Cincinnati Reds: Could Great American Ball Park host All-Star Game?

Yesterday, Major League Baseball made the decision to move the All-Star Game away from Atlanta. While it’s probably a long shot, it’d be fun to see the Midsummer Classic return to Great American Ball Park. Could the Cincinnati Reds actually host the 2021 All-Star Game?

Now, I’m not here to express whether or not I agree with the decision to move the All-Star Game from Atlanta to a different venue. I am, however, here to advocate that Cincinnati would be a great host city for the 2021 Midsummer Classic.

The Reds hosted the All-Star Game at Great American Ball Park in 2015.

Yes, it’s only been six years since the Cincinnati Reds hosted the All-Star Game, but a quick turnaround in the current climate shouldn’t be out of the question. While Los Angeles and New York could certainly make their case to host the All-Star Game, if the goal is to maintain players safety amid the coronavirus pandemic, perhaps a small-market location like Cincinnati would work well.

The Los Angeles Dodgers missed out on their opportunity to host the All-Star Game in 2020 due to the shortened season, but Major League Baseball has awarded the 2022 All-Star Game to LA, so it may not make much sense to shift the festivities out to the West Coast this season.

For a long stretch of time, 1962-2006, MLB would rotate which league hosted the All-Star Game. The National League has dominated the duties of late, with four of the last five All-Star Games finding their homes in National League ballparks.

Cincinnati has hosted the All-Star Game on five different occasions. Before it returned in 2015, it had been 27 years since the Queen City played host to the All-Star Game. Cincinnati trails only Cleveland (6), Chicago (7), and New York (9) for the number of times a city has hosted the Midsummer Classic.

Another NL Central team might seize the All-Star Game from the Reds.

With an emphasis on celebrating the life of Hank Aaron, this year’s All-Star Game could find its way to American Family Field, formerly Miller Park, in Milwaukee. Aaron played for more than a decade in the Cream City before the Braves relocated to Atlanta. Milwaukee hosted the All-Star Game back in 2002.

It’s anyone’s guess where the 2021 All-Star Game will end up, but there’s a good chance we’ll know in the coming days. With the hitter-friendly confines of Great American Ball Park, the Home Run Derby would certainly take center stage during that second week in July. Let’s hope the Reds get to play host the All-Star Game this season.