Needless to say I am very excited about hosting the Triple-A All-Star Game. We announced today that the 2014 site is downtown Durham and the DBAP. The game is Wednesday, July 16th, airing on the MLB Network. It will be preceded by a weekend fanfest, a Monday home run derby and a handful of related events. It will be a grand, Triangle-wide celebration of America's pastime.
We've been thinking about this for several years. As the American Tobacco Campus came on-line and downtown Durham revived, we decided to put in a bid for the event.
We had a shot at 2010. Because of continuing construction at ATC, we backed off. Then, we took a swing at 2012. Buffalo was chosen, so we opted for the 2012 National Championship Game to test our mettle. The next All-Star opportunity was 2014, and we were approved by the two Triple-A leagues, the International and the Pacific Coast Leagues, at the Baseball Winter Meetings last December. Everyone involved took an oath of confidentiality that expired today!
While the players are minor leaguers, the event has some major league magic. The Triple-A All-Stars are soon to be household names in MLB. We made that point at today's press conference in the Bulls' clubhouse. Chipper Jones (noted above) played in the 1993 All-Star Game for the Richmond Braves; the team has since moved to the Atlanta 'burbs.
 |
Trot Nixon played in the '98 game for Pawtucket
paving the way for his storied career with Boston. |
 |
In '95 Derek Jeter was an All-Star farmhand
in Columbus OH. The rest is Yankee's history!
|
