MLB announces plans for All-Star week

By JIM SALTER
Associated Press Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Baseball’s All-Star game moves from the biggest market to one of the smallest, but Cardinals broadcaster Mike Shannon believes this year’s festivities in and around Busch Stadium will stack up well compared to 2008 at Yankee Stadium in New York.

“We’re going to put on a show that will make the Big Apple look like the Little Crabapple,” Shannon said Wednesday as Major League Baseball and the Cardinals announced plans for All-Star game events and festivities.

One thing the Yankees and the Cardinals have in common is winning. The Yankees have won far and away more championships than any team, but the Cardinals, with 10, are the all-time National League leader.

“Every All-Star game is special,” baseball executive vice president for business Tim Brosnan said. “We think this one is extra special because of the history and tradition here.”

Tickets will certainly be cheaper in St. Louis than in New York. Game tickets this year range in price from $100 to $360. At Yankee Stadium, the tickets cost $150 to $725. Ticket prices for the Home Run Derby this year range from $75 to $335, down from $100 to $650 a year ago. Ticket prices for the Futures game range from $25 to $175 in St. Louis compared to $50 to $225 in New York.

St. Louis has hosted four previous All-Star games, but none since 1966, the first year at old Busch Stadium. The city could live without a repeat of that game — while the National League won 2-1 in 10 innings behind four future Hall-of-Fame pitchers in Sandy Koufax, Jim Bunning, Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry, the game was played in 106-degree heat.

These days, the game itself has become only a part of the midsummer celebration of baseball. There’s the Home Run Derby, the Futures game, a celebrity softball game, workouts open to the public. There will also be the MLB All-Star FanFest at the America’s Center convention center, featuring interactive games and autograph sessions.

Cardinals season ticket holders get first crack at tickets for all events, but many tickets will be available to the public. Starting at 9 a.m. CDT time on Thursday, fans seeking tickets for any of the events can go online at MLB.com, allstargame.com or at any of the 30 team Web sites to register for a random selection system.

The deadline to register is 5 p.m. CDT May 22. Winners will be notified by e-mail no later than May 29.

Baseball officials said two-thirds of tickets go to Cardinals season ticket holders and local fans.

A number of free events are also planned, including a concert beneath the Gateway Arch benefiting Stand Up To Cancer on July 11, and the All-Star Game Red Carpet Show on July 14.

“The goal that Major League Baseball has for itself and the Cardinals franchise is for every single fan to have that one All-Star game experience if they so choose,” Brosnan said.

Giving back to the community will be a theme at this year’s event. Major League Baseball and the Cardinals will donate nearly $5 million to local and national charities. Cardinals CEO Bill DeWitt Jr. said part of the money will build a new ball field for one St. Louis boys and girls club and rebuild the field at another.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon said the game and festivities will have an estimated economic impact of $60 million for the St. Louis region.

While the people in suits were focused on the events surrounding the game, Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols, a seven-time All-Star, was more concerned about the results of the game — the National League hasn’t won since 1996.

“Hopefully we can end that losing streak,” Pujols said at the news conference. “The American League is killing us.”

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