The first All-Star Game was held as part of the 1933 World's Fair at Comiskey Park and was the brainchild of Arch Ward, then sports editor for the Chicago Tribune.[1] Initially intended to be a one-time event, its great success resulted in making the game an annual event, with some years (1959–1962) having two All-Star Games.
Venue selection
[edit]The venue for each All-Star Game is chosen by an MLB selection committee. This choice may be made to commemorate a particular historical occasion, the opening of a new ballpark, or a significant milestone. The criteria for choosing the venue are subjective; for the most part, cities with new parks and cities who have not hosted the game in a long time – or ever – tend to be favored. The venues among the major league franchises: between 1964 and 2015, five teams hosted three times, 13 teams twice, ten teams once, and two teams not at all. The "home team" is the league in which the host franchise plays its games. Through the 2024 season, the American League has hosted 46 times, and the National League has hosted 48 times. Traditionally, the game alternates between the two leagues from year to year with six exceptions:
- 1950–1951 (American League)
- 1952–1953 (National League)
- 1959 both games (National League)
- 1960 both games (American League)
- 1961 second game – 1962 first game (American League)
- 2006–2007 (National League)
This tradition was discontinued after the 2015 game.
As of 2024, one Major League Baseball franchise has never hosted an All-Star Game: the Tampa Bay Rays. The Miami Marlins hosted for the first time in 2017 following the 2012 opening of Marlins Park; although Miami was initially scheduled to host in 2000, MLB eventually moved the game to Atlanta. All-Star games have been played in D.C., hosted by both incarnations of the Washington Senators (now known as the Minnesota Twins and as the Texas Rangers), as well as by the Washington Nationals in 2018.
Of the remaining 27 franchises, the New York Mets had gone the longest period without hosting since their sole hosting duty in 1964, but this streak came to an end at 49 years in 2013. During that span, 18 of the remaining 25 teams have hosted an All-Star Game at least twice since 1964: Atlanta Braves (1972, 2000) Chicago White Sox (1983 and 2003), Cincinnati Reds (1970, 1988, and 2015), Cleveland Indians (1981, 1997, 2019), Detroit Tigers (1971 and 2005), Houston Astros (1968, 1986, and 2004), Kansas City Royals (1973 and 2012), Los Angeles Angels (1967, 1989, and 2010), Milwaukee Brewers (1975 and 2002), Minnesota Twins (1965, 1985, and 2014), New York Yankees (1977 and 2008), Philadelphia Phillies (1976 and 1996), Pittsburgh Pirates (1974, 1994, and 2006), San Diego Padres (1978, 1992, and 2016), San Francisco Giants (1984 and 2007), Seattle Mariners (1979 and 2001), St. Louis Cardinals (1966 and 2009), and Washington Senators/Texas Rangers (1969 and 1995). The Oakland Athletics are now the team with the longest active hosting drought; they have not hosted since 1987.
New stadiums that have not hosted the All-Star Game in cities that have hosted it previously are: Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the new Yankee Stadium in New York City, Truist Park in Atlanta, and Globe Life Field in Arlington. Truist Park was to host the 2021 game, but lost it in response to the passage of the Georgia Election Integrity Act of 2021.[2]
Future All-Star Games will be played at Truist Park in 2025[3] and Citizens Bank Park in 2026, with Philadelphia selected well in advance as a part of the United States Semiquincentennial celebration.[4]
Following the game at the first Yankee Stadium in 2008 in its final season, the Bronx's old stadium joined Cleveland's old Cleveland Stadium (also known as Municipal Stadium prior to its own demolition) as the only venues that have hosted four Major League Baseball All-Star games. New York City has hosted it more than any other city, having done so nine times in five different stadiums; as of 2024, Tampa Bay remains the only major league metropolitan area since the first All-Star Game in 1933 to never have hosted.
List of hosts
[edit]Record of host league
[edit]Host League | Record |
---|---|
National League (Games played in NL stadiums) | 23 Wins, 24 Losses, 1 Tie |
American League (Games played in AL stadiums) | 24 Wins, 21 Losses, 1 Tie |
Total | AL: 48 Wins, NL: 44 Wins, 2 Ties |
Various statistics
[edit]Times hosted by city
[edit]City | Times Hosted | Years |
---|---|---|
New York City | 9 | 1934, 1939, 1942, 1949, 1960, 1964, 1977, 2008, 2013 |
Chicago | 7 | 1933, 1947, 1950, 1962, 1983, 1990, 2003 |
Cleveland | 6 | 1935, 1954, 1963, 1981, 1997, 2019 |
Pittsburgh | 5 | 1944, 1959, 1974, 1994, 2006 |
St. Louis | 5 | 1940, 1948, 1957, 1966, 2009 |
Cincinnati | 5 | 1938, 1953, 1970, 1988, 2015 |
Washington, D.C. | 5 | 1937, 1956, 1962, 1969, 2018 |
Boston | 4 | 1936, 1946, 1961, 1999 |
Detroit | 4 | 1941, 1951, 1971, 2005 |
Philadelphia | 4 | 1943, 1952, 1976, 1996, 2026 |
Kansas City | 3 | 1960, 1973, 2012 |
Milwaukee | 3 | 1955, 1975, 2002 |
San Diego | 3 | 1978, 1992, 2016 |
San Francisco | 3 | 1961, 1984, 2007 |
Houston | 3 | 1968, 1986, 2004 |
Anaheim | 3 | 1967, 1989, 2010 |
Minneapolis | 3 | 1965, 1985, 2014 |
Los Angeles | 3 | 1959, 1980, 2022 |
Seattle | 3 | 1979, 2001, 2023 |
Atlanta | 3 | 1972, 2000, 2025 |
Baltimore | 2 | 1958, 1993 |
Denver | 2 | 1998, 2021 |
Arlington | 2 | 1995, 2024 |
Montreal | 1 | 1982 |
Oakland | 1 | 1987 |
Toronto | 1 | 1991 |
Phoenix | 1 | 2011 |
Miami | 1 | 2017 |
St. Petersburg | 0 | -- |
Times hosted by club
[edit]- The Tampa Bay Rays have yet to host the All-Star Game
Ballparks that have hosted more than one All-Star Game
[edit]Active baseball parks
[edit]- Wrigley Field 1947, 1962, 1990
- Fenway Park 1946, 1961, 1999
- Angel Stadium 1967, 1989, 2010
- Kauffman Stadium 1973, 2012
- Progressive Field 1997, 2019
- Coors Field 1998, 2021
- Dodger Stadium 1980, 2022
- T-Mobile Park 2001, 2023
Discontinued baseball parks
[edit]- Yankee Stadium 1939, 1960, 1977, 2008
- Cleveland Stadium 1935, 1954, 1963, 1981
- Sportsman's Park 1940, 1948, 1957
- Tiger Stadium 1941, 1951, 1971
- Comiskey Park 1933, 1950, 1983
- Polo Grounds 1934, 1942
- Shibe Park 1943, 1952
- Crosley Field 1938, 1953
- Griffith Stadium 1937, 1956
- Forbes Field 1944, 1959
- Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium 1962, 1969
- Milwaukee County Stadium 1955, 1975
- Candlestick Park 1961, 1984
- Houston Astrodome 1968, 1986
- Riverfront Stadium 1970, 1988
- Jack Murphy Stadium 1978, 1992
- Three Rivers Stadium 1974, 1994
- Veterans Stadium 1976, 1996
- Braves Field 1936
- Ebbets Field 1949
- Memorial Stadium 1958
- Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 1959
- Shea Stadium 1964
- Metropolitan Stadium 1965
- Busch Memorial Stadium 1966
- Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium 1972
- Kingdome 1979
- Olympic Stadium (Montreal) 1982
- Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome 1985
- Ballpark in Arlington 1995
- Turner Field 2000
Ballparks that have never hosted an All-Star Game
[edit]Active baseball parks (oldest parks listed first)
[edit]- Tropicana Field, opened in 1990; the Rays have played there since 1998.
- Citizens Bank Park, opened in 2004; the Phillies last hosted the ASG in 1996 in Veterans Stadium (planned to host in 2026, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence).
- Yankee Stadium, opened in 2009; the Yankees last hosted the ASG in 2008 at the original Yankee Stadium.
- Truist Park, opened in 2017; the Braves last hosted the ASG in 2000 at Turner Field. (Planned to host in 2025. Was set to host 2021 All-Star Game, but the game was moved to Denver as a result of Georgia passing a controversial voter suppression bill.)
Discontinued baseball parks (oldest parks listed first)
[edit]- Baker Bowl, the Phillies played there from 1895 to 1938 (the All-Star game began in 1933)
- League Park, the Indians split games between League Park and Cleveland Stadium off and on until the end of the 1946 season
- Seals Stadium, the Giants played there from 1958 to 1959 *
- Wrigley Field of Los Angeles, the Angels played there in 1961 *
- Colt Stadium, the Colt .45s (now the Astros) played there from 1962 to 1964 *
- Sick's Stadium, the Pilots played there in 1969 *
- Jarry Park, the Expos played there from 1969 to 1976 *
- Arlington Stadium, the Rangers played there from 1972 to 1993
- Exhibition Stadium, the Blue Jays played there from 1977 to 1989
- Mile High Stadium, the Rockies played there from 1993 to 1994 *
- Sun Life Stadium, the Marlins played there from 1993 to 2011
A * indicates that the stadium was a temporary facility, used in the short term by a team awaiting the construction of a larger, permanent home park.
The last time each franchise has hosted an All-Star Game
[edit]- from least recent to most recent
- Oakland Athletics, 1987
- Chicago Cubs, 1990
- Toronto Blue Jays, 1991
- Baltimore Orioles, 1993
- Philadelphia Phillies, 1996 (will host the 2026 All-Star Game)
- Tampa Bay Rays, never (Franchise started in 1998)
- Boston Red Sox, 1999
- Atlanta Braves, 2000 (will host the 2025 All-Star Game)
- Milwaukee Brewers, 2002
- Chicago White Sox, 2003
- Houston Astros, 2004
- Detroit Tigers, 2005
- Pittsburgh Pirates, 2006
- San Francisco Giants, 2007
- New York Yankees, 2008
- St. Louis Cardinals, 2009
- Los Angeles Angels, 2010
- Arizona Diamondbacks, 2011
- Kansas City Royals, 2012
- New York Mets, 2013
- Minnesota Twins, 2014
- Cincinnati Reds, 2015
- San Diego Padres, 2016
- Miami Marlins, 2017
- Washington Nationals, 2018
- Cleveland Guardians, 2019
- Colorado Rockies, 2021
- Los Angeles Dodgers, 2022
- Seattle Mariners, 2023
- Texas Rangers, 2024
Hosting All-Star Game and post-season games in same season
[edit]The following teams have hosted the All-Star Game in the summer then proceeded to host post-season games in the fall:
- 1939: New York Yankees – won World Series
- 1946: Boston Red Sox – lost World Series
- 1949: Brooklyn Dodgers – lost World Series
- 1954: Cleveland Indians – lost World Series
- 1959: (Game 2): Los Angeles Dodgers – won World Series
- 1960: (Game 2): New York Yankees – lost World Series
- 1965: Minnesota Twins – lost World Series
League Championship Series play began 1969
- 1970: Cincinnati Reds – lost World Series – also first season for Riverfront Stadium
- 1974: Pittsburgh Pirates – lost NLCS
- 1976: Philadelphia Phillies – lost NLCS
- 1977: New York Yankees – won World Series
- 1983: Chicago White Sox – lost ALCS
- 1986: Houston Astros – lost NLCS
- 1991: Toronto Blue Jays – lost ALCS
Division Series play began 1995
- 1997: Cleveland Indians – lost World Series
- 1999: Boston Red Sox – lost ALCS
- 2000: Atlanta Braves – lost NLDS
- 2001: Seattle Mariners – lost ALCS
- 2004: Houston Astros – lost NLCS
- 2009: St. Louis Cardinals – lost NLDS
- 2011: Arizona Diamondbacks – lost NLDS
- 2022: Los Angeles Dodgers — lost NLDS
Notes
[edit]- ^ Due to NL stadiums being scheduled for 4 consecutive All-Star games, the AL batted second in the 2016 edition despite it being played at an NL stadium to keep the leagues alternating who bats second in each edition. The 2018 game was set to also have this provision before it was changed back to having the league whose stadium is hosting the game bat second.
- ^ The 2021 game was originally scheduled to be held at Truist Park in Atlanta, but it was moved in protest of a controversial voting bill by the Georgia State Legislature. The game in Atlanta was pushed back to 2025.
References
[edit]- ^ "All-Star Game History". Baseball Almanac.
- ^ "MLB moves All-Star Game over Ga. voting law". ESPN. April 2, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ^ "Braves to host 2025 All-Star Game at Truist Park". MLB.com.
- ^ "Philadelphia lands 2026 MLB All-Star Game". ESPN.com. 2019-04-16. Retrieved 2019-04-16.
- ^ "Future MLB All-Star Game Locations". MLB.com. Retrieved 2024-07-19.