MN Native Terry Steinbach Recalls Honor Of 1988 All-Star Game
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – All-Star game appearances are special, as Minnesota native Terry Steinbach knows.
In 1988 he was voted into his first All-Star game, and he was hitting just 217.
But that night it didn't matter for him or his home town of New Ulm, Minn.
Steinbach remembers it well what it meant to be named to the All-Star team.
"It's an extreme honor. We talk about it now and I still get goose pumps. I still remember finding out you're going and then physically going into the locker room. And you're part of all your idols. I mean, guys you're trying to get out, guys you are idolizing, watching play, and now you are part of those guys," Steinbach said.
What he didn't know is what would happen that fateful night, a home run off Dwight Gooden.
"For me to fight the controversy of being there, but to go out there and have a good game and hit the home run off Doc was a great feeling. I always like to hit the fastball and I knew he was going to come at you hard. And I just got on top of one," Steinbach said.
WCCO sent a young reporter named Pat Kessler to Steinbach's home town of New Ulm, Minn. which was filled with All-Star buzz.
And the kid from New Ulm suddenly became the All-Star MVP.
"You know some of the teammates where coming up to me and saying, 'Steinie you might be MVP here!' And you never know how it's going to play out; someone could have a big eighth or ninth inning homerun. But the way it did there were only three runs scored. And like I said I was responsible for all three," Steinbach said. "So that was kind of surreal when you think you're just happy to be there and next thing you know you're being named MVP of the game."
