The Riverside Press-Enterprise
L.A. All-star celebration will span five days in July
LOS ANGELES » The All-star Game has grown a lot in the 42 years since the Dodgers last hosted it in 1980 — so much so that one venue and one day can no longer contain everything.
MLB announced on Tuesday afternoon the schedule for this year’s All-star Game to be hosted by the Dodgers after a two-year delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It will sprawl over five days (July 15 through the game on July 19) and three locations — Dodger Stadium, L.A. Live and the Convention Center in downtown Los Angeles and the Santa Monica Pier and Beach.
“As everyone knows, Los Angeles is the home of big events and big parties,” Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten said Tuesday. “This is going to be five days of big, big events. Five days of big, big parties.”
The events begin with a uniquely Southern California venue — the Capital One All-star Oceanfront at the Santa Monica location. Running July 15-17, the event will feature baseball and softball activities on the beach and other activities on the pier. Batting and pitching cages will be set up on the pier. There is no admission charge.
L.A. Live will host Play Ball Park and “festival” events celebrating baseball beginning July 16 through game day. Events and activities will be held inside and outside in L.A. Live and the Convention Center.
Advance tickets for Play Ball Park are on sale now for $10 with a promo code through Thursday at Allstargame.com. Some outside events will be free of charge.
L.A. Live will also host the MLB Amateur Draft on
Sunday, July 17 and the Allstar Red Carpet Show on July 19.
Dodger Stadium will host the High School All-american Game on July 15, the All-star Futures Game and Celebrity Softball Game on July 16, the Home Run Derby on July 18 and the All-star Game on July 19.
“I hope I make it,” said Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, an eight-time Allstar. “All the road teams that come in and get to play here, they say what a great place Dodger Stadium is. We’re excited to share it.”
Capitalizing on the 42 years since they hosted, the Dodgers will be honoring Jackie Robinson, who wore No. 42 when he broke baseball’s color barrier with the franchise 75 years ago. His widow, Rachel, turns 100 on the day of the Allstar Game.
“There’s a lot of opportunity that came from Jackie and all the other players that kind of came through,” Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts said.
The Dodgers first hosted the game in 1959 when they played at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum after moving to the West Coast from Brooklyn. Dodger Stadium, the third-oldest ballpark in the majors, didn’t open until 1962.
Mystery man
Before Tuesday’s game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was still not ready to say who will start tonight’s game against the Giants.
“There’s a couple thoughts,” Roberts said. “Some of it is dependent on how tonight goes. Some of it is not really contingent on how tonight goes. I think we’re going to see how it goes and then figure out how we’re going to navigate tomorrow.”
Last year’s playoff series between the Dodgers and Giants featured similar maneuvering with the starting pitchers (and openers).
“You can say it’s gamesmanship,” Roberts said. “But I just don’t think that we’re dead set on who we want to start tomorrow.”
With three off days in an eight-day stretch ending Thursday, the Dodgers moved Julio Urias up to start Tuesday rather than give him too many days between starts.
Tony Gonsolin could start tonight or they could go with a bullpen game. An unfavorable weather forecast for this weekend in Chicago is another factor to be considered.