Cleveland Ready to Rock - Five Things to Know about All Star Week

By: Noel Young

CLEVELAND - The rock and roll capital of the world is weeks away from hosting the MLB All Star festivities. Here are five things to know about All-Star week.

1: Cleveland is a familiar home to the All-Star Game

After the completion of the All-Star festivities, Cleveland will have been host to the All-Star Game six times. Only two cities have hosted the All-Star Game more frequently (Chicago, 7 and New York, 9). 

Cleveland hosted the All-Star Game at the old MunicipalStadium in 1935, 1954, 1963, and 1981. In 1997, Cleveland hosted the All-Star Game at their current venue Progressive Field, then referred to as Jacobs Field or affectionally nicknamed “The Jake”. The 1997 game was renowned for a game-winning home run by Sandy Alomar Jr., now current First Base Coach of the Indians and 2019 All-Star Game Ambassador. 

2: Hosting the All-Star Game is an economic boon to Cleveland, but the impact to youth and communities will be just as valuable

Per the Baseball Almanac, the All-Star Game is expected to have a local economic impact of $65 million. Driving this growth will be the hundreds of thousands of visitors that are expected to converge in Cleveland, including well over 2,000 members of the media. All in all, hosting the All-Star Game is a huge opportunity for Cleveland to promote its rich history, famed sites like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and growing dining and nightlife scene.

While the economic impacts cannot be understated, there willalso be tremendous benefits to the local community. The All-Star Legacy Initiative has contributed $5 million to numerous community enrichment programs, including renovation of youth baseball/softball fields and a local Boys & Girls Club. 

Interestingly, the All-Star Legacy Initiative first began in 1997 when Cleveland last hosted the All-Star Game. Since that introduction, the project and associated host cities have donated more than $90 million to local charities. 

3: The Indians should have 3 All-Stars to represent the hometown team this year

Despite the fact that the Tribe got off to a slower than expectedstart this season, there are several players expected to represent the current team at this year’s All-Star Game: 

Carlos Santana, 3B: Santana is Cleveland’s only finalist in fan voting after a strong first half of the season. After batting a healthy .290 with 18 HR and 48 RBI’s, Santana is poised to earn his first All-Star appearance.

Brad Hand, P: Hand has been one of the most dominant closers this season, posting 22 saves and a sparkling 2.36 ERA in 34 innings pitched. It’s expected he will be selected by the Commissioner’s Office. Hand has made two previous All-Star Games (2017 and 2018). 

Francisco Lindor, SS: Lindor faced a stacked group of AL shortstops and, unfortunately, did not make it through fan voting. His numbers, however, speak for themselves. Lindor continues to rake this year with a .298 BA, 12 HR, and 27 RBI in only 61 games. There is a chance he may be added as a reserve by the Commissioner’s Office which, if selected, would be Lindor’s fourth All-Star appearance. 

4: The new Playball Park is the the largest interactiveballpark in the world

Not sure what to do before/after the big events? Hosted at the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland, the Playball Park is a 5-day indoor/outdoor interactive baseball experience for all ages. Fans will be able to take swings in batting cages, get autographs from players, compete in a VR Home Run Derby, and even ride a zip line over the festivities. With plenty of food, shopping, and live music, the Playball Park will be a fun way for fans to experience baseball in a variety of new ways.

5: If you want to attend the big game, be prepared to spend close to $200 to stand

The lowest price ticket available on StubHub (MLB’s authorized ticket reseller) is going for $189.96 for standing room only. If you would prefer a seat, be prepared to shell out $328.00 for the opportunity to watch the action from the nosebleeds. 

Tickets for the Home Run Derby, which has the reputation of being just as popular as the game, can currently be had for $145.00 for standing room only, with lowest seated ticket at $195.00.