Outsports Discussion Board > Report: Pirates to host 2006 All-Star game

Full Version: Report: Pirates to host 2006 All-Star game

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Joe in Philly

Jul 19 2004, 12:14 PM

It'll officially be announced tomorrow. I find this interesting:

QUOTE

Phoenix and San Francisco were also in the running for the All-Star game but the Pirates convinced Major League Baseball the game would significantly boost attendance that has sagged since their first season in PNC Park in 2001...

Since averaging a club-record 30,472 fans during that 100-loss season, the Pirates' crowds have declined more than 10,000 per game to 20,034 - less than they drew during their final two seasons in Three Rivers Stadium.

I can see how it would help for one year, since outside of sponsors, players, team officials and the like, most of the tickets will likely end up being alloted to season ticketholders. But is a one-year bump good enough to justify Pittsburgh's jumping ahead of other cities that haven't gotten their turn?

William1865

Jul 19 2004, 02:08 PM

I just can't imagine there are lots of people in Pittsburgh saying, "Gee, I'd go to more Pirates games if I knew they were going to host an All-Star Game at some point." The only argument I could imagine anyone making is that hosting an ASG might raise awareness or interest in Pittsburgh for the Pirates, but I don't think that's exactly their problem.

[ July 19, 2004, 02:09 PM: Message edited by: William1865 ]

Joe in Philly

Jul 21 2004, 10:51 AM

And another tradition may be biting the dust...

QUOTE

Baseball might abandon its long-standing policy of alternating All-Star sites between National League and American League cities and award the 2007 game to another NL city, commissioner Bud Selig said Tuesday.

Minutes after officially announcing Pittsburgh would host its second All-Star game in 12 years in 2006, Selig said he expects to reveal the 2007, 2008 and 2009 sites later this summer.

With San Francisco, Arizona, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and San Diego all playing in new or relatively new ballparks and St. Louis to follow in 2006, one NL city would have to wait until 2018 for an All-Star game should baseball stay with its traditional but no-longer mandatory rotation.

By contrast, only the refurbished Anaheim Angels ballpark and Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg won't have been All-Star sites among the newer AL parks, once Detroit stages the 2005 game.

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