MLB this afternoon is expected to announce that Nationals Park will host the ‘18 All-Star Game, an event the Lerner family has “made a strong push to host” in recent years, according to sources cited by James Wagner of the WASHINGTON POST. The team “has already been told it will host the 2018 game; it was simply a matter of when the announcement would be made.” Today “is the perfect chance,” as new MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred will be in town, the Nationals are celebrating their 10th anniversary back in the city and it is Opening Day. There is a “new banner in left field at Nationals Park” that may be related to the ASG “but it was covered up during Saturday’s exhibition game.” DC has not had a baseball all-star game since the Senators hosted the game at RFK Stadium in ‘69. This year’s ASG will be held at Great American Ball Park, followed by two other NL sites -- Petco Park in '16 and Marlins Park in '17 (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 4/4). The AP noted with Nationals Park getting the game, three existing ballparks “have yet to be assigned one” by MLB: Yankee Stadium, Tropicana Field and Citizens Bank Park. The Braves are scheduled to move into a new ballpark in two years (AP, 4/6). In L.A., Austin Knoblauch noted Dodger Stadium “was among the potential hosts" for the '18 game. Manfred last month said that he “had preliminary discussions about the Dodgers possibly hosting the game” with team President & CEO Stan Kasten. The Dodgers, who last hosted the game in ’80, “were seen as a relative long-shot” to get the ‘18 game because NL teams “have already been confirmed as hosts for the next three games.” However, the Nationals are also an NL team (LATIMES.com, 4/5).
EFFORTS TO RAMP UP IN CINCY: Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau VP/Communication & Strategic Development Julie Calvert said that with the '15 MLB season getting underway, residents will "now start to see more All-Star Game signage and announcements about events." She said that more than 16,000 hotel room nights are "already booked through MLB for the days before and after the All-Star Game." Calvert added that they are "encouraging fans to book rooms in the Greater Cincinnati area" because "so few rooms are available downtown." She said that organizers are "looking into providing shuttles from hotels." Koch Sportings Goods' Eric Koch said that his store is "trying to look into fun ideas for All-Star week, such as possibly doing special exhibits." He added that "so far, a lot of game T-shirts have sold and some collectors have been in to get the authentic game ball" (Sydney Murray, CINCINNATI ENQUIRER, 4/6).
