AP: Yankee Stadium to host 2008 All-Star game

[PC]

Ballpark will be site of midsummer classic in final season before New York moves to new facility

January 31, 2007, 10:11 AM EST

NEW YORK -- Yankee Stadium is going out with an All-Star salute.

The ballpark will host the All-Star game in 2008, the final season before the New York Yankees move into a new stadium being built across the street in the Bronx.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg were on hand Wednesday at City Hall for the announcement, which had been expected.

It will be the fourth All-Star game at Yankee Stadium, which underwent an extensive renovation in the mid-1970s. The most recent summer showcase in The House That Ruth Built was in 1977, when the National League won 7-5 for the sixth of 11 consecutive victories over the AL.

Now, the American League has nine wins and a tie in the past 10 All-Star games going into this year's contest July 10 in San Francisco. The 2009 game will be played in St. Louis.

Yankee Stadium also was the site of All-Star games in 1939 and 1960.

Copyright ? 2007, The Associated Press

In other words, the new stadium in Washington will have to wait, at least, a year. 

[shoeshineboy]

The earliest possible is 2011, and we probably don't want to host it much before then anyway. We need to let the area around the stadium to get more developed.

[Vladman1327]

I will certainly try to go to this all-star game.  That would be fun.

[DPMOmaha]

The earliest possible is 2011, and we probably don't want to host it much before then anyway. We need to let the area around the stadium to get more developed.

St. Louis sticks in my mind for this year and I think San Francisco is on the docket in 09?  Where are they planning on having the '10 game?

[2k6nats]

St. Louis sticks in my mind for this year and I think San Francisco is on the docket in 09?  Where are they planning on having the '10 game?

Some American League team.  If I had to take a guess, I'd say Angel Stadium of Anaheim.

[soxfan59]

St. Louis sticks in my mind for this year and I think San Francisco is on the docket in 09?  Where are they planning on having the '10 game?

Yes, you're right on both counts. 

It's hard to tell who will get the 2010 game.  I don't recall if there are any AL teams scheduled to get new ballparks -- MLB tends to give it to new parks as soon as possible.  I will say that Kansas City hasn't hosted the game since 1973 and Bud Selig somewhere said that they would get to host a game before 2015 (I think), and Tampa Bay has never hosted an all star game (maybe MLB is trying to avoid the monstrosity that is Tropicana Field).  Anaheim is also a good prediction -- they last had it in 1989. 

If you follow trends, every team should host the thing about once every 30 years or so, though some teams get it more often.  The White Sox have gotten the game in 1983 and 2003 because of the anniversary of the first game there in 1933.  The Pirates had it twice in 10 years, but they have a new park. 

I think the Nats have a great shot at 2011, or if not, 2013.  Remember too that Arizona and Florida have never hosted the game, and the Mets have gone a really, really long time without an all star game (thought having the game in New York in 2008 could delay that even further).

[DPMOmaha]

Well, Oakland and Minnesota are both building new parks as are the Marilins, reportedly.  However, none of them are scheduled to be open before 2010.  If KC's park wasn't in the middle of nowhere, it'd be a great location for the game.  It's one of my favorite places I've been, great layout, just a fun environment. 

[2k6nats]

I've read a few articles about different baseball stadiums and how they match up.  Usually whenever someone does that, Kaufmann Stadium (Royals) and PNC Park (Pirates) finish at the top.  McAfee Stadium (A's), Shea Stadium (Mets), and our beloved RFK finish last.  Sadly, I've only been to Shea and Fenway.  Personally, I liked Shea because it was easy to get to everything, but there wasn't much out of the ordinary.  Fenway was not accessible at all, but the park itself is incredible.

[Dave B]

Yankee stadium is definitely worth a visit before they tear it down.  If no other reason than Bob Sheppard, the PA announcer.  If anybody sounds like God, it is him.  They really need to digitize his voice before he dies.  I think he also sometimes takes off innings 3-7.

Two things I associate with Yankee Stadium, him and the smell of hot pretzels outisde the stadium (at least I think it is hot pretzels) It is a ver y unique smell. Like burning salt or something