The buzz surrounding the Cleveland Indians is paying off.
The Indians will host the 2019 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Progressive Field, multiple sources told Cleveland.com.
The Tribe reportedly will hold a press conference Friday to announce the news, which comes on the heels of the Indians advancing to Game 7 of the 2016 World Series and subsequently making a splash in free agency by signing All-Star slugger Edwin Encarnacion. The Indians also have renovated Progressive Field in recent years, adding to the appeal of having the All-Star Game in Cleveland.
The 2019 MLB All-Star Game will mark the first time Cleveland has hosted the event since 1997. The American League defeated the National League 3-1 in that contest, with then-Indians catcher Sandy Alomar Jr. earning MVP honors.
The 2019 Midsummer Classic will mark the sixth time the event has taken place in Cleveland, as the Indians played host in 1935, 1954, 1963 and 1981 in addition to 1997. No other franchise has hosted more All-Star Games, and only New York and Chicago — areas with multiple teams — have hosted more as a city, as noted by Cleveland.com.
The Miami Marlins are scheduled to host this year’s All-Star Game at Marlins Park, while the Washington Nationals will host the 2018 event at Nationals Park. The 2019 All-Star Game in Cleveland will be the first time the event’s played in an American League venue since the Minnesota Twins hosted the 2014 All-Star Game at Target Field.
Thumbnail photo via Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports Images