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…