From the MLB All-Star Game, Washington, D.C.
Cleveland’s Progressive Field next year will get its second MLB All-Star Game, a first for the wave of 1990s retro-styled ballpark openings spawned by Oriole Park at Camden Yards. And though Cleveland stands as one of MLB’s smaller media markets, the city will look to leverage its extensive experience hosting big events, most notably a four-month spurt in 2016 that included the Cavaliers’ victory parade drawing an estimated 1 million people, the Republican National Convention and four games of the World Series.
The 2019 host club Indians sent a delegation of more than 40, including various government officials, to Washington, D.C., to shadow and confer with their Nationals and public-sector counterparts. And not surprisingly, they saw how much bigger the All-Star Game festivities are now compared to 1997, when the then-Jacobs Field played host to the game.
“The scale and scope of what this has become obviously jumps out now,” said Dennis Lehman, Indians executive vice president of business and the club’s senior point executive for the All-Star preparations. “It’s actually more than two dozen events in total when you include all the youth participation activities like Play Ball Park, the youth tournaments and these newer components. But we have a compact, walkable city that lends really well to this current model. This will be something that takes over the town.”
A logo unveiling for the 2019 All-Star Game is being planned for an Indians homestand next month.
