Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

7-11-89 The 1989 All-Star game is history. For the first time since 1958, the year after I was born, the American League has won two consecutive games. That’s also the fourth Junior Circuit victory in seven years, so we may be witnessing a turna­round. I made three predictions for Most Valuable Player. In order, they were Julio Franco of Texas, Ozzie Smith of St Louis, and Tony Gwynn of San Diego. Each of them had a single, but none could match the output of Kansas City’s Bo Jackson, who, leading off for the American League, hit Rick Reuschel’s second pitch 448 feet to dead center field. What strength! Wade Boggs of the Red Sox followed with another home run, and with less than one inning in the books the game was tied at two. (The National League had scrapped for two runs in the top of the first inning.) Later, Jackson singled. He also stole a base and drove in a run with a ground ball. He deserved to be the MVP. As for my other predic­tions, I hate to blow my own horn, but I called the Jackson home run. Unfortunately, I called three others that did not come to be. I also mispredicted the outcome, thinking that the National League would win, 6-3. The American League won, 5-3. Though I had to listen to the game on the radio, I enjoyed it. I read newspapers on the couch as I listened to the play-by-play.