the 85 years of history that had played out on this field.

The All-Star Game was the second of three major farewell moments during the Stadium's final season. The first had been the regular-season games themselves -- each one carrying the weight of a countdown. The third would come on September 21, when the final game produced Pettitte on the mound, Molina's last homer, Rivera's last pitch, and Jeter's speech. But the All-Star ceremony stood apart because of its scale -- this was the national audience seeing the Stadium for the last time, and the building rose to the occasion.

The Boss's Goodbye

Steinbrenner's appearance that night carried a significance that became clearer in hindsight. He'd owned the Yankees since 1973 and transformed them from a declining franchise into the most valuable sports property in America. He'd hired and fired Billy Martin five times. He'd feuded with Dave Winfield. He'd bankrolled the dynasty teams of the late '90s. He'd built the new stadium rising across the street. And now he sat in his box, watching his Hall of Famers throw baseballs on his field, knowing this was one of the last times he'd see it all together.

(The golf cart ride to deliver the baseballs wasn't planned as a grand gesture -- Steinbrenner's health simply wouldn't allow him to walk that far. But it became one anyway. The image of the Boss, seated and diminished, handing a baseball to Yogi Berra at home plate, is one of the most poignant photographs in franchise history.)

Frequently Asked Questions

How long was the 2008 All-Star Game?

The 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium lasted 15 innings and 4 hours and 50 minutes, making it the longest All-Star Game in MLB history at the time. The American League won 4-3 on a sacrifice fly by Michael Young in the 15th inning.

How many Hall of Famers attended the 2008 All-Star Game ceremony?

Forty-nine living members of the Baseball Hall of Fame accepted invitations to attend the pregame ceremony. They were introduced individually and took their positions on the field, creating the largest gathering of Hall of Fame members at a single baseball event.

Was the 2008 All-Star Game George Steinbrenner's last public appearance at Yankee Stadium?

The 2008 All-Star Game was one of Steinbrenner's final public appearances at the Stadium. He rode a golf cart to deliver ceremonial baseballs to Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Reggie Jackson, and Goose Gossage for the first pitches. Steinbrenner died on July 13, 2010.