MLB: Three New Homes For 2021 MLB All-Star Game To Be Played
In light of MLB moving the 2021 All-Star Game from Atlanta, here are three new homes the league should consider for the Midsummer Classic.
Well, in case you missed it, the 2021 MLB All-Star Game is on the move.
Which means Atlanta’s loss is about to be some other city’s gain. And probably quite quickly, given all the logistics a new host city will have to figure out with less than four months to go before All-Star Week.
For remember, it is not just a singular game being moved. The whole suite of All-Star events comes with it, from Fanfest, to the Futures Game, to the Home Run Derby, to the Midsummer Classic itself. Three of those at least take place at the same location- whatever stadium is selected. Fanfest though, at least in traditional years, might see more people in attendance than the rest of the events combined. Days of autographs, memorabilia sales, and interactive experiences for the fans means a large convention center, and plenty of hotels and attendees to book. Perhaps Covid-protocols end up canceling that event once again. But if not, those preparations need to start yesterday.
In addition to all of that, the actual MLB Draft is part of this package too now. This season was to be the debut of the latest attempt by the league to spice up the draft: holding it midseason and attaching it the All-Star festivities. Maybe a simple fix lies there too, in simply reverting to doing it the old way for one more year.
The Big Three events though need a new home for certain, and Rob Manfred needs to make a call on that ASAP. What follows are the three best fits for a new home for the 2021 MLB All-Star Game.
The three best homes, with some caveats that is.
Undoubtedly, as political calculations factored into the decision to move the game in the first place, they will factor into where the game now goes. This article won’t attempt to play politics, beyond acknowledging that some cities and states weren’t considered on account of political realities. Primarily, that’s about whether or not a venue resides in a state considering changes similar to those made by the State of Georgia.
Health policies are still a factor as well. Personally, I toyed with the idea of suggesting Toronto, before remembering that Canada still doesn’t want the Blue Jays there. Much less thousands of Red Sox and Yankees fans spilling across the border. Domestically, plenty of states with prime locations have far more stringent health and safety guidelines than others right now.
And as for the Texas- they just got to host the World Series. There might need to be an investigation if more MLB love is heaped upon the Lone Star State.
With that said, let’s get creative. Here are the three best fits I can see for the new home of the 2021 All-Star Game, starting with…
MLB All-Star Game Site # 1: Sweet Home Chicago
To be fair, MLB does have two options when it comes to the city of Chicago.
However, I think we all know which one is the more likely selection.
The last time Wrigley Field hosted the All-Star Game? That would be 1990. An eternity for one of the league’s most beloved franchises, and more importantly in this case, more beloved stadiums. The City of Chicago itself has only gone since 2003 without hosting the event, when the game was played at the White Sox ballpark. Still, that’s a really long time for a city that only trails New York in number of All-Star Games hosted, and with that rich of a baseball tradition.
Wrigley itself has undergone extensive renovations over the last few seasons, making it much more attractive to the league than it had previously been. The city certainly boasts plenty of amenities to make a big event out of the whole thing, from the practical considerations of two major airports to more fun consideration of a bevy of hotel and dining options.
At the end of the day, Chicago is Chicago. It’s hard to get much more in the middle of things than the Windy City. Aside from Braves fans that will be angry no matter what, only St. Louis Cardinals fans will be upset with this choice. It’s the safest bet, and frankly, one you should probably expect to hear announced by the end of the weekend.
But that’s the easy choice for MLB, and you were promised creativity. Let’s get to the next option…
MLB All-Star Game Site # 2: Omaha – It’s Somewhere In Middle America
If MLB really wants to go for the dead middle of the country, Omaha trumps even Chicago for pulling off that particular bit of geographic and political balance.
Unless you’re an Oklahoma Sooners fan, ask yourself: have you ever found yourself to be actually bothered by Nebraska? I thought not.
Plus, it’s also a city indelibly tied to baseball on account of the College World Series.
Omaha’s baseball venue is no mere minor league stadium: TD Ameritrade park can hold nearly 25,000 spectators, with the ability to add on nearly 10,000 more. That’s plenty of seats for MLB to work with.
This selection also pairs extremely well with the MLB Draft portion of the All-Star Game package. The projected top picks in the draft will likely spend a lot of time in Omaha this June. Holding the MLB Draft in Omaha, between the College World Series and MLB All-Star Game, would seem to offer all kinds of marketing opportunities. The Future is Now, The Future Is In Reach, All Stars are All Stars….
Write these down, Rob.
No one would be bothered by it. The city can obviously handle it, as it would basically just be an extra few weeks of what they had been dealing with already. Half the scouts and reporters going can just extend their reservations. It’s a great chance to build up excitement about the MLB Draft- something the league really needs to do in their perceived race with the NBA and NFL.
Really, it makes too much sense. Which is why it won’t happen. So let’s turn to the last choice…
MLB All-Star Game Site # 3: Puerto Rico
Why not play the 2021 MLB All-Star Game at Hiram Bithorn Stadium?
Hey, if nothing else, we can talk about that one season the Expos played a bunch of games there.
Seriously though, this would be a home run for the league if they really want to trumpet their willingness to embrace diversity. This could also really help out a community that passionately cares about baseball, and lost a lot economically as a result of the pandemic. Puerto Rico relies very heavily on tourism dollars, a revenue source that has dried up dramatically over the past year.
Among the things lost? An MLB regular season series.
Playing the All-Star Game in London- another non-contiguous city that also lost a baseball game- would be a stretch given the turnaround. Plus, as with Canada, we’re talking another country in that case. A short flight to a U.S. territory poses far less challenges.
And as with Omaha, no MLB fanbase is being jilted. No team owner is getting extra money that one of their twenty-nine fellow owners is not.
This is one that would likely be the most exciting to baseball fans of the three choices presented, as it would absolutely have the novelty factor going for it.
As for fans traveling to this game, it certainly becomes a much more expensive proposition. But is that really a problem? If the main motive is drumming up interest for television ratings, it shouldn’t at all. In that event, just give the tickets away to Puerto Rican children and first responders. If it is done in the spirit of economic relief to the island, then that’s arguably an advantage. And who’s to say how many fans will be permitted in any stadium, anywhere, come July?
Things may be looking up, but we’re not out of this yet. With less fans in attendance than ever before, it’s also never mattered less where the game happens.
Next. MLB Moving All-Star Game. dark
Might as well have some fun with the choice then, MLB. So do us a favor, and don’t just give it to the Yankees.