QUEENS — The stars will be out in Flushing next July.
Citi Field will be hosting baseball's All-Star Game in 2013, the first Mid-Summer Classic for the Mets in nearly 50 years, officials announced at City Hall Wednesday.
“We are delighted to bring the Mid-Summer Classic to Citi Field," said MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said, at the event, which was also attended by the Amazins' mascot, Mr. Met. "The Mets will be superb hosts to next summer's greatest sporting event.”
Bloomberg said that the decision to award the city the All-Star Game is just further proof that there’s no place like New York for marquee sporting events.
“Major League Baseball clearly recognizes this, since they’re bringing the All-Star Game back to New York for the second time in just five years,” Bloomberg said. The last All-Star game was at Yankee Stadium in 2008.
The mayor anticipates the five-day event, the Mets' first All-Star game since 1964, will draw about 176,000 fans, reporters and other participants to the city and will generate $191.5 million in revenue.
“It will put New York City front and center before a world-wide television and Internet audience expected to exceed 30 million viewers,” he said.
Mets owner Fred Wilpon said that in his three-plus decades in baseball, he has never hosted an All-Star game, making 2013 that much more special.
“This is one of the major events in Major League Baseball, and I’m pleased to be a part of it,” he said.
Former Yankees manager Joe Torre, who also attended the ceremony, said the All-Star Game will always have special significance for him.
“You’re there for a reason and you take a lot of pride in what you do,” said Torre, MLB’s executive vice president for baseball operations.
“I always found that as much of an exhibition as the All-Star Game is, the fact is you’re an All Star, you take a lot of pride in what you do and try to win.”
