Philadelphia’s history is everywhere, and in 2026 it’s impossible to miss.

As the nation celebrates its 250th birthday, the “Birthplace of America” is once again stepping into the spotlight — this time through baseball.

The city will host the 96th MLB All‑Star Game at Citizens Bank Park, bringing the sport’s biggest stars together to honor both the country and America’s Pastime.

Tuesday marks the fifth All‑Star Game held in Philadelphia and the first since 1996. The others came in 1976 during the Bicentennial; 1952; and 1943, when the Philadelphia Athletics hosted.

Here’s a look back at each All‑Star Game played in Philadelphia.

1996, Veteran’s Stadium – NL beats AL 6-0

The lone representative for the Phillies was pitcher Ricky Bottalico, who posted a 3.61 ERA in 37 relief appearances with 49 strikeouts in 42 ⅓ innings with 20 saves in the first half of what was a brutal 67-95 season.

The fiery reliever came in the game after Hall of Famer Tom Glavine in the fourth inning and faced four batters, not allowing a hit, walk, or run, and struck out Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez in his inning of work. 

Norristown, PA native and Hall of Famer Mike Piazza won the MVP honors while playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, going 2-for-3 with a double and a home run. 

MORE: Capital One All-Star Village is a must-visit attraction for baseball fans

1976, Veteran’s Stadium – NL beats AL 7-1

Celebrating two centuries as a country, the Midsummer Classic took center stage in Philadelphia. 

The Phillies had five All-Stars, the second-most only behind Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine’s seven. Larry Bowa, Dave Cash, Greg Luzinski, Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt and Bob Boone represented the Phillies, with Luzinski being the lone starter of the bunch. 

Fans were not happy that Schmidt had to take a back seat to Rose at his home ballpark. 

Schmidt slashed .288/.409/.590 with a .999 OPS in the first half in 81 games with 23 home runs and 61 RBIs to go along with 56 walks. Rose slashed .335/.432/.458 with an .890 OPS, with six home runs and 38 RBIs with 55 walks. 

Rose, of course, later played for the Phillies from 1979 to 1983 and was named an All-Star in four straight seasons, including in his age-41 season.

Luzinski started in left field and batted fifth for the National League and went 0-for-3 at the plate. Cash came in as a defensive replacement in the bottom of the fifth inning and singled off Frank Tanana to lead off the bottom of the eighth. Boone went 0-for-2 off the bench while Bowa replaced Dave Concepcion and flew out in his lone at-bat. 

1952, Shibe Park – NL beats AL 3-2 (5 innings) 

In the only rain-shortened All-Star Game since the showcase started in 1933, Hall of Famer Robin Roberts headlined the trio of Phillies playing in the game along with pitcher Curt Simmons and shortstop Granny Hamner. 

Simmons, an Ambler, PA native and Whitehall High School graduate, was the starting pitcher for the National League and tossed three scoreless innings. He walked one and struck out three while allowing a double to Dom DiMaggio in the third inning. The lefty posted an impressive 1.74 ERA in 12 starts with a 7-2 record in the first half to get the starting nod. He led MLB with six shutouts in 1952 and ranks fifth all-time in franchise history with 1,939 ⅔ innings pitched. 

He was one of the two anchors along with Roberts in the starting rotation for the “Whiz Kids,” the Phillies’ 1950 National League championship team. 

Roberts did not see the mound with the game ending prematurely. Hamner, who ranks 12th in franchise history with 1,501 games played, was the starting shortstop and hit eighth, ahead of Simmons, and went 0-for-1 at the plate, drawing an intentional walk. 

1943, Shibe Park – AL beats NL 5-3 

With the city’s team being in the American League starting in 1901, the Philadelphia Athletics hosted the All-Star Game, which was the first major league All-Star game played at night. 

The rosters lacked star power as World War II raged on, taking a lot of stars away from the diamond and on the front lines. 

Unfortunately for the hometown faithful, the lone Athletic in the game was Dick Siebert, the starting first baseman who went hitless in his lone at-bat. It was his lone All-Star appearance in a season where he hit .251 with a .623 OPS; despite hitting just one home run, he drove in 72 runs, ending a four-year run where he had 70-plus RBIs. 

Keywords

All-Star Game,

Philadelphia,

Phillies,

Athletics,

Mike Schmidt,

Bryce Harper