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The MLB All-Star Game makes its first appearance in Miami on July 11 at Marlins Park.
Photo by: GETTY IMAGES |
For the Miami Marlins and the surrounding region, this year’s MLB All-Star Game is a lot about closure.
The 2017 MLB All-Star week events, slated for July 7-11 at Marlins Park and several nearby Miami destinations, mark the first time the midsummer classic has come to South Florida and arrives after more than 20 years of pursuit and setbacks involving three team owners, two league commissioners and two ballparks.
The Marlins in 1995 won the bid to play host to the 2000 All-Star Game at what is now Hard Rock Stadium, only to have the game taken away and moved to Atlanta by MLB after former club owner Wayne Huizenga infamously dismantled his 1997 World Series champion roster. The Marlins’ tumultuous search over more than a decade for a new ballpark was tied in part to landing an All-Star Game. But when Marlins Park finally opened in 2012, the club still fell short to Cincinnati for the 2015 event.
This year’s MLB All-Star Game also could be the last major event at Marlins Park for club owner Jeffrey Loria, who for months has been looking to sell the team.
“This event is a lot of years in the making, and for us, really started when this [current] ownership group arrived in 2002,” said Marlins President David Samson. “This is something we’ve wanted for a very, very long time.”
The Marlins sale process, thought earlier this year to be heading toward a potential conclusion before the All-Star Game, has slowed in recent weeks. But Samson insisted the issue won’t be a distraction during the league’s primary in-season showcase.
“[The sale] is a totally separate lane,” he said. “That situation is what it is. All deals have their own timetables. But the players who are participating and the fans who are coming into town are focused on the event.”
Ticket demand for the three days of ballpark events at Marlins Park is strong, fueled in part by the facility’s status as MLB’s third-smallest ballpark. But as of last week, tickets were still available on the primary market for the All-Star Futures Game, Home Run Derby, and All-Star Game itself. FanFest ticket sales have surpassed 100,000 and are already nearing last year’s final draw of 117,144 in San Diego.
The MLB All-Star Game in Miami also extends an effort initiated last year in San Diego to broaden the scope of events during the week and cater to younger fans who represent a key business target for the league. Rapper Lil Jon and reggaeton star Don Omar will each play concerts at Miami’s Bayfront Park. The Color Run, deployed successfully the last three MLB All-Star Games, has been replaced by a nighttime Electric Run that takes advantage of Miami’s noted nightlife with a post-race afterparty and avoids staging the run during the city’s daytime humidity.
An outdoor yoga event initiated last year has been swapped for a new Zumba event that will include Beto Perez, creator of the popular dance-fitness activity. Play Ball Park, a key element of MLB’s youth engagement efforts during All-Star week, also returns for a second consecutive year and will incorporate participation from Minor League Baseball.
Throughout the week, Miami’s stature as a center of Latin American and Hispanic cultures will be celebrated.
Hispanic and Latino heritage commemorations are planned for the ballpark, FanFest and Play Ball Park.
“We always look to have the character and culture of the host city really inform All-Star, and Miami is certainly no different,” said Marla Miller, MLB senior vice president of special events. “There’s a lot to draw from this market. It’s one that presents a lot of flair and excitement, and of course, a long history with big events.”
Miami has played host to 10 Super Bowls, with an 11th on the way in 2020. But All-Star Games are a newer entity for the region. In addition to never previously hosting baseball’s All-Star Game, Miami has had the NBA’s and NHL’s All-Star Games just once each, in 1990 and 2003, respectively.
One event that did not come together for the MLB All-Star Game, however, was landing Billy Joel to sing “Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out on Broadway),” his hit dating to 1976. The Marlins were particularly interested in securing Joel, and a potential booking was discussed with his management, but Miller said scheduling issues prevented a deal from consummating.
