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Red Sox ask to host
2012 All-Star Game
The Red Sox will celebrate Fenway Park's 100th anniversary in 2012, and they are hoping to commemmorate their landmark ballpark's birthday by hosting one of baseball's signature events: the All-Star Game.
"We have made a request to [Major League Baseball officials] to have another All-Star Game at Fenway Park in light of the 100-year anniversary and all of the changes that have taken place," Red Sox president and chief executive officer Larry Lucchino said Thursday.
Lucchino confirmed the franchise's request to host another All-Star Game -- preferably during 2012 -- during a media availability session in which he discussed the changes that are being made at Fenway Park during the offseason.
Since the ownership group of John Henry, Tom Werner, and Lucchino purchased the team in 2002, the Red Sox have made upgrades to the ballpark each winter. The work is scheduled to be completed before the start of the 2012 season.
The 2009 All-Star Game is slated for St. Louis, and in 2010 it will be played at Angel Stadium in Anaheim. Sites have not been determined for 2011-2013.
The All-Star Game has been played at Fenway Park three times, most recently in 1999. That particular Midsummer Classic was a rousing success.
Ted Williams, who awed the current players who gathered around him during an emotional pregame ceremony, threw out the first pitch, while starting pitcher Pedro Martinez was named the Most Valuable Player after striking out five of the six batters he faced (Barry Larkin, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Jeff Bagwell).
Fenway also hosted the All-Star Game in 1946 and 1961.
NO brainer for MLB
I attended a Q&A session with John Henry a few years ago, and mentioned this very prospect to him. He said it's something the club would love to do... I'm glad they are actually going trough with it.
And the way I look at it, MLB extended the courtesy to New York for the final season of Yankee Stadium, it's only fair and proper they do the same for Fenway, the first time a stadium hits 100 years old.
That's what we need - another event that most fans won't even be able to get near. But we can sure get to go to an overpriced and overcrowded All Star Fest at the Hynes so I guess that will suffice.
We ought to use the argument that Fenway went 38 years ('61-'99) without hosting an All-Star game to counter people who will argue that a 13-year gap ('99-'12) between games isn't fair to other cities.
Great. After that can we blow the dump up and build a new stadium? Please?
I think that would be a great way to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ballpark. Non-Red Sox fans will b!tch because we had it in 1999, but occasions like this should be up for special consideration.
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Perhaps that is why they are installing firework cannons? Thus, we can have the look of other ball parks. I find this sorrowful.
"Again? You just had it in 1999!," 29 other teams will whine, and with good reason -- but here's hoping 100-year-old Fenway Park will host the 2012 All-Star Game anyway. Looking at the history of the midsummer classic, four times in 80 years isn't being overly greedy, especially since there were only 16 venues contesting for hosting privileges for nearly half that span.
Granted, Fenway must inevitably face the wrecker's ball, but may it please the baseball gods, let that happen after Wrigley's equally-inevitable demise, so that Fenway will hold the all-time most-MLB-seasons-hosted record in perpetuity.
Can it be true that in 2009, the third-oldest field in the Majors will be ... Dodger Stadium?
There's no way MLB is going to approve this. They just had the ASG in 1999. Henry-Werner-Lucchino are egomaniacs.
@Bat Insider
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