Reds want All-Star game

[missionhockey21]

Reds want All-Star game
Cardinals' new stadium may have edge for '09
BY JOHN ERARDI | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

The Cincinnati Reds plan to join the hunt to host an All-Star game.

Reds chief operating officer John Allen said the team is putting out feelers for a 2009 bid. Allen is in Pittsburgh this week for the All-Star break and is visiting informally with Major League Baseball officials to gauge their interest in Cincinnati.

Baseball likes to showcase its new ballparks, which is good and bad for Cincinnati. It's good because Great American Ball Park opened in 2003. It's bad because several other National League teams have opened, or are preparing to open, new parks.

Among those National League teams are the St. Louis Cardinals, which opened a new Busch Stadium this season.

The Cardinals have not hosted an All-Star game since 1966 and are thought to be in a strong position to host the 2009 contest.

If St. Louis prevails in 2009, the Reds would focus their attention on the 2011 game.

Baseball tries to alternate between National League and American League parks, but next year's game will be in San Francisco, an NL city.

The Reds last hosted the game in 1988, the city's bicentennial year, at Riverfront Stadium.

Formal bids go through baseball commissioner Bud Selig's office. Selig determines who gets the game. He is expected to make some general comments today about possible future sites when he speaks to the Baseball Writers' Association of America at its annual luncheon.

Selig told USA Today last year that in picking the host city, "I try to do something that's good for the sport. My objective is to not only help the club, but the sport."

The amount of lead time necessary to assemble a successful bid varies. Pittsburgh began its process for this year's game "four or five years ago," said Marla Miller, Major League Baseball's senior vice president for special events.

A new stadium is not the only factor in a successful bid. Cities also must be able to accommodate hordes of tourists during the five-day All-Star game extravaganza known as Fan Fest.

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[Dry1313]

They should get it, even though the Cardinals Stadium is sweet. Just a town like Cincinnati deserves it, even if STL may a little more, the GABP is beautiful and will be in better shape the earlier.

[ghettochild]

plus could you imagine all the CROSS-STATE shots that could happen in the HR derby?

i think they should push hardcore, and i would buy tickets to that

[NFLman2033]

there should be a lot of selling parts, i mean its a homer friendly park which is a good sell for the derby.. but i think not having one since '66 will be the biggest sell for St Louis, so i am not expecting it until 2011

[Dunn#44]

plus could you imagine all the CROSS-STATE shots that could happen in the HR derby?

i think they should push hardcore, and i would buy tickets to that

You and me both. I'd be happy with us hosting the game '09 or '11.

[griffeyfan3]

Man it would be sweet to see the Splash shots in the HR derby in Cincy.