Kansas City was given the 2012 All-Star Game on Wednesday night. That’s right, Kansas City.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure it’s a lovely city with enough to do,
or at least enough restaurants and bars to frequent, to keep patrons
moderately satisfied for a few days.
MLB commissioner Bud Selig said
his decision to name Kansas City the 2012 host was influenced by
Jackson County voters’ approval of a sales tax increase in 2006 to
finance $500 million worth of work at Kauffman and Arrowhead Stadium,
the Chiefs’ home turf. Almost in an act of charity, the league’s
commissioner is confident the All-Star Game will increase revenue for
the scuffling franchise.
"I've seen what All-Star games can do for franchises, and this is really going to help [Royals owner] David Glass and the whole Royals organization," Selig told The Associated Press.
It must be Christmas in July for the Royals.
Acts
of kindness aside, it seems that he could have chosen a bit more wisely
for the destination of the 2012 All-Star Game than the city smack dab
in the middle of the United States. Here are five suggestions:
1. Boston
Beantown
made a pitch to host the 2012 All-Star Game, using Fenway Park’s
100-year anniversary as its main selling point. Evidently, the league’s
oldest ballpark hitting the century mark isn’t enough to convince Bud
Selig. Plus, there is plenty to do in Boston for a few days to keep
All-Star Game fans busy. Something tells me Kansas City’s historic
section and tourism budget isn’t quite as impressive as Boston’s.
2. Cincinnati
The
Reds opened their new stadium seven years ago, yet Selig hasn’t jumped
at the chance to give Ohio something to cheer about. Great American
Ballpark offers a name that sounds perfect for an All-Star Game, allowing
the marketing team at MLB headquarters to plaster phrases about our
Great American Pastime on T-shirts, mugs and the like. If Selig is
going to claim he’s fulfilling a promise to Kansas City, how about he
promises Cincinnati something soon?
3. New York, Citi Field
Lady GaGa flipping the bird
aside, Citi Field has every right to host the 2012 All-Star Game. A
brand new ballpark? Check. Struggling ticket sales? Check. Team in need
of a lift? Check. Potential for a huge spectacle? Check. This should
meet everything on Selig’s short list. New York’s Queens team is
consistently leaving 10,000 seats empty, and if any squad could use a
pick-me-up, it’s the team that has been in line for a postseason berth
but managed to blow it two of the last three years. For some reason,
Selig overlooked Citi Field and the potential for celebrity-laden
attendance.
4. Minneapolis
Already being called the
friendliest stadium in the bigs, Target Field is a perfect place for an
All-Star Game. It’s now the main attraction in Minneapolis — somehow
beating out the ever-expanding Mall of America — and cost the Twins
organization a pretty $545 million, offering a state-of-the-art fan
experience. In a battle of Midwest, friendly destinations (and AL
Central clubs), how did Kansas City beat out Minnesota?
5. Baltimore
Baltimore
hasn’t hosted an All-Star Game since 1993. It offers one of the
agreed-upon nicest stadiums in the majors in Camden Yards. It, like
Boston, boasts plenty of attractions for a multi-day stop. Moreover,
the East Coast has been forgotten for this annual mid-year event. Since
1999, only one All-Star Game has been on the East Coast (Yankee Stadium
in 2008). What happened to that East Coast bias sports fans hear so
much complaining about?
