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The 2022 MLB All-Star Game was always going to feel special because of the setting. Dodger Stadium hosted the Midsummer Classic for the first time in more than 40 years, providing a beautiful backdrop to baseball’s best players all taking the field together. With a classic stadium providing the scenery, MLB tastefully used modern technology to make the night even better.
The American League beat the National League, 3-2, in the 2022 All-Star Game. That’s the ninth straight win for the AL, and makes it 21 wins in the last 25 All-Star Games for the league. While the end result was par for the course, MLB actually did something cool by mic’ing up players during the game. The league has rarely been on the right side of anything since Rob Manfred became commissioner, but this was a genuinely awesome idea.
The star of the night was Toronto Blue Jays starter Alek Manoah. Manoah struck out the side in the second inning, and was wildly entertaining doing so. He talked trash as he threw heat by the best batters in the world, and had a nice little back-and-forth with announcer John Smoltz while doing it.
.@Alek_Manoah6 mic'd up while pitching was electric. #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/WLhyX4rJND— MLB (@MLB)
At one point, Manoah and Smoltz discussed what pitch he should throw with an opportunity to strike out Jeff McNeil of the Mets. Manoah asked Smoltz what pitch he should throw.
Smoltz: “Back-foot slider, down and low.”
Manoah: “Oh, you’re sexy.”
The pitch missed the spot, but it was still great television.
I like this guy pic.twitter.com/3ALFDGJMpa— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio)
It was also awesome to see the Yankees’ pitcher-catcher combo of Nestor Cortés and Jose Trevino both mic’d up. Cortes faced Atlanta’s Austin Riley in a long at-bat in the bottom of the sixth inning, and the battery discussed every pitch that was thrown. Eventually, Trevino called for a heater up and in, and Cortes threw it for a strike out even if it wasn’t as inside as he would have liked.
After the strikeout, Trevino asked Cortes if he wanted the ball.
Trevino and Nestor are mic’d up together. This is pic.twitter.com/r4XH5TttVE— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander)
Cortes, a first-time All-Star, seemed to be having the time of his life out there.
"I can't believe I'm an All-Star man, this is unreal" pic.twitter.com/om0rMPzJBK— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks)
White Sox closer Liam Hendriks is always having a blast when he’s on the mound. The notoriously foul-mouthed Australian got a flyout, and then begged Mariners All-Star rookie Julio Rodriguez to give him back the call. He got in a catcher’s crouch to receive it.
Liam Hendriks never disappoints on the mic. #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/2Mbf7hJ3n9— MLB (@MLB)
In general, the mic’d up segments earned rave reviews from fans:
I know you can't do this in regular season games, but this is awesome hearing Alek Manoah talk his way through his inning of work. Baseball gold.— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis)
I could listen to Trevino all game long. So entertaining and insightful. The mic'd up moments have been gold for the broadcast #MLBAllSTAR2022— Kaitlin Sharkey (@KRoseSharkey)
I’m surprised how much I’m enjoying the mic’d up segments tonight.— Tyrone (@TheTyronePalmer)
Manoah asking “how hard am I throwing?” Is how we all would use being mic’d up lol.— Trevor “IamTrevorMay” May (@IamTrevorMay)
Fans complain about the current state of baseball all the time — for good reason. But for once, they got something right with the mic’d up segments at the All-Star Game.
