News
Angels unveil 2010 All-Star Game logo
Celebration begins with festive ceremony; Selig 'thrilled'
By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com
07/23/09 6:23 PM ET
ANAHEIM -- After 21 years, the All-Star Game is returning to Angel Stadium in 2010. The Angels, the City of Anaheim and Major League Baseball celebrated that on Thursday by unveiling the official logo of the 2010 All-Star Game, which will be played at Angel Stadium on July 13, 2010.The logo, which features a red dimensional star encircled by the silver halo of the Angels and is displayed in right-center field, was officially unveiled in a news conference attended by MLB president and chief operating officer Bob DuPuy, Angels owner Arte Moreno, Angels president Dennis Kuhl, Angels manager Mike Scioscia, Angels general manager Tony Reagins and Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle.
"On behalf of Commissioner Bud Selig and Major League Baseball, I can't tell you how excited we are to have the All-Star Game here at beautiful Angel Stadium," DuPuy said at the news conference. "This is truly bringing one of our jewel events to one of our jewel franchises."
Selig, who was not present at the news conference, released a statement about the Angels hosting the 2010 All-Star Game.
"Major League Baseball is pleased that the 2010 All-Star Game will be hosted by the Angels, one of the model franchises of our sport," Selig said in the statement. "The enduring success of the Angels under Arte Moreno on and off the field is remarkable. I am thrilled that the 2010 All-Star Game will spotlight a club that embodies Major League Baseball's commitment to providing affordable family entertainment."
Angels 2009 All-Stars Torii Hunter, Brian Fuentes and Chone Figgins were also joined at the ceremony by former Angels All-Stars, including Chuck Finley, Bobby Grich, Doug DeCinces and Clyde Wright.
"On behalf of the players, we're excited about hosting the game in 2010," Hunter said. "People from all over the country are going to see how warm our fans are, as well as our organization and the city. We have great baseball here in Anaheim and we have great fans."
The All-Star Game will be making its way to the Los Angeles area for the fourth time since the Dodgers moved from Brooklyn in 1958.
The Angels, who came to the American League as an expansion team in 1961, last hosted the All-Star Game in 1989 and also hosted the game in 1967 as well.
The NL won the 1967 game, 2-1, behind a home run in the 15th inning by Tony Perez in the longest game in All-Star history before it was tied in 2008 with the 15-inning game at Yankee Stadium. In 1989, Bo Jackson and Wade Boggs hit back-to-back homers to lead the AL to a 5-3 win over the NL with Jackson taking home the Most Valuable Player trophy.
But as DuPuy noted, plenty has changed for the Midsummer Classic as it is now a much larger event with All-Star Week and all the festivities that lead up to the All-Star Game.
"The event that you're going to see, for those that remember the last time it was here, is far different than it used to be," DuPuy said. "It is now truly an All-Star summer and a celebration of the game, the team and the community throughout the summer and in All-Star Week."
DuPuy pointed out that the 33.6 million viewers who tuned in during the 2009 game were the most since 1999 and that the economic impact on the host city has ranged from about $50 million to a high of $148.4 million set in 2008 by the Yankees.
Pringle, who has served as mayor of Anaheim since 2002, sent six members of the city's senior management to St. Louis this year to get a feel for the city's involvement in the event.
"We want to make sure the fans that come visit, read about it or see it on TV have the very best experience within the stadium and within our city and community," Pringle said.
Pringle worked hard in cooperation with the Angels to bring the game to Anaheim, and for that, Moreno is thankful.
"Anaheim has been great because the first thing MLB wants is a convention center and they did that for no cost," Moreno said. "And the second thing is hotel rooms, and the great thing here is that we have Disneyland."
Several members of the Angels organization, including Moreno, made it out to St. Louis to see the festivities at this year's All-Star Game, which brought $60 million to the city and saw more than $7 million go to local and national charities.
That commitment to charity is something that Moreno is excited about, especially through the Angels Baseball Foundation, which was founded in 2004.
"We're going to have a 5 or 10K run, a bike race, a walk and try and do as many youth projects as we can," Moreno said. "A lot of people forget how much of a hotbed this is for youth baseball as well as softball."
This will mark the first All-Star Game for the franchise since Moreno took over the team in 2003 and the first time it will be held at Angel Stadium since it underwent renovations in 1997.
Scioscia, who was named to two All-Star Games during his career and also managed the winning squad in the 2003 Midsummer Classic, was especially looking forward to hosting the All-Star Game at Angel Stadium.
"I can't tell you how excited we are as an organization, not only over the last 10 years bringing the Angels' history to a rightful place, we're excited about being on the stage in what is really the jewel of the summer," Scioscia said. "I'd be lying if I said I don't want to manage that game. I'd love to manage that game and that's something we'll look forward to the rest of this year."
Rhett Bollinger is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
