If Commissioner Bud Selig has his druthers, the MLB All-Star Game will be making its way to Queens in 2013.
According to ESPN.com, as part of his briefing with national media Tuesday, Selig offered these statements in explaining the decision to have the old Yankee Stadium play host to the event in 2008, in the final year of that ballpark, and whether Citi Field also merited an opportunity to host a game:
"We went back to Yankee Stadium because it was the last year of what I believe was the most famous cathedral in American sports, and maybe the world. And I think it was appropriate to honor.
Frankly, to be candid with you too, I did it because of George [Steinbrenner]. But the Mets have built a great new ballpark and, yes, they deserve an All-Star Game."
It has been widely reported for a couple of years that the Mets will play host to the All-Star Game in 2013, following Arizona next season and Kansas City in 2012.
The last time the Midsummer Classic took place in Queens was in 1964 at Shea Stadium, where the National League All-Stars rallied with four runs in the bottom of the ninth for a 7-4 victory over the American League squad. Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johnny Callison stroked a game-winning three-run home run to cap the comeback effort.
After Citi Field was nominated for 2009 Facility of the Year honors by SportsBusiness Daily and SportsBusiness Journal, it appears to be a virtual lock that the All-Star Game will return to the largest borough in New York after a nearly fifty-year absence.
Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and special video tributes to George M. Steinbrenner, III (1930-2010).
Bud Selig: “Mets deserve an All-Star Game”
