Global stars shine in history-making ASG

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For proof that baseball truly is a global game, look no further than the 2021 MLB All-Star Game box score.

The American League’s winning pitcher in its 5-2 triumph was Japanese two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani, who fired a perfect 1-2-3 first inning on the mound (and hit triple digits on the radar gun) to kick off a game in which the AL never trailed. Locking down the win was Australian native Liam Hendriks, who earned the first All-Star save by a White Sox pitcher since saves became an official statistic in 1969.

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And, of course, Blue Jays slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. -- who was born in Montreal while his dad played for the Expos, and later grew up in the Dominican Republic -- became the youngest player to win the Chevrolet All-Star Game MVP.

Tuesday marked the first time that three players born outside the United States earned the All-Star Game’s pitching win, save and MVP Award in the same year. There was a similar sweep in 1997, when Sandy Alomar Jr. (Puerto Rico) won the MVP, Mariano Rivera (Panama) earned the save and Royals pitcher Jose Rosado earned the win -- Rosado was born in Newark, N.J., and later attended high school in Puerto Rico. Tuesday night also continued a trend: Former Yankees teammates Masahiro Tanaka (Japan) and Aroldis Chapman (Cuba) also combined for the win and the save at the last Midsummer Classic in 2019.

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Hendriks, who became the first Australian to appear in multiple All-Star Games, said the stars who shone brightest Tuesday reflect where baseball is going.

"We're looking at a world game," said Hendriks. "You've got guys representing from a lot of countries, and it's a way to expand the game. Hopefully me doing what I did today gets back to Australia and gets the next generation of Australians coming over. Shohei is a walking billboard that will hopefully get more Japanese guys coming over -- and coming over earlier, like what Ichiro did with his generation. He and [Mariners All-Star Yusei] Kikuchi, those guys are both not only great players but fantastic people as well."

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No matter where each All-Star hailed from, the camaraderie between the players was evident throughout the night. Everyone was thrilled to be playing the game they’ve loved since they were a kid.

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"You definitely grow over here as a player,” said Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr., “just having a chance to talk one-on-one with the best baseball players in the world, sharing the experience, talking a little bit about how they do it and how they started.

"It's just amazing,” Tatis continued, “seeing so many different stories, so many different cultures, it's something that I really embrace."

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