MLB, the Mets and the city of N.Y., as expected, today announced the '13 MLB All-Star Game will be held at Citi Field, with the event slated for Tuesday, July 16. Next year's game will replicate several elements from the successful '08 event at Yankee Stadium, including the MLB FanFest at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. But league officials nonetheless said they will look to put a unique spin on the five-day run of activities compared to '08. MLB Senior VP/Special Events Marla Miller said, "The only real blueprint from before is that we're working with many of the same people (from N.Y. government). It'll have the personality of the Mets, and like always, we'll look to push forward and do new things." Government officials projected next year's game will generate $191.5M in economic impact, more than three times the estimated $60M for this year's game in K.C., and nearly 30% higher than the event record of $148.4M generated in '08.
Mets Owner Fred Wilpon said, "This is one of those things you hope and dream for. This is a great feeling, a great day for us." Wilpon said he was informed by MLB several months ago Citi Field would be the site for next year's All-Star Game, but a formal announcement had been held up due to negotiations with the city on various logistics surrounding the event. Miller, however, said the much-shorter-than-usual lead time between the announcement and the game will not be a detriment. Miller: "It could have been a challenge in some other cities, but again, we have a strong working relationship and a lot of familiarity with New York." To that end, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said the delay in the announcement had nothing to do with Wilpon's Bernie Madoff-related financial woes. Selig: "I have great faith in the Wilpons and the family and I was very confident they would work things out, and they have. I had no trepidation at all."
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The Mets last hosted an All-Star Game in '64 at the now-demolished Shea Stadium. Mets execs said the club, like most ASG host teams, will now look to use the forthcoming game as a tool to boost ticket sales. In particular, the new Party City Deck in left field, created last winter as a result of fences at the ballpark being pulled in, promises to be a very hot ticket for the Home Run Derby. Mets Exec VP/Business Operations Dave Howard said, "This is going to be a tremendous showcase for us, and the ballpark, and a very significant honor.” Selig today said an announcement on the '14 ASG host, widely expected to be Target Field in Minneapolis, will not arrive for "quite a while." At owners meetings in January in Phoenix, Selig at that time said he expected to make announcements on both the '13 and '14 games "in the near future."
