Tuesday marked 11 weeks from when the Los Angeles Dodgers will host the 2022 MLB All-Star Game on July 19, which was commemorated with a press conference to officially kick off the countdown and reveal details of the All-Star Week schedule.
Joe Davis, who will call the 92nd Midsummer Classic from his home booth as the new voice of Fox baseball, was joined by Alanna Rizzo in emceeing the event from the center field plaza at Dodger Stadium.
“What a marriage of event and sight,” Davis said. “We’ve got the sunshine, we’ve got the ballpark, and in a city of stars, all the best ballplayers in the sport together to celebrate it.”
Dodgers president and CEO Stan Kasten, L.A. mayor Eric Garcetti, Clayton Kershaw, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Justin Turner, Cody Bellinger, Trea Turner and Walker Buehler were also on hand.
The last All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium was in 1980. The team was due to host again in 2020, but the event was canceled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The Atlanta Braves had already been awarded the 2021 All-Star Game, which ultimately was transferred to the Colorado Rockies.
“My very first press conference as president of the Dodgers was 10 years ago [Monday]. It has been an amazing 10 years. I know that on that day, at that press conference and right after that as I started walking through the stands, that day, fans were asking me, ‘Are we going to get an All-Star Game? Can we get an All-Star Game?’,” Kasten recalled.
“It had already been an unthinkable 32 years since we had it. Let’s face it, every team and every team’s fanbase deserves an All-Star Game, and would do a magnificent job. But no city and no city’s fans has supported their team like Dodgers fans have. It’s been nine straight years of leading baseball in attendance, they are hungry for this game and they are very excited that we are finally going to have it.
“As you know, here in L.A. we are the city of big events and big parties, and that’s what we’re going to have in July; five days of big, big events and a big, big party. So as we get ready to watch what is already the most heavily attended sports venue in the world, what is already the most beautiful place ever built to watch or play the game of baseball, we’re finally going to have the All-Star Game. It’s 42 years since our last game.
“Now, there’s something serendipitous about that. Everyone knows how that number resonates in our sport. Not just in baseball, but all sports around the country, 42 is a special number. So when I was asked about this 10 years ago, I wish I could’ve had the foresight to tell them, ‘Well, wait until it’s 42 years.’
“But who am I kidding? Two years ago I thought the drought was going to end at 40. We’re happy it’s finally here. It has been a long time coming, but it is going to be worth the wait. I can’t wait to see everyone here.”
2022 MLB All-Star Week in LA
Festivities for the All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium are scheduled to open Friday, July 15, with the first ever event on the beach.
From July 15-17, fans can attend the Capital One All-Star Oceanfront at the Santa Monica Pier. The Oceanfront installation will feature casual and instructional youth baseball and softball activities, a daily All-Star Yoga class with the Pacific Ocean offering a backdrop and baseball-themed sand sculptures, pitching and batting cages.
On Saturday, MLB is partnering on a beach clean-up with Heal the Bay, a local non-profit organization dedicated to making the coastal waters and watersheds in the greater Los Angeles safe, healthy and clean.
Admission throughout the weekend is free.
From July 16-19, fans can purchase tickets to attend the Capital One Play Ball Park — the world’s biggest and most playable baseball & softball festival — being staged inside and outside the L.A. Convention Center and throughout the L.A. Live campus.
The fan-focused event blends baseball, softball, music, food, technology and fashion with MLB celebrities ranging from Hall of Famers, All-Stars, Olympians, broadcasters and other legends of the game.
Interactive games, clinics, exhibits, exclusive merchandise and autograph stations will be spread throughout the convention center, while other unique fan experiences can be found outdoors around L.A. Live.
Tickets purchased through May 5 cost $10 with the promo code “PPOS.” Activities outside the convention center are free.
From July 15-19, fans can visit the MLB All-Star Block Party that will be set up at the Gilbert Lindsay Plaza on the doorstep of the convention center. The free event will have more interactive games, free giveaways, music, a beer garden and more.
To complete MLB Live in downtown, the All-Star Game red carpet will wrap around from Xbox Plaza onto Chick Hearn Court, leading players through a crowd of fans and media prior to going to Dodger Stadium.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
