The Miami Marlins will host the 2017 MLB All-Star Game at Marlins Park, giving the National League three straight Midsummer Classics, according to a newspaper report.
The news was reported by the Miami Herald, citing sources close to the situation.
Miami has never hosted an All-Star Game. The Marlins were scheduled to host the 2000 ASG at Sun Life Stadium, but MLB Commissioner Bud Selig changed course and awarded the game to the Atlanta Braves and Turner Field after the dismantling of the Fish following the 1997 World Series.
The Marlins were in the running to land the 2015 All-Star Game at Marlins Park, and it’s been assumed the team would be in the running to land a game soon after that, but we’re in the midst of a new-ballpark logjam. Traditionally, the American League and the National League have rotated hosting All-Star Games, but that rotation has been disrupted: the Minnesota Twins hosted the 2014 ASG, but we’re now looking at three straight National League hosts: Cincinnati in 2015, San Diego in 2016, and Miami in 2017. It will be interesting to see who lands the 2018 All-Star Game: assuming Miami is a go, there are only four MLB ballparks not to host an All-Star Game — the new Yankee Stadium, Nationals Park, Citizens Bank Park (which to us is an absolute stunner) and Tropicana Field. We can’t see Tropicana Field ever hosting an All-Star Game, which means either we’ll have a repeat host or the Yankees will land the game.
No official confirmation from either MLB or the Marlins, but an announcement is expected in coming weeks.