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Photos: Mr. Met Joins Mayor Bloomberg To Announce Citi Field Will Host 2013 All-Star Game
By
Ben Yakas
Published May 16, 2012
Modified May 16, 2012
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By
Ben Yakas
Published May 16, 2012
Modified May 16, 2012
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The Blue Room at City Hall was an especially appropriate setting today for the announcement that the Mets will host the 2013 All-Star Game. Mayor Bloomberg was joined by MLB commissioner Bud Selig, Mets owner Fred Wilpon, Mets COO Jeff Wilpon, MLB Executive Vice President Joe Torre, and Citi Field's most beloved resident Mr. Met to make the announcement. "Competition for All-Star Games over the last five years has been enormous," Selig said during the press conference. "The new ballpark, Citi Field, that was certainly a primary reason for it. It was their time in a new ballpark."
The game is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, July 16, 2013. This will be the second time ever that the Mets have hosted the game; the last time was in 1964 (you can see highlights from that game below). Bloomberg went out of his way to "recount" that previous game: "It was a game to remember. I do for sure. My recollection is that the National League came from behind in the bottom of the ninth inning and won 7-4 on a walk-off home run. Do I have that right? Probably do. If I don't, the speechwriter is going to have a new job tomorrow."
"This is a great event for New York," said Fred Wilpon, who was using a cane after having had hip replacement surgery recently. "If I knew how easy this was, I would have asked the mayor and the commissioner if we could have arranged for us to have the World Series this year, but I don't think that's possible." Bloomberg responded: "I'm counting on a Subway Series this year, just so you know."
This is the record-setting ninth time that the All-Star Game has come to NYC, most recently at Yankee Stadium in 2008 (that one ended up being a dramatic 15-inning game). Bloomberg added that this will be the first time in 25 years that two All-Star Games will be played in such rapid succession in the same media market; more than 176K are expected to participate in the festivities, and the TV/internet audience is expected to exceed 30 million.
Most remarkably, the city expects the five-day event to have a $191.5 million impact on the economy—for some context, the 2008 All-Star Game in NY brought in $148.4 million, and the All-Star Game in Kansas City this year is expected to bring in about $60 million.
Joe Torre talked a bit about his personal experience playing in (and managing) All-Star Games, and why it's not just a chance for players to slack off for a week: "All-Star Games to me were always something special. It gives you a chance to show off. You're there for a reason, you take a lot of pride in what you do...It's a gala, and it's very enjoyable right now."
Tagged
All-Star Game
baseball
bloomberg
bud selig
citi field
fred wilpon
joe torre
mayor bloomberg
mets
mr. met
sports
wilpons
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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