The midsummer classic is officially coming to Colorado.
Several reports were out on Monday night, but the official announcement came down Tuesday morning in a press release from the team.
“Major League Baseball announced today that the 2021 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard and its surrounding events will be hosted by the Colorado Rockies. The national broadcast of the All-Star Game on FOX will be held on Tuesday, July 13th. Baseball’s 91st Midsummer Classic will be the second-ever in Denver, joining the 1998 event at Coors Field.”
This will be the second time the Rockies will play host to the All-Star game and comes after the franchise and state government were bidding to host the event in the near future.
“MLB chose the Rockies because they were already in the bidding process to host a future All-Star Game. The Rockies had supplied a detailed plan for hotel, event space and security that took months to assemble, and MLB staff had already made several site visits to Denver. In addition, Governor Jared Polis and Mayor Michael Hancock have both committed to provide the necessary facilities and services needed to support this year’s festivities.”
Polis is a known baseball fanatic, and given the dramatic revitalization of the ballpark district since the last All-Star Game in Denver, the timing was perfect for the Rockies to come in and serve as the host club.
“Major League Baseball is grateful to the Rockies, the City of Denver and the State of Colorado for their support of this summer’s All-Star Game,” said commissioner Rob Manfred. “We appreciate their flexibility and enthusiasm to deliver a first-class event for our game and the region. We look forward to celebrating our sport’s best players and entertaining fans around the world.”
“We are excited to host this year’s All-Star festivities at Coors Field,” said Rockies Chief Operating Officer Greg Feasel. “We are confident that our organization along with the city, state, VISIT DENVER and the Denver Sports Commission are capable of putting on this premier event in a relatively quick time frame because of the preparations that had already been done. Summer in Colorado is something everyone in the country should experience, and we embrace this opportunity to show off our beautiful ballpark and everything our city, state and region have to offer.”
The news comes at a rather awkward time for the fan base. Of course, fans of baseball and the Rockies are thrilled that the All-Star Game is coming to the Mile High City. Who doesn’t love Coors Field? At the same time, many fans are frustrated with the state of the franchise following the trade of superstar Nolan Arenado.
The Rockies have been ridiculed on a local and national level for their recent decisions and inability to stay competitive following two impressive seasons in 2017 and 2018. Many have already waived the white flag in 2021, as the Rockies are projected to be one of the worst teams in the league this season.
Outside of Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon, the Rockies lineup resembles a minor league squad due to a lack of free-agent signings and miscalculated player development.
Many have questions about Colorado’s desire to compete, which is why some are irked about baseball’s decision to reward the franchise with the All-Star Game.
Big fan of Coors Field and Denver as a city, but I don’t like the idea of rewarding a team that is making no effort to be competitive/win with getting to host the All Star game.
— Rachel Luba (レイチェル・ルーバ) (@AgentRachelLuba) April 6, 2021
Questions are also swirling about the capacity for the festivities. At the moment, the Rockies have the second-highest fan capacity in the game, trailing only the Texas Rangers, who are operating at full capacity.
It’s reasonable to believe that come July, Coors Field will be close to full capacity, and this was likely brought up in discussions before a decision was finalized. Baseball thrives off in-person attendance, so you best believe they’ll be playing the All-Star game where they can have a reasonable amount of fans in the stands.
The All-Star Game is scheduled for July 13.