The game was originally scheduled for the evening of Tuesday, July 22, but heavy rains forced its postponement to the following afternoon.[5][6] The 1969 contest remains the last All-Star Game to date to be played earlier than prime time in the Eastern United States.
President Richard Nixon originally planned to attend the Tuesday night game and throw out the first ball, and then depart for the splashdown of Apollo 11 in the Pacific Ocean.[5] But with the game's postponement until Wednesday afternoon, Nixon missed the game altogether and Vice President Spiro Agnew attended instead.[6]
After scoring in the first inning on an error, the National League made it 3–0 in the second inning against AL starter Mel Stottlemyre on a two-run homer by Reds' catcher Johnny Bench. Denny McLain was scheduled as the American League starter, but was late arriving to the stadium (via his own airplane) and pitched later in the game.[3]