Padres Could Host All-Star Game In 2017

The All-Star Game may be coming back to San Diego. According to Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union Tribune, the Padres submitted a bid to host baseball’s Midsummer Classic this past week.

The Padres and San Diego previously hosted the All-Star game in 1992. Prior to that, the game first visited San Diego and Jack Murphy Stadium in 1978.

Lin said San Diego Mayor Kevin Falconer and San Diego City Council members would vote whether or not to endorse specifics in the bid on December 15.

Cincinnati will play host this year, which means the earliest the game could be played in a National League city is 2017. Outgoing MLB Commissioner Bud Selig is expected to designate the site of both the 2016 and 2017 All-Star Games before he retires in January, Lin said.

Selig, who, in August, was in San Diego and at Petco Field said he was “working on the All-Star Game,” and even went as far as to state at the time that he liked San Diego’s chances to be awarded the game.

This comes shortly after the announcement that Petco Park would include renovations to the area behind left-field, as well as a new 7,600 square foot video scoreboard, in 2015.

In addition, while recently addressing season ticket holders, Padres President and CEO Mike Dee said the team was continuing to work with MLB and “were active” in conversations to bring the game back to San Diego

Eighteen teams have been awarded the All-Star Game at least two times since 1964. However, both Miami and Tampa Bay have never hosted the game, and the Dodgers currently have gone the longest since hosting an All-Star Game in 1980.