It was fun New York, but now it’s time to bring baseball’s All-Stars to Minnesota.
On July 15, 2014, a mere 363 days from now, that’s exactly what will happen when the Midsummer Classic is played at Target Field.
It’ll be the first All-Star game played in Minneapolis since 1985, and the third in Minnesota history. The first was in 1965 at Metropolitan Stadium, where the Mall of America now sits.
If you want to wander back to the mid-60s, hop into this audio time capsule with the late, great Herb Carneal at the microphone, via YouTube:
Back to our narrative: the All-Star Game traditionally has a major effect on the host city’s local economy as well. According to MLB.com, Commissioner Bud Selig said he estimates the All-Star Game will bring about $75-100 million to the local economy and about $5 million will go to local charities.
“I think it will be a great venue,” Twins catcher Joe Mauer told the Star Tribune. “Downtown and First Av. will be buzzing.”
Like the Mets’ David Wright was Tuesday night, Mauer will be front and center as the all-star ambassador to the world.
Mauer’s take on that?
“I have to make it first.”
Barring injury, here’s predicting that St. Paul Joe will play his way onto next year’s squad — which would be his seventh appearance. We could also see Mauer in another Home Run Derby. The last time he was part of that Tuesday tradition was in 2009, but he didn’t get out of the first round.
Twins President Dave St. Peter, who was in New York with 25 club employees to scout out how it’s done, tells the Pioneer Press that focusing on Mauer will be a no-brainer: “This is a hometown kid playing for the hometown team. We’d be doing a disservice to the league if Joe Mauer wasn’t playing a significant role in that.”
