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 Major League Baseball is pulling out the stops for this year's All-Star Game, to be played at Yankee Stadium. The details announced today are designed as a farewell to The House That Ruth Built.
MLB will conduct a special pre-game on-field ceremony prior to the 79th MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday July 15th that will feature the largest gathering of baseball stars in history.
More than 40 Hall of Famers including Hank Aaron, Yogi Berra, Bob Feller, Whitey Ford, Willie Mays, Cal Ripken Jr., and Frank Robinson, are scheduled to be celebrated for their accomplishments in the most historic building in sports during its farewell season. The pre-game ceremony will begin at 8:00 p.m. (EDT) and will air live on FOX.
The Hall of Famers will also be honored at the All-Star Game Red Carpet Parade presented by Chevy, where they will join the American League and National League All-Stars in the longest parade ever hosted by MLB.
The Red Carpet, which will span more than 95,000 square feet, will start on 40th Street and Sixth Avenue and travel up Sixth Avenue to 58th Street and Sixth Avenue. The Parade will take place from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (EDT). MLB mascots will be on the red carpet, distributing gifts to fans who line the parade route. For the first time, the All-Star Game Red Carpet Parade presented by Chevy will air on FOX at 7:00 p.m. (EDT) as a lead-in to the national network broadcast of the 79th MLB All-Star Game at 8:00 p.m. (EDT) on FOX.
As part of All-Star Summer, MLB continues with their Green initiative, as they claim "it will be the greenest event in its history by partnering with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) to take a series of measures to limit the event’s carbon emissions and be environmentally-friendly."
The green activities include:
- Handing out reusable All-Star totes to fans in seven cities (Chicago, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington DC). Fans are encouraged to reuse the bags, which are made from 80% post-consumer recycled content.
- Selling reusable All-Star totes through partnerships with retailers in Chicago, New York, St. Louis and Toronto.
- Sponsoring an Eco-Play playground build, with 85% recycled materials, at Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club in the Bronx.
- Providing fans with tips via MLB.com about how they can take steps in their own lives to be more environmentally-friendly.
- Addressing energy usage through efficiency measures and by investing in renewable energy offsets. Adopting “Green Teams” that will be at All-Star events collecting refuse for recycling, supplementing existing recycling programs.
- Using bio-based products and recycled content materials at the events throughout All-Star Week.
- MTA public bus transportation will shuttle fans in clean air hybrid buses to DHL All-Star FanFest at the Jacob K. Javits Center from Grand Central Station and Penn Station from Friday, July 11 – Tuesday, July 15.
In addition, All-Star Summer will pay tribute to New York City by incorporating major city landmarks into the event. MLB, in conjunction with licensee Forever Collectibles, will station a series of 42 MLB-decorated Statue of Liberty replicas standing eight and a half feet tall around the city.
Each statue will be uniquely decorated with bold graphics featuring each of the 30 MLB Clubs, the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, American League, National League, four All-Star statues and statues commemorating the final season of Yankee and Shea Stadium.
In celebration of MLB All-Star Week, the Empire State Building will illuminate the New York City skyline in red, white and blue from Friday July 11th to Sunday, July 13th and on Tuesday, July 15th. An honor that is recognized by the world over, baseball was first recognized by the Tower lighting in 1977, when blue and white lights flashed to announce that the New York Yankees had won the World Series.
The 79th MLB All-Star Game and All-Star Summer are expected to be record breaking events for MLB. Ticket sales for DHL All-Star FanFest are pacing 70% ahead of last year’s sales with expectations to reach the highest attendance figure in the event’s history. Numerous MLB merchandising partners are forecasting best-ever All-Star sales.
The 79th MLB All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX Sports, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and Sportsnet HD and televised around the world by Major League Baseball International, with pre-game ceremonies beginning at 8:00 p.m. (EDT). ESPN Radio will provide exclusive national radio coverage that will also be available on XM Satellite Radio, while MLB.com will provide extensive online coverage. The 79th All-Star Game will be available via the MLB International world feed in 229 countries/territories and in 13 different languages. Source: Major League Baseball Press Release
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