It’s been nearly 20 years since Fenway Park has hosted the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, but the Boston Red Sox want to see the drought end.
The question, of course, is when will the Midsummer Classic return to Jersey Street?
Red Sox president and CEO Sam Kennedy has been candid about the organization’s desire to host the All-Star Game. And now, according to The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham, the front office has a date in mind.
Check out this excerpt from Abraham’s Sunday baseball notes:
“The Sox are hoping to host the game in 2029 to mark the 30th anniversary of the last time,” Abraham wrote. “But they’re flexible on the year.
“Hosting the game is dependent more on available hotel rooms and areas to host other MLB fan and sponsor events than the actual ballpark. Fenway handled the World Series more than adequately last fall.”
Kennedy and the Red Sox reportedly are in the information-gathering phase. After working closely with local officials to iron out crucial details — traveling, parking and staying in Boston is so easy to figure out, after all — a proposal will be presented to the league.
The 2019 All-Star Game will be played at Progressive Field in Cleveland with Dodger Stadium scheduled to host next year. The only other park scheduled after that is Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia for 2026.
Boston hasn’t hosted a major sports All-Star game since baseball’s finest gathered around Ted Williams in 1999. The Celtics haven’t hosted the NBA All-Star Game in 53 years (though they’re hoping to get one soon) and the Bruins haven’t hosted the NHL’s midseason celebration since 1996.