Summary:
This article tells the story of how ballot box stuffing by Cincinnati Reds fans resulted in journeymen players being placed on the starting team of an NL All-Star lineup ahead of such Hall of Famers as Stan Musial and Frank Robinson and, eventually, resulted in the right for fans to vote being taken away for several years.

Details or Sample:
Do you still vote for your favorite baseball player to get into the All-Star Game every year? (Frankly, since 1994 I haven’t even cared to pretend I care.) You may not realize it, but there was a brief respite from this tradition during which time the players who made it the All-Star Game got there based on people who actually know what they are doing rather than fans who merely want to see their own favorites regardless of how they are actually doing. Who is to blame for taking this decision out of the hands of fans?

The good people of Cincinnati, Ohio. Hmm, maybe good isn’t the most apt word. In 1957 National League All-Star team included baseball players who would eventually make it all the way to the Hall of Fame like Stan Musial and Frank Robinson. So far, so good. Alongside those legendary names, the NL starting lineup included such significantly lesser lights Johnny Temple at second, Don Hoak at the hot corner, Ed Bailey behind the plate and two outfielders named Wally Post and Gus Bell. How did these non-stars make it onto the starting lineup of a Major League All-Star team?

The newspaper in Cincinnati helped, that’s for sure. The newspaper had printed out All-Star Game ballots with the names of Reds starting lineup, urging the town’s fans to vote their home team in. By the time the votes were officially tallied, people like Post and Bell were at the top of the vote. By the time the game was actually played, people like Hank Aaron and Willie Mays were on the bench.

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Written by: TIMsexton
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