San Diego to host 2016 MLB All-Star Game
Baseball's annual midsummer classic will head back to the west coast in 2016, as the 87th edition of the MLB All-Star Game will take place at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres.
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
The decision to hold the 2016 All-Star Game in San Diego - following this year's installment in Cincinnati - ensures the contest will take place in a National League park for a second straight season for the first time since 2006-2007.
"I am very pleased to award the 2016 All-Star Game to the San Diego Padres, who made a detailed and comprehensive bid in conjunction with city officials," commissioner Bud Selig told MLB.com. "San Diego is one of America's most beautiful cities, and showcasing Petco Park in its thriving downtown will be a remarkable opportunity for the Padres franchise and all of Major League Baseball."
The Padres have hosted the All-Star game twice before - in 1978 and 1992 - but neither contest took place at Petco Park, which opened in 2004.
"The San Diego Padres are honored to host Major League Baseball's 2016 All-Star Game at Petco Park," said executive chairman Ron Fowler. "Padres fans have been awaiting the return of the Midsummer Classic for more than two decades, and we are thrilled with today's news. We thank Commissioner Selig, Commissioner-Elect Rob Manfred and all of Major League Baseball for selecting 'America's Finest City.'"