The 2015 MLB All-Star Game will be hosted by the Reds in Cincinnati.

According to MLB.com, an official announcement will be made Wednesday afternoon.

The Charleston Daily Mail reports that this will be the fifth time that the MLB All-Star game has been played in Cincinnati. It will be the first time since 1988 as well as the first time in the Great American Ball Park.

The All-Star game has never been played at the Great American Ball Park but the baseball venue has seen its fair share of big events. In 2009 and 2010 the stadium hosted the Civil Rights Game. The team also hosts an annual fan fest at the Duke Energy Center that is similar to the All-Star Game Fanfest.

The Reds also have a little hosting experience. The franchise hosted the game at the Riverfront Stadium in 1988 and 1970 and at Crosley Field in 1953 and 1938.

This year’s All-Star game will be hosted by the Mets at Citi Field in New York and the 2014 game will be held in Minneapolis at Target Field.

Cincinatti.com reports that the 2015 MLB All-Star Game will feature the all-star showcase game between National and American League stars, the Home Run Derby, the FanFest, and the Futures Game featuring minor league prospects.

The 2015 MLB All-Star game may be a long way away but if history has any say in the outcome it will be the National League holding up the trophy at the end of the day. All but one of the all-star games held in Cincinnati have been won by the National League.

2015 MLB All-Star Game To Be Held In Cincinnati is a post from: The Inquisitr

The National League rolled over the American League on Tuesday night after walloping starting pitcher Justin Verlander with a five-run series in the first inning while ending the game with a final score of 8-0

Melky Cabrera claimed the nights MVP award after scoring a home run and his Giants teammate Matt Cain helped the NL with a strong starting pitching performance. Helping Cain with the shutout performance was Stephen Strasburg, R.A. Dickey and Aroldis Chapman along with the rosters other pitchers who combined for a six-hit performance.

The NL won the All-Star game in its most lopsided performance to date.

Speaking of the dominating performance of the Giants players Matt Kemp called his rivals performance the “San Francisco Giants show.”

After his drug suspension was overturned on Monday night reigning league MVP Ryan Braun scored a double and a triple and made a breath holding catch in the outfield. Not bad for a guy who was facing down a 50-game suspension just 24 hours earlier.

When the game drew to a close the National League had its first three-game MLB All-Star game winning streak of the last 20 years.

With the win the National League will once again claim home-field advantage in the World Series.

As Cabrera hugged him mom after the MVP award was announced he looked on and proclaimed:

“I was surprised for me, the MVP, but thank you, the fans.”

Cabrera was one of two players, alongside Sandoval who were voted into the All-Star games starting spots during a late voting push from fans, a push that NL supporters could come to appreciate even more when the World Series home-field advantage is utilized in a few short months.

Are you surprised by the sheer dominance of the National League during the 2012 MLB All-Star game?

National League Shuts Out American League In 2012 MLB All-Star Game, Melky Cabrera Claims MVP Honors is a post from: The Inquisitr

R.A. Dickey has been having one of the most dominant half seasons in Major League Baseball history, but it apparently wasn’t good enough to get him the nod to start the All-Star Game.

In an announcement this afternoon manager Tony LaRussa said he was giving Giants pitcher Matt Cain the start over Dickey. It’s a curious decision to say the least.

The Giants’ righthander is having a fine season, and his perfect game was a great accomplishment, but the Mets knuckleballer is better of just about every front. Dickey has the most wins in the National League, more strikeouts and a better earned run average than Cain. His numbers for June were unreal, and possibly unmatched in baseball history. He went 5-0, giving up just five earned runs in 48 1/3 innings. During that stretch he threw consecutive one-hitters, had a stretch of 44 2/3 innings without giving up a run and averaged more than 9 strikeouts a game.

Looking beyond the stats—Cain beats Dickey only in innings pitched, with Cain throwing 120 1/3 innings to Dickey’s 120—the Mets’ player has had one of the most pitching performances ever through half a season. If you caught any of Dickey’s performances this season, you know that the numbers don’t even tell how dominant he has been. The last remaining knuckleballer in the majors, Dickey is nothing like the slow-throwing knuckleball pitchers of the past, CNN noted. He throws with greater speed and much more control and mixes in an effective fastball, leaving hitters flustered.

His story also makes for a much more compelling narrative for the All-Star Game, even with Cain’s perfect game. The 37-year-old, who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in the offseason, reinvented himself as a knuckleball pitcher after a journeyman career that saw him pitching in AAA ball just a few seasons ago. In an autobiography released in the offseason Dickey also revealed that he was sexually abused as a child and didn’t come to terms with it until he entered counseling in 2006. Which, by the way, was when he rejuvenated his career.

LaRussa had hinted at the decision in a conference call last week, sharing concerns that the NL squad’s catchers weren’t used to catching knuckleballs and wouldn’t be able to handle Dickey. But unless he doesn’t plan on pitching Dickey in the game at all, they will have to deal with it at some point and starting him gives them the most time to get acclimated. Buster Posey, the game’s starting catcher, even said he would phone Mets catcher Josh Thole for some tips on how to catch knuckleballs, the New York Daily News reported.

Now that the All-Star Game is no longer a meaningless summer spectacle—the winner of the game determines home-field advantage for the World Series—it’s unfair not only to R.A. Dickey but all fans of NL teams to keep him on the bench.

R.A. Dickey Deserved To Start In MLB All-Star Game is a post from: The Inquisitr

Texas Rangers righthander Yu Darvish and St. Louis Cardinals third baseman David Freese will be the final  members of the All-Star game according to MLB.com.  The fans have spoken and the two are going to be joining the elite of the American League and National League All-Star teams at the 34th mid-season dance.

This is the first year that voting was actually allowed through Twitter.   Designated hashrags bearing the players names were put together for the vote.  The voting for this round began Sunday afternoon and ended today at 4pm EST for the final two slots.

In the National League voting, Washington Nationals center fielder Bryce Harper, Atlanta Braves center fielder Michael Bourn and Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Aaron Hill will be staying home in place of David Freese.

In the American League it came down to four pitchers, Chicago White Sox starter Jake Peavy, Kansas City Royals closer Jonathan Broxton, Los Angeles Angels closer Ernesto Frieri and Baltimore Orioles starter Jason Hammel were among the choices but it was the rookie Darvish who landed the spot.  .

In 75 games this season, Freese is hitting .285 with 13 homers, 50 RBIs and a .333 on-base percentage.

Darvish is 10-5 with a 3.59 ERA in 16 starts this season. He has 117 strikeouts in 102 2/3 innings. The Rangers intend to skip Darvish’s next start so he will be able to pitch in the game.

This year’s All-Star Game will be played Tuesday evening in Kansas City.  It marks the halfway point through the season and the winning division gets to have home field advantage during the World Series.

Major League Baseball Announces All-Star Final Vote Players is a post from: The Inquisitr

Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones celebrated being named to the MLB All-Star Team by going 5 for 5 last night.

Jones, 40, who is in his final season as an active player in baseball, replaces the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp who is on the disabled list with a bad hammy.

Jones called his selection before the game “a complete surprise” and that he felt like a “kid in a candy store.”

Last night, Jones responded to the good news with  a five-hit, four RBI performance against the Cubs in a 10-3 victory. This was his third career five-hitter but his first in 10 years. Jones had three singles and two doubles.

As ESPN reports, Jones commented that “Tonight was just one of those dream games, I would be hard-pressed to find a game in which I played better.”

Chipper Jones made his MLB debut with Atlanta in September 1993.  As a switch hitter, Jones has a .304 batting average with 450 home runs, 1,594 RBI, and over 1,000 extra base hits, numbers good enough to send him to the MLB Hall of Fame. Unlike most contemporary players who bounce around  from team to team, Jones has played his entire career with the Braves.

He is an eight-time MLB All Star, the 1999 National League MVP, and was a member of the Braves’ 1999 World Series championship team.

Although on the DL, Matt Kemp apparently plans to compete in the Home Run Derby before the All-Star Game, which will be held this year at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.

The game will mark Chipper Jones’ first appearance at Kauffman Stadium, the only park where has not yet played.

Chipper Jones Named To All-Star Team, Goes 5 For 5 is a post from: The Inquisitr

The MLB All-Star rosters were unveiled this weekend during a special selection show on TBS.

For the American League, Josh Hamilton was the biggest vote getter this year. According to MLB.com, the Rangers outfielder received a record setting 11,073,744 votes. He is the third Rangers player to finish at the top of the MLB All-Star poll.

Hamilton said:

“Oh man, it’s crazy…. Thinking about that many people voting, it means a lot. To get that many votes is pretty special.”

Hamilton will be joined by Prince Fielder, Robinson Cano, and Derek Jeter as the American League aims to stop the National League’s two all-star game win streak. (The American League won 13 consecutive all-star games but lost the last two.)

Jeter said:

“I’ve always told you guys every time I’m at an All-Star Game how much I appreciate going and how much fun I have… Unfortunately, last year I didn’t have a chance to go, but I’m looking forward to it this year.”

Here is the MLB All-Star Roster for the American League.

AMERICAN LEAGUE ROSTER

Starters 

• C Mike Napoli, TEX
• 1B Prince Fielder, DET
• 2B Robinson Cano, NYY
• 3B Adrian Beltre, TEX
• SS Derek Jeter, NYY
• OF Josh Hamilton, TEX
• OF Curtis Granderson, NYY
• OF Jose Bautista, TOR
• DH David Ortiz, BOS

Pitchers 

• RHP Ryan Cook, OAK
• LHP Matt Harrison, TEX
• RHP Felix Hernandez, SEA
• RHP Jim Johnson, BAL
• RHP Joe Nathan, TEX
• RHP Chris Perez, CLE
• LHP David Price, TB
• RHP Fernando Rodney, TB
• LHP CC Sabathia, NYY
• LHP Chris Sale, CWS
• RHP Justin Verlander, DET
• RHP Jered Weaver, LAA
• LHP C.J. Wilson, LAA

Reserves 

• C Joe Mauer, MIN
• C Matt Wieters, BAL
• SS Elvis Andrus, TEX
• SS Asdrubal Cabrera, CLE
• 3B Miguel Cabrera, DET
• 2B Ian Kinsler, TEX
• 1B Paul Konerko, CWS
• OF Adam Jones, BAL
• OF Mike Trout, LAA
• OF Mark Trumbo, LAA
• DH Billy Butler, KC
• DH Adam Dunn, CWS

The National League will be led by Giants catcher and 2010 NL rookie of the year Buster Posey. Posey, like Hamilton, also set a voting record this year. Posey received 7,621,370 votes this year, surpassing the 5,928,004 votes that Milwaukee outfielder Ryan Braun received in 2011.

Posey said:

“It’s going to be a blast. I think it’s something that you don’t really think about that much, but when it happens, it’s humbling. It’s something you dream of.”

Here is the MLB All-Star Roster for the National League.

Starters

• C Buster Posey, SF
• 1B Joey Votto, CIN
• 2B Dan Uggla, ATL
• SS Rafael Furcal, STL
• 3B Pablo Sandoval, SF
• OF Melky Cabrera, SF
• OF Carlos Beltran, STL
• OF Matt Kemp, LAD

Pitchers

• RHP Matt Cain, SF
• LHP Aroldis Chapman, CIN
• RHP R.A. Dickey, NYM
• LHP Gio Gonzalez, WAS
• LHP Cole Hamels, PHI
• RHP Joel Hanrahan, PIT
• LHP Clayton Kershaw, LAD
• RHP Craig Kimbrel, ATL
• RHP Lance Lynn, STL
• LHP Wade Miley, ARI
• RHP Jonathan Papelbon, PHI
• RHP Stephen Strasburg, WAS
• RHP Huston Street, SD

Reserves

• C Yadier Molina, STL
• C Carlos Ruiz, PHI
• 1B Bryan LaHair, CHC
• 2B Jose Altuve, HOU
• SS Starlin Castro, CHC
• SS Ian Desmond, WAS
• 3B David Wright, NYM
• OF Ryan Braun, MIL
• OF Jay Bruce, CIN
• OF Carlos Gonzalez, COL
• OF Andrew McCutchen, PIT
• OF Giancarlo Stanton, MIA

The American League and the National League will both have one more player added to the roster before the all-star game on July 10th. Fans have until 4 pm on Thursday, July 5th, to pick their favorite final vote candidate. MLB.com writes:

“To vote for a specific player, simply text message your choice to 89269. EXAMPLE: Text “A3″ to vote for AL Player 3 or “N3″ to vote for NL Player 3.”

Here are the final vote candidates.

American League

• P Jonathan Broxton, KC
• P Yu Darvish, TEX
• P Ernesto Frieri, LAA
• P Jason Hammel, BAL
• P Jake Peavy, CWS

National League

• OF Michael Bourn, ATL
• 3B David Freese, STL
• OF Bryce Harper, WAS
• 2B Aaron Hill, ARI
• 3B Chipper Jones, ATL

MLB All-Star Rosters Revealed is a post from: The Inquisitr