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Thursday, August 30, 2012

2014 MLB All-Star Game goes to Minnesota

Does this mean contracting the Twins is off the table now?

Awarding the 2014 game to the Minnesota Twins and Target Field, it turns out, was one of the easier decisions Selig has made.
“This is the right thing to do and this is the right place to do it,” Selig said Wednesday in making the official announcement.
Selig has long been close with the Pohlad family, which has owned the Twins for decades, especially the late Carl Pohlad. The commissioner stood by his side while he fought for a new ballpark in the late 1990s, a bitter dispute that threatened the franchise’s future in the Twin Cities.

Once the Twins finally won approval to build Target Field, it was only a matter of time before Selig was going to bring the mid-summer classic back to Minnesota. It will be the third time the Twins have hosted the game, following 1965 at Metropolitan Stadium and 1985 at the Metrodome.

RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: August 30, 2012 at 09:42 AM | 43 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: all-star game, bud selig, pohlad family, twins

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1. Harry Balsagne's transparent jealousy

Posted: August 30, 2012 at 11:19 AM (#4222305)

The ASG means less and less to me every year, but I gotta say I'm pretty excited about this.

2. Jose Can Still Seabiscuit Posted: August 30, 2012 at 11:26 AM (#4222319)

I'm happy for Minnesota but disappointed for Chicago. I don't know if the Cubs even went after it but I really thought this year's should have been at Fenway and 2014 at Wrigley. It's not like there are, or for that matter will be, that many parks that reach the century mark in terms of longevity and I think that would have been an appropriate way for MLB to celebrate its history.

Having been in Minnesota this summer I have no doubt they'll do a wonderful job. The park was very nice and the area around it seemed ripe for a great celebration of baseball.

3. andrewberg Posted: August 30, 2012 at 11:28 AM (#4222324)

the Twins finally won approval to build Target Field

That's a funny way to think of it. Do parents win approval to get their kids Christmas presents?

4. Stretch Posted: August 30, 2012 at 11:41 AM (#4222347)

Don't they rotate the game between NL and AL every other year?

5. boteman Posted: August 30, 2012 at 11:45 AM (#4222355)

I guess the Lerners are waiting to figure out how to get somebody else to pay Metro to stay open late, THEN they will see about getting the ASG at their aging ballpark.

6. SoSH U at work Posted: August 30, 2012 at 11:47 AM (#4222359)

Don't they rotate the game between NL and AL every other year?

Historically yes, with a few exceptions, the most recent being 2006-07, when the Pirates and Giants hosted the game in succesion. That was the only time since the dual games of the 1960s where they didn't rotate (before that, it was done a few times in the 50s).

I don't know why the NL went back-to-back in 06-07, unless Bud simply didn't have any AL clubs to reward for their successful extortion efforts in that span.

7. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: August 30, 2012 at 11:53 AM (#4222372)

Historically yes, with a few exceptions, the most recent being 2006-07, when the Pirates and Giants hosted the game in succesion. That was the only time since the dual games of the 1960s where they didn't rotate (before that, it was done a few times in the 50s).

And there's going to be an issue going forward as there are several new NL ballparks that still haven't hosted (Cincy, Philly, San Diego, Washington, NY Mets) and Wrigley and Dodger haven't hosted in a long time, while the only new park in the AL that hasn't hosted is the Yankees, and they just hosted in 2008. The longest drought since hosting in the AL is Oakland (1987) and they won't host again til they get a new ballpark. Tampa has never hosted, and I don't think they will until they approve a new park. Then its Toronto (1991) and Baltimore (1993).

8. JJ1986 Posted: August 30, 2012 at 11:54 AM (#4222377)

(Cincy, Philly, San Diego, Washington, NY Mets)

Mets are getting 2013.

9. DL from MN Posted: August 30, 2012 at 11:54 AM (#4222378)

So, who's next? Washington?

10. Guapo Posted: August 30, 2012 at 12:03 PM (#4222395)

2015 should be DC or Miami. I'm guessing DC is frontrunner, but that could be wishcasting.

11. Shock Posted: August 30, 2012 at 12:04 PM (#4222397)

Didn't we already know this?

12. DL from MN Posted: August 30, 2012 at 12:15 PM (#4222426)

Mets are getting 2013.

With the Yankees getting 2008 and Mets 2013 I can't see New Yankee Stadium hosting until after 2020.

I think Bud wants the ASG in the nation's capital for 2015.

Tampa Bay should get to host once, new stadium or not. It would give them a nice boost to their season ticket sales. Slide them into 2016.

Houston will be an "AL team" soon. When did they host last?

13. TerpNats Posted: August 30, 2012 at 12:24 PM (#4222448)

Houston will be an "AL team" soon. When did they host last?

2004.

14. JoeHova Posted: August 30, 2012 at 12:52 PM (#4222507)

This is cool. Maybe I'll try to get some tickets but I bet they will be fairly hard to get. I wonder when they go on sale?

15. morineko Posted: August 30, 2012 at 01:20 PM (#4222579)

#5: That's the one thing the Twins have under control: Part of Target Field is actually a commuter rail station and Metro Transit has an arrangement where that train will leave 30 minutes after the last out. There's also a park and ride bus from Minnetonka that leaves an hour after the last out. The current light rail route that terminates at Target Field has its last train leaving at 1:13 AM and then takes a few hours off, starting up for the next work day at 4:02 AM. There are quite a few in-city bus routes that run all night. The new light rail route between St. Paul and Minneapolis should be in operation by the 2014 ASG.

Public transport here is generally awesome although I really wish the last bus to my apartment complex would leave downtown St. Paul 10 minutes later so I could actually commute to work.

16. DL from MN Posted: August 30, 2012 at 01:24 PM (#4222584)

LA Angels got the ASG in 2010 so I'm not feeling the pain of the Dodgers. Likewise the A's can get shafted until there's a new ballpark because SF was host in 2007.

This would work okay:
2013 - NY
2014 - MN
2015 - DC
2016 - TB
2017 - Reds (longest drought of the new stadium guys)
2018 - Miami (or San Diego)
2019 - Probably the longest they can hold off the Yankees.
2020 - San Diego (or Miami)
2021 - Oakland / SJ new ballpark??
2022 - Philly? LA Dodgers? Cubs?
2023 - Toronto?

17. DL from MN Posted: August 30, 2012 at 01:30 PM (#4222594)

The new light rail route between St. Paul and Minneapolis should be in operation by the 2014 ASG.

I think the new Interchange will be done by then also. That could be a fantastic gathering place.

http://www.minnpost.com/cityscape/2012/07/get-ready-interchange-minneapolis’-grand-central-station-–-and-then-some

18. DL from MN Posted: August 30, 2012 at 01:31 PM (#4222597)

Ticket sales will be offered to full season ticket holders first.

19. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: August 30, 2012 at 01:53 PM (#4222641)

This would work okay:
2013 - NY
2014 - MN
2015 - DC
2016 - TB
2017 - Reds (longest drought of the new stadium guys)
2018 - Miami (or San Diego)

Yes, but THIS TIME IT COUNTS, so its unfair the NL gets to host in back-to-back years!

20. DL from MN Posted: August 30, 2012 at 02:16 PM (#4222685)

By the time they need to decide 2018 there should be a new commissioner to lobby.

21. Charlie O Posted: August 30, 2012 at 04:10 PM (#4222887)

22. God Posted: August 30, 2012 at 04:29 PM (#4222916)

Great. Now they'll get turned down by everyone to captain the AL HR Derby squad, because whoever does it will be under intense pressure to select the Twins' lone All-Star Joe Mauer and his 4 home runs.

23. God Posted: August 30, 2012 at 04:35 PM (#4222926)

The Dodgers really are getting ###### over here. There are 30 MLB teams and it will be at least 35 years between All-Star Games in LA. (It was last there in 1980.) Flagship franchise and all that. They've been campaigning hard to get it for about the last seven years too. Basically they're being punished for building an awesome stadium the first time around.

24. AT-AT at bat@AT&T Posted: August 30, 2012 at 05:23 PM (#4222982)

I find the ASG a big bore. It's been many years since I watched it. With interleague play and nearly every game on TV, there's no longer any mystique about the players in the "other" league. IMO, the worst days of summer are the three days MLB takes off for the All-Star break.

you wrote what my now melky heart has been thinking/pumping for a long, long time !
my heart even wonders about interleague play, no-sunlight-industrial-themed parks and the DH rule (thump thump...thump) ... the 2x wildcard rule is nice, unless you lead by a mile after 162 and then go home with nothing (also see: REDS or RANGERS)!

25. DL from MN Posted: August 30, 2012 at 05:42 PM (#4223008)

The Dodgers really are getting ###### over here.

They can thank the Angels. The Angels have had an ASG twice since the last one in Dodger Stadium and they got one in 1967 too. I wouldn't complain too loudly about one ASG every 35 years. Once every 30 years is the average. LA has had 4 in 48 years.

26. God Posted: August 30, 2012 at 07:04 PM (#4223054)

Anaheim is not Los Angeles. LA has had one in 55 years. And for most of that time, there weren't 30 major league teams.

27. phredbird

Posted: August 30, 2012 at 08:35 PM (#4223099)

yeah, i would say from what i've read here that LA is overdue.

28. you got a STEAGLES? you're gonna need a STEAGLES. Posted: August 30, 2012 at 08:50 PM (#4223107)

so, the oldest stadium in the national league is wrigley field. the next oldest stadium is dodgers stadium. and the third oldest stadium in the national league right now is...

...coors field, in colorado, which opened in 1995. after that, atlanta's stadium debuted in 1997, arizona's stadium debuted in 1998, and then there was a boom in construction in the early aughts (CIN, PIT, MIL, HOU, SFG, STL, SDN, and PHI).

29. SoSH U at work Posted: August 30, 2012 at 08:56 PM (#4223113)

LA has had one in 55 years.

And two in 56.

And for most of that time, there weren't 30 major league teams.

From the time they hosted in 1959 to the time they next hosted in 1980, the league grew to 26 teams. Two teams had the game twice between L.A.'s hosting duties (NY and Wash.) while the Dodgers had two in between Baltimore and Chicago gigs (and before the M's, Expos or A's ever got the call).

Now, it's a little more 30 years later so they're obviously due for another. But it's not some terrible injustice.

30. Karl from NY Posted: August 30, 2012 at 09:01 PM (#4223121)

I don't know why the NL went back-to-back in 06-07, unless Bud simply didn't have any AL clubs to reward for their successful extortion efforts in that span.

That, along with Yankee Stadium getting 08 for the final year in that stadium. Even by 2010 there weren't any AL extorters to reward so it went to Anaheim. And 2012 went to KC after their renovation.

Tampa Bay won't get one. Old stadiums never do unless they're Fenway or Yankee. Shea Stadium never hosted again after 1964. No idea what the Angels did to get 2010.

31. charityslave is thinking about baseball Posted: August 30, 2012 at 10:12 PM (#4223165)

Since new Yankee stadium is pretty much a replica of the old Yankee stadium, can't we just skip their turn?

32. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: August 30, 2012 at 10:28 PM (#4223178)

They can thank the Angels. The Angels have had an ASG twice since the last one in Dodger Stadium and they got one in 1967 too. I wouldn't complain too loudly about one ASG every 35 years. Once every 30 years is the average. LA has had 4 in 48 years.

LA and Anaheim are not the same city. Also, Chicago hosted in 1983 (Comiskey), 1990 (Wrigley), and 2003 (US Cellular) and NY will host in 2013 (Mets), just five years after hosting (Yankees).

No idea what the Angels did to get 2010.

Major stadium renovations.

33. DL from MN Posted: August 30, 2012 at 10:41 PM (#4223189)

I've been to both stadiums. LA and Anaheim are pretty much the same city. It's apparently the same group of entitled whiners.

so, the oldest stadium in the national league is wrigley field. the next oldest stadium is dodgers stadium. and the third oldest stadium in the national league right now is...

You can do that for the American League too - Fenway Park, Oakland Coliseum, Kauffmann Stadium...... Skydome. I know technically the Big A hasn't moved but they did gut it.

I don't disagree that LA, Chicago and New York get the ASG too often. It's ridiculous Tampa Bay hasn't had the game yet.

34. Bowling Baseball Fan Posted: August 30, 2012 at 11:16 PM (#4223203)

An ASG in Tampa would rewarding an awful ballpark. The team deserves something for winning in their situation. A WS title would be good. :)

35. Xander Posted: August 31, 2012 at 12:17 AM (#4223244)

2016 - TB

Not enough LOLZ in the world for that one.

36. Tuque

Posted: August 31, 2012 at 12:46 AM (#4223255)

There are quite a few in-city bus routes that run all night.

Tangentially, I'm not sure I can think of anything more unpleasant than waiting for a bus in the middle of a Minneapolis winter night.

Edit: other than maybe genocide.

37. DL from MN Posted: August 31, 2012 at 10:59 AM (#4223528)

An ASG in Tampa would rewarding an awful ballpark.

You mean like the ASG that were played in Metrodome, Oakland Coliseum, Kingdome, Riverfront Stadium, Stade Olympique, etc? An ASG in Tampa would be acknowledging that they have had a major league baseball franchise for 16 years and have never had an All-Star Game.

38. Jose Can Still Seabiscuit Posted: August 31, 2012 at 11:36 AM (#4223578)

Tampa has as much right to an ASG as any other team. There is also about as much chance of me playing shortstop for the Red Sox next year as there is of Bud and friends giving Tampa an ASG without a new stadium being built.

39. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: August 31, 2012 at 11:43 AM (#4223587)

You mean like the ASG that were played in Metrodome, Oakland Coliseum, Kingdome, Riverfront Stadium, Stade Olympique, etc? An ASG in Tampa would be acknowledging that they have had a major league baseball franchise for 16 years and have never had an All-Star Game.

Or Forbes Park, Griffith Stadium and the Polo Grounds!

Those were all pre-Bud. The rules of the game are pretty clear, build a new stadium, or renovate an existing one, that's how you get an ASG.

40. Mike Emeigh

Posted: August 31, 2012 at 12:14 PM (#4223642)

The Cell could host in 2018 - 85th anniversary of the first game. MLB put the 50th anniversay game at Comiskey and the 70th at the Cell. That might be too soon, but I can't imagine they will wait until 2033 before the White Sox host again.

Tampa has as much right to an ASG as any other team. There is also about as much chance of me playing shortstop for the Red Sox next year as there is of Bud and friends giving Tampa an ASG without a new stadium being built.

Concur. Ditto Oakland. But as soon as either gets a ballpark built, the ASG will be there.

-- MWE

41. SoSH U at work Posted: August 31, 2012 at 12:27 PM (#4223673)

I can't imagine they will wait until 2033 before the White Sox host again.

If Chicago hosted the 70th anniversary game, the 2033 game would be the absolute next time the Sox are due to host.

42. DL from MN Posted: August 31, 2012 at 01:09 PM (#4223725)

They've pretty much run out of new stadiums in the AL. Are we going to see a run of 5 NL parks in a row?

43. Karl from NY Posted: August 31, 2012 at 02:45 PM (#4223854)

New Yankee is an AL stadium that will get one before much longer, could be as soon as 2018. NY three times in a decade won't be an obstacle to showing off the new money-oozer, since there aren't any other compelling options. Then they'll have to start rotating back to already-existing stadiums though. Camden could get another, it's still pretty spiffy and well-liked.

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2014 MLB All-Star Game goes to Minnesota

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