Cleveland Indians To Host 2019 All-Star Game: Reports

CLEVELAND, OH — Progressive Field will play host to the 2019 MLB All-Star Game, according to multiple reports. The team will host a press conference Friday morning at 10:15 a.m., and it is expected to formally announce the All-Star Game then.

The news of the All-Star Game was first reported by cleveland.com. The All-Star Game was last played in Cleveland in 1997. In that game, Sandy Alomar Jr. clubbed a 2-run homerun in the 7th inning and pushed the American League to a 3-1 win.

This will be the sixth time Cleveland has played host to the All-Star Game, which is more than any other team in the league. Besides the 1997 game, the Tribe hosted All-Stars in 1935, 1954, 1963 and 1981.

Progressive Field underwent a bevy of renovations which paved the way for the All-Star Game. The team now has the largest scoreboard in baseball, an updated Right Field District, a better sound system and more. Crain's Cleveland reports the renovations cost nearly $600 million.

This pending announcement is the latest feather in Cleveland's suddenly crowded cap. Following back-to-back NBA Finals trips (and the sweet ending of the city's championship drought), the World Series and the Republican National Convention, hosting an All-Star Game is a great way for the city to continue its momentum rolling forward.

In addition to the MLB All-Star Game, there are rumors that Cleveland is aggressively courting the NBA in pursuit of the 2020 NBA All-Star Game. Quicken Loans Arena is undergoing about $140 million in renovations as part of the wooing process, cleveland.com reports.

Photo from Rick Uldricks, Patch