New York City just feels different when the Mets and Yankees aren't the only show in town. In July 2013, the 84th Midsummer Classic rolled into Citi Field, and honestly, it felt like the end of an era we didn't know was closing. If you look back at the 2013 MLB All Star Game, you see a weird, beautiful snapshot of a league in transition.
Mariano Rivera was on his way out. Max Scherzer was just becoming Max Scherzer.
The energy in Queens that night was electric, but it wasn't because of the score. The American League won 3-0. Big deal, right? Except it kind of was. It was a shutout. That doesn't happen often in these exhibitions where pitchers are usually just trying to throw strikes and get back to the hotel. But the 2013 MLB All Star Game had this specific gravity to it because of the guy wearing number 42.
The Mariano Rivera Factor at the 2013 MLB All Star Game
Everyone knew it was coming. The Sandman was retiring.
Usually, the closer comes in for the ninth. That’s the rule. But Jim Leyland, managing the AL squad, did something that still gives me chills. He brought Mo in for the eighth inning. He wanted to make sure that if the NL rallied or the game ended weirdly, the greatest closer of all time wouldn't be left sitting in the bullpen.
The stadium didn't just cheer. It shook.
When Rivera jogged out from the bullpen to "Enter Sandman," the other players—All-Stars themselves—stayed in the dugout. They just stood there and clapped. Rivera was alone on the mound, a 43-year-old legend under the bright lights of a rival’s stadium, tip-toeing onto the rubber while the entire world watched. He pitched a perfect inning. Naturally. He retired Jean Segura, Allen Craig, and Carlos Gomez on 11 pitches. It was clinical. It was the 2013 MLB All Star Game's defining moment, and he took home the MVP trophy because, frankly, who else were you going to give it to?
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Pitching Domination and the Rise of the New Guard
While Rivera took the headlines, the actual game was a masterclass in modern pitching. Max Scherzer started for the AL. He was 13-0 at the time with the Tigers. 13-0! Think about that. We don't see starts like that anymore.
The NL countered with Matt Harvey. Remember "Dark Knight" Harvey? He was the King of New York that summer. He started the game in his home park and struck out three over two innings, though he did give up a double to Mike Trout.
Speaking of Trout, he was just 21.
The box score is a time capsule. You had Chris Sale coming in for relief. You had a young Jose Fernandez—rest in peace—throwing absolute gas. The American League pitchers combined for a three-hit shutout. Joe Nathan closed it out in the ninth, but the heavy lifting was done by a committee of arms that would define the next decade of baseball.
The hitting? Pretty quiet.
Jose Bautista drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. J.J. Hardy had a fielder's choice RBI. Jason Kipnis doubled in a run in the eighth. It wasn't a "chicks dig the long ball" kind of night. It was a "pitchers are terrifying" kind of night.
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Why the 2013 MLB All Star Game Mattered for the World Series
Back then, the game actually meant something. I know, it sounds crazy now. But the "This Time It Counts" rule was still in effect. Because the AL won the 2013 MLB All Star Game, the Boston Red Sox got home-field advantage in the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Did it matter? The Sox won the series in six games, celebrating the clincher at Fenway Park. If the NL had won that July night in Queens, Game 6 would have been in St. Louis. Maybe Michael Wacha pitches differently. Maybe David Ortiz doesn't go on that historic tear. We’ll never know, but the stakes felt real.
Forgotten Details and Weird Stats
- Prince Fielder's Triple: Yes, you read that right. Prince Fielder hit a triple. It was the first triple in an All-Star Game since 2011, and watching him chug around second base was probably the most entertaining part of the early innings.
- The Attendance: 45,186 fans packed Citi Field. It was a record for the stadium at the time.
- The National Anthem: Marc Anthony sang it. People actually got mad on Twitter because they didn't realize he was from New York. People are weird.
- The Rosters: Look at the NL bench. Andrew McCutchen, Craig Kimbrel, and a very young Bryce Harper. The talent density was insane.
It's kind of wild to think about how much has changed since the 2013 MLB All Star Game. We have the pitch clock now. We have the DH in both leagues. We don't play for home-field advantage anymore.
In many ways, 2013 was the last "traditional" feeling All-Star game. It wasn't over-produced. It wasn't full of mid-inning interviews with players wearing earpieces while they’re trying to catch fly balls. It was just baseball.
Revisiting the 2013 MLB All Star Game Legacy
If you want to understand why baseball fans get nostalgic, just go back and watch the footage of Rivera's entrance. It captures a level of respect that transcends team rivalries. Mets fans—who usually loathe everything in pinstripes—gave a Yankee the loudest ovation in the history of their building.
That’s the magic of the 2013 MLB All Star Game.
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It wasn't about the 3-0 score. It wasn't about the AL’s dominance. It was about the transition of power. It was the bridge between the Jeter/Rivera era and the Trout/Harper era.
If you’re a collector or a stats junkie, go look at the jerseys from that year. They were simple. Clean. Blue for the NL, orange accents for the AL to match the Mets' colors. It worked. Everything about that night just worked.
How to Apply These Lessons Today
If you're looking to recapture that 2013 feeling or just want to dive deeper into baseball history, here is what you should do:
- Watch the Rivera Entrance: Search for the unedited broadcast of the 8th inning. Pay attention to the players in the dugout. That’s the real story.
- Check the Box Score: Look at the pitchers who threw that night. Nearly half of them are future Hall of Famers or at least had Hall of Fame peaks.
- Analyze the "Home Field" Era: Compare the 2013 World Series results with the All-Star outcome. It’s a great case study for why MLB eventually moved away from that rule—it was arguably too much pressure for an exhibition game.
- Value the Veterans: The way the league honored Rivera is a blueprint for how to handle legends. Compare it to how the league handles retirements now.
The 2013 MLB All Star Game wasn't just a game. It was a goodbye to a legend and a hello to the high-velocity, high-talent era we live in now. It remains one of the most significant midsummer exhibitions ever played.
Check your local sports archives or streaming services for the full replay. It’s worth the two hours of your life. Honestly.