The American League was once again at disadvantage as the National League assembled one of the most amazing batting line-ups to share an All-Star roster. It included such legends as Willie Mays of the Giants, Hank Aaron of the Braves, Willie Stargell of the pirates, Ritchie Allen, Joe Torre of the Braves, Ernie Banks of the Cubs, Pete Rose of the Reds, Maury Wills of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and two of the non-starters were Roberto Clemente and Frank Robinson. Minnesota hosted its first All Star Game in 1965; this was game number 37, played at the Metropolitan Stadium, Minnesota, with the attendance of 46,706 fans, on the July 13, 1965. Five homers were hit in this game, including a mammoth shot by hometown favorite Harmon Killebrew. Other homers were hit by Willie Mays, Joe Torre and Willie Stargell for the National League, while the American League countered with killebrew and Detroit’s Dick Mc Auliffe.

But in the end, it was the National League’s better pitching which proved the difference. Juan Marichal of the Giants took Most Valuable Player honors with his three shutout innings. Willie Mays and Joe Torre opened the game up with home runs in the first inning and Willie Stargell added a two-run blast in the second to support the pitching of Juan Marichal. The National League breezed to an early 5-0 lead. But the American League stormed back to tie things up on a pair of two-run shots by Dick Mc Auliffe and Harmon killebrew. The game was very close and tied 5-5 in the seventh. The National League broke the deadlock in the seventh when Sam McDowell walked Mays, who went to third on Aaron’s single and scored on Ron Santos infield single.

The win gave the National League the win in the series for the first time in All Star history [18-17-1]. Fans will long recall the tense moments where Bob Gibson struck out Harmon Killebrew and Joe Pepitone in the ninth innings with a tying run on second base. Willie Mays led off the 1965 All-Star Game with a four-hundred fifteen feet home run, was walked twice, and then scored the winning run during the seventh inning. Juan Marichal, who won the 1965 All Star Game Most Valuable Player Award, pitched three innings and allowed one hit to an impressive American League line-up that exploded to tie the game when he was removed from the lineup. The National League won 6-5 against American League.