Baseball history will be made in Arlington this month. When considering baseball history it is somewhat mind-boggling after all “modern day” baseball started 149 years ago. The National League formed in 1875. The American League came along in 1901 which is why it is called the “junior circuit” to this day.
The historic event that will take place here is that a stadium that once hosted the All-Star Game will now be the centerpiece of another All-Star weekend. Choctaw Stadium, then The Ballpark in Arlington, will be home to All-Star Village after hosting the game itself in 1995.
That game in ’95 was a seminal moment in the continuing growth of Arlington. Our colleague and friend Richard Greene was the Mayor then and remembers getting a call after the game from no less than Rudy Guliani, the Mayor of New York. He asked if he could send a team from NYC to Arlington as they tried to determine how we did it. How did we get such a beautiful ballpark built with community support in such a short amount of time?
It took the New Yorkers until 2009 to get their stadium built. By which time the people of Arlington had voted on, approved, and helped build another stadium. AT&T Stadium officially opened just one month after the new Yankee Stadium.
The spirit of cooperation shared by the City of Arlington and its people is unlike any major league city in America. Now there is another new stadium in town and it is what attracted this All-Star Game and allowed for history to be made.
“I think it speaks to the Rangers’ approach to how they developed Arlington over the last few years,” said Jerimiah Yolkut, Vice President for Events, Major League Baseball.
”They are very forward thinking when it comes to how they could best use space to offer their fans the best product possible.”
Unlike 1995, this time virtually all of the big weekend events will be right here in Arlington on the campus that has become known as the Entertainment District.
“We have this crown jewel historical ballpark right in the middle of the district,” Yolkut said and wondered, “Could we build something around it?”
The answer is yes! It will be called All-Star Village and it will extend from Globe Life Field north to the Esports Stadium and include everything in between. The Village that will have something for everyone all weekend long.
“One ticket gets you into everything,” Yolkut explained. “You want to go and do gaming, great. You want to go on the field at Choctaw, that is also great. Would you rather listen to music on the side of Mark Holtz Lake, that’s in the mix as well.”
It all begins on July 12, that Friday night you could attend the HBCU Swingman Classic. This is a chance for baseball student athletes from HIstorically Black Colleges and Universities to showcase their talent on a national stage and a chance for you to see some great baseball at Globe Life Field.
On Saturday the 13th the All-Star Village opens as fans from around the world will flock to Arlington for a weekend of baseball. Inside Choctaw will be the Play Ball Park along with food, fun, and festivities focused on baseball.
Saturday is also when the All-Star Futures game will be played. This event features some of the best young talent in the game today. It will include many of the players you will be watching for years to come. Former Futures game players include Mike Trout, Justin Verlander, and Neftali Feliz to name a few. There is also a celebrity softball game on Saturday.
The Village is open all day Sunday. The showcase event of that day is the MLB Draft. Formerly known as the June Draft, it has been moved to All-Star weekend. It will be held in the Cowtown Coliseum in the historic Stockyards area of Fort Worth.
Monday is All-Star workout day. It is the fans’ first chance to see this year’s crop of all-stars as both teams take batting practice during the day. Monday evening features one of the favorite events of every Midsummer Classic. It is the Home Run Derby. The village is open all day Monday and Tuesday as well.
Finally, on Tuesday, July 16th the game will be played. The eyes of the baseball world will be on Arlington again. Perhaps Mayor Ross should expect to get a call after the game from the mayor of Chicago or Los Angeles or London or Paris asking, “How does Arlington do it?”
Of course, we know how Arlington does it, with style, class, and good old-fashioned Texas Hospitality.
Sports columnist John Rhadigan is an anchor for the Bally Sports Southwest television network.
