Marathon game shows that All-Stars played like it really mattered

What a difference six years makes.

In 2002, commissioner Bud Selig called the All-Star game a 7-7 tie after 11 innings as both teams ran out of pitchers. Columnists and commentators railed for weeks afterward, and the firestorm wasn't put out until baseball said it wouldn't happen again. Selig then tied the All-Star game result to home-field advantage in the World Series.

Without 2002, we never would have seen what happened on Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium, when both the American League and National League played the exhibition game the way it was meant to be played. There were some ugly (or should we say Uggla) stretches, but catchers blocked the plate on close plays, slides were hard and there was a sense of urgency in the air.

The AL extended its All-Star Game winning streak early Wednesday morning when Texas Rangers shortstop Michael Young hit a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 15th inning, scoring Justin Morneau for a 4-3 win. The 4 hour, 50 minute game was the longest All-Star game by more than an hour, and the 15-inning game tied the longest in history, in 1967. The AL hasn't lost an All-Star game in 12 years, and won the home-field advantage for the World Series for the sixth year in a row. The game ended at 1:37 a.m. Eastern time.

Florida Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla had one of the worst nights in All-Star history. He didn't enter until the seventh, then bounced into a double play to end a scoring threat, then struck out three times. And in the field, he became the first player to make three errors in an All-Star game.

Boston Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew, who hit a two-run home run in the seventh that tied the game 2-2, was named MVP. AL manager Terry Francona said Drew would have been the next pitcher in the game, as the AL side was out of options. Every available player played in the game on both sides.

“I would have been ready,” Drew told Yahoo Sports. “I’ve given [Francona] a hard time. We would have seen what happened. As it looked it like it might come to fruition, I was getting nervous, to tell you the truth.”