All-Star Game might be returning to Wrigley Field |
Although we are in the middle of the MLB offseason, there are several other things to talk about surrounding major league baseball. You have the Winter Meetings right around the corner, as that tends to be when a lot of the free-agent action happens.
You have the International Signing period beginning in January as the Cubs are expected to be active on the international market once again. Throw in the World Baseball Classic returning in March for the first time since 2017, and there will be plenty of baseball for fans to pay attention to in the coming months. However, today we are looking a bit further into the future and the possibility of the Cubs hosting the All-Star game again. It seems like that may become a reality as the Cubs appear to be the favorites, if not the favorite, to land the summer classic in 2025. Should that happen, it would be the first time since the 1990s that this happened, and it is long overdue for the city of Chicago. Unlike most all-star games, the MLB all-star game is arugably the most fun, and perhaps the festivities surrounding the week are even better. From the Celebrity Softball game to the Futures game to the patented Home Run derby, all-star week in Major League Baseball is something fans live for as they turn out in groves. Can you imagine how fun a home run derby or celebrity softball game at the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field would be? In an age where more stadiums are being built or renovated, Wrigley Field has been passed up a few times as baseball has tried to get new stadiums to host. Look no further than 2024 summer when Globe Life Park in Arlington will be the host just three years after opening. You also have T-Mobile Field in Seattle hosting it this summer; ironically, this will be the second time since 2001 they hosted the event. The last time, Cubs fans witnessed Sammy Sosa in the home run derby as he made the final round before bowing out. Once you get past 2024, things are a bit undecided, although Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia gets to host in 2026. As things sit today, four candidates are leading the way for 2025, with Wrigley Field being one of them. The other three are Toronto, Baltimore, and Atlanta, but it should be Toronto and Chicago as they have gone the longest since hosting the event. Granted, Wrigley Field is not one of these new flashy buildings, but it is still Wrigley Field and one of the nostalgias of professional sports. From the history to just being part of the neighborhood vibes that come from the area, Wrigley Field is meant for baseball and is how baseball should be played. Fans flock to the stadium no matter how good or bad this Cubs team is, although their attendance did take a bit of a hit this season. Putting a home run derby and an all-star game would be a fantastic setting, especially when Wrigley Field was recently remodeled. This has been a plan ever since the Ricketts family kicked off the 1060 Project. Dreams of the Midsummer Classic returning to Wrigleyville for the first time since 1990 have taken hold of Cubs fans - and with that project officially wrapped up, it's now just a matter of when. Throw in construction on the massive new sportsbook in the lot adjacent to Wrigley Field, and the thought of the entire neighborhood - and city, rolling out the red carpet for the All-Star Game is undoubtedly exciting. So many cities have to work to drum up the excitement in Wrigleyville on any given day during the summer. All these factors make it seem like a slam dunk or a foregone conclusion that the midsummer classic will be returning soon. Now it must go down to a vote as the Cubs, and the city of Chicago hope this can come full circle.
