Texas Rangers to host MLB's 2024 All-Star Game
NEW YORK (AP) — The Texas Rangers will host Major League Baseball's 2024 All-Star Game at their stadium where a neutral-site World Series was played during the pandemic, Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Thursday.
Speaking at the conclusion of this week's owners' meetings in New York, Manfred announced the game will be held July 16, 2024 at Globe Life Field, a retractable-roof stadium that opened without fans being able to attend during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. The World Series was played there with a limited number of fans, the first Fall Classic since 1944 held all at one site.
"The Rangers stepped up under difficult circumstances and Globe Life Field served as terrific host for the 2020 postseason, including the World Series," Manfred said. "We are excited to once again feature baseball's newest ballpark on a global stage."
The National League Championship Series and the NL Division Series, both won by the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, were also played in Arlington that fall.
Next year's All-Star Game will take place in Seattle, which last hosted in 2001 in Ichiro's rookie year and Cal Ripken Jr.'s final season.
Philadelphia will host the 2026 All-Star Game to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. No announcement has been made about the 2025 game.
Texas will host its second All-Star Game and first since the National League claimed a 3-2 victory in 1995 at The Ballpark in Arlington, which was in its second year. It was over 100 degrees at the start of the game, and even hotter for festivities held the previous day.
That was the first midsummer classic since a contentious strike canceled the remainder of the 1994 regular season and postseason and reduced the 1995 season to 144 games.
"The Texas Rangers are honored to be awarded the 2024 All-Star Game," Rangers Majority Owner and Managing Partner Ray Davis said in a statement "With the opening of Globe Life Field in 2020 and the incredible development that continues to take place around the park, Arlington is an ideal location to host Major League Baseball and the Midsummer Classic."
There about 1,200 hotel rooms that will be available directly adjacent to the stadium, including one hotel that is open and another under construction along with a new convention center. There will be about 7,000 rooms overall in Arlington and Fort Worth.
"We are honored to be selected by MLB to host the All-Star Game once again," Arlington Mayor Jim Ross said in the statement. "We look forward to welcoming the most talented baseball players to show off their skills in one of the best stadiums in the country. Globe Life Field and Arlington's Entertainment District are ready to put on a spectacular 2024 All-Star Week for baseball fans from all over the world."