Sabrina B. gametimegirl
Major League Baseball officially will award the 2013 All-Star Game to Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, at a ceremony Wednesday at City Hall in Manhattan, baseball sources said.
A pair of All-Star Games had been pledged to New York by MLB years ago — one to coincide with the final year of old Yankee Stadium in 2008, and the other for Citi Field in Queens next year.
The announcement, which is expected to include New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, will make official that pledge to the Mets.
The Mets played host to one other All-Star Game. That came on July 7, 1964, in the team’s first year at Shea Stadium. The National League beat the American League that day 7-4 behind a starting lineup that included Roberto Clemente, Billy Williams, Willie Mays and Don Drysdale.
Kansas City will host this year’s All-Star Game on July 10.
Major League Baseball delayed the official announcement for months because it needed to negotiate with the NYPD and Parks Department regarding staffing, as well as contracts with venues such as the Javits Convention Center, which will host the Fan Fest.
Commissioner Bud Selig did not want to proceed with a formal announcement until those elements were wrapped up so that MLB would not lose leverage in negotiations, a baseball official said.
The festivities, as with the Yankees’ All-Star Game in 2008, will include a procession of All-Stars in vehicles in Manhattan, a concert in Central Park, and a charity run.
“It took a little longer than anyone would have wanted,” a baseball official said.
WRITTEN BY Adam Rubin | ESPNNewYork.com & FULL STORY HERE
