1988 All-Star Gala/HR Derby
Larry King is the host for TBS coverage.
Marge Schott was interviewed with an elephant.
Mark McGwire had a large snake around his neck.
When Cincinnati hosted in 1988, things got weird
The Sporting News
It was July 11, 1988 — the day before the last MLB All-Star Game held in Cincinnati. As was tradition, players and dignitaries gathered for the annual All-Star Gala, which was held at the Cincinnati Zoo and televised by TBS, in those days still a staple for Braves games, old movies and reruns of “The Andy Griffith Show.”But TBS had an ambitious show planned. The broadcast's big draw would be the Home Run Derby, which in 1988 was far from the spectacle it is now. But baseball officials saw its potential, so TBS would tape the afternoon affair and air it in prime time during the Gala coverage. At least, that was the plan.