Tuesday, July 10, 2012

D.C. is frontrunner for '15 All-Star Game

US Presswire file photo
Nationals Park could host the All-Star Game three years from now.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- There's a good chance Major League Baseball's All-Star Game will be played in Washington in July 2015.

Though the league hasn't yet announced where the Midsummer Classic will take place beyond next year (when the New York Mets will host), the 2014 game is expected to be played in Minnesota, with the 2015 game either in Washington or Miami. And according to a league source familiar with commissioner Bud Selig's thinking, the Nationals are currently the frontrunners to host the game over the Marlins.

Members of the Lerner family have long expressed their desire to bring the All-Star Game to the District, which hosted the event at Griffith Stadium in 1937 and 1956 and then at what became known as RFK Stadium in 1962 and 1969. And MLB officials have supported a Midsummer Classic at Nationals Park since the facility opened in 2008.

The only hangup has been a desire for more commercial development around the ballpark, a process that was stalled by a poor economy. There has been increased construction in the area this year, however, and more is expected to be completed by the time the 2015 game would be played.

If the Nationals don't land the 2015 All-Star Game, they would again be frontrunners for the 2017 game, which Selig prefers alternates each year between NL and AL ballparks.

Though Minnesota's Target Field and the new Yankee Stadium are the only recently opened AL ballparks that have yet to host an All-Star Game, there are several NL franchises that are still waiting to land the game at their recently opened parks: the Nationals, Marlins, Padres, Reds and Phillies.

"Teams are desperate for the game, and I really have my hands full trying to juggle through the next few years trying to be as fair as possible," Selig said today during a Q&A session with members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. "Ten, 15 years ago you had to beg people to take it. You had to offer them some other kind of carrots for them to take this game."

Meanwhile, next year's altered schedule -- a byproduct of the Astros moving to the AL to give both leagues 15 clubs -- is likely to reduce the number of times the Nationals and Orioles play each other.

Players association executive director Michael Weiner, who also held a Q&A with BBWAA members, said all teams from one division will play 15 games against another division from the opposite league each year (e.g. every NL East team will play three games against every AL Central team). Interleague teams deemed as "traditional" rivals would then only play three games against each other, meaning the Nationals and Orioles would play one season in Washington and then the next season in Baltimore.

There is a chance, Weiner said, that the interleague rivals could instead play four total games each season: two in one city, two in the other.

12 comments:

Holden Baroque said...
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Holden Baroque said...
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Gonat said...

That is a positive sign and then it will be see you in 30 more years.

MicheleS said...

Gonat. In 30 years I will be retired in Florida.. where ever the Nats are at in Spring Training. I want tha AllStar game!!!!

Gonat said...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/post/michael-bourn-says-nationals-were-interested-in-him/2012/07/10/gJQAx7huaW_blog.html
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This confirms the rumors about Bourn to Washington last year although I still think Ed Wade of Houston had a few secret handshake deals as Houston got ripped off as Bourn was traded with cash for for Jordan Schafer, Brett Oberholtzer, Paul Clemens, and Juan Abreu, and the Braves laughed all the way to the bank with the cash and what they gave up.

Atlanta got 2 months of service last year plus this season and the Braves still could trade Bourn at the trade deadline this year and get some prospects that are better than what they gave up last year and only give away 2 months of service.

sm13 said...

Going to the All Star Game in DC: Priceless!!

JaneB said...

So. My selfish question is: How do they sell the seats? Do hometown fans and/or STHolders get an early crack at them, or will they sell out in seconds to scalpers? I have no idea how it works, but I'm planning my July 2015 now.

natsfan1a said...

I'll believe it when I see it, but it would be very cool.

Faraz Shaikh said...
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Ken said...

How does Minnesota potentially get the nod over the Dodgers to host the All-Star game in 2014, when the Dodgers have been waiting fives years longer than the Twins have?

The five longest waits for an All-Star game as of right now are:

1) Dodgers - 32 years
2) Nationals - 30 years (43 years if count the Senators)
3) Twins - 27 years
4) Athletics - 25 years
5) Reds - 24 years

As you can see, the Twins have no business hosting an All-Star game until the 2016 season.

Holden Baroque said...

Kenz, they alternate AL/NL.

Diz said...

Ticket packages, I assume, will be like for other All Star venues for MLB.

As a STH, you will have to buy the Futures Game, HRD, and All-Star Game, so expect the packages for each seat to be quite high.

But to get the game here would be amazing. It would make my early seasons worth it. Been a STH since '05 and I've been dreaming for a season like this one. I am 13 - 1 at home so far. Woohoo!!!

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