All-Star Game History inside Yankee Stadium

The New York Yankees have hosted the Major League Baseball All Star Game four times in their storied history, the latest being in 2008. The city of New York has hosted a record nine All Star Games in the 86 games that have been played in the history of the game. With the 2015 version of the MLB All-Star Game officially in the books and nothing better to really talk about until Friday let’s go over the Yankee Stadium history with the All-Star Game and speculate when Yankee Stadium III could be hosting the Mid-Summer Classic.

The first Yankees hosted All Star Game happened on July 11, 1939 at Yankee Stadium followed by a wait until July 13, 1960. Back in 1960 two All Star Games were held, the other coming in Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, while the Yankees hosted the second game that year. The Yankees then again hosted in 1977 on July 19th and had to wait until Yankee Stadium II's final season in 2008 to host another. Yankee Stadium III, which opened in 2008, has yet to host an All Star Game. Interestingly enough the Yankees were the World Series champions in 1939 and were one “shot heard round the world” away from being the champions again in 1960. The Pittsburgh Pirates upset the Yankees in the 7^th game of that World Series but New York would get its revenge in 1977 when they won another World Series in the same year as they hosted the All-Star Game in the Bronx. 2008, we don’t talk about 2008.

When the new Yankee Stadium will get to host its first World Series is going to be tough to answer but my best guess is not going to be a popular one with Yankees fans. In short, it's going to be a long, long time before the Yankees see another All Star Game at home if history is any indicator. The Los Angeles Dodgers have not hosted an All Star Game in 34 years and could not before at least 2017 while the Yankees held an All Star Game just six seasons ago. Obviously the difference between the Dodgers and the Yankees here is that the Yankees have a new stadium and the Dodgers do not but we’ve seen All-Star Games in recent memory at both Wrigley Field and Fenway Park so that probably won’t factor into the decision making much.

Even back in the 40's when there were not 30 stadiums to choose from Major League Baseball went at least 15 seasons in between All Star Games in the same venue. I couldn't see the Yankees getting an All Star Game before 2020 unfortunately, and that may be pushing it. Of course this is all speculations, with the new stadium in the Bronx Major League Baseball may want to jump on the newness of the building and host an All Star Game there sooner, but I doubt it. Stay tuned..