We heard a couple of weeks ago that Petco Park in San Diego was likely to host the 2016 All-Star Game. This conflicted with an earlier report that Camden Yards in Baltimore would play host.
Today Roch Kubatko of MASN confirms that, no, Camden Yards will not be the site and cryptically adds that “Major League Baseball doesn’t seem to have much desire to do the Orioles any favors these days.”
It has to be cryptic, I assume, because Kubtako’s employer is at the center of the reason why MLB doesn’t want to do the Orioles any favors. As we’ve noted, MASN -- which is owned and controlled by Orioles owner Peter Angelos -- is in pitched litigation with MLB and the Washington Nationals over rights fees for Nats broadcasts on the network both teams share. Just a couple of weeks ago MASN won a discovery motion in the case, and you don’t have discovery disputes in cases where everyone is being all amicable with one another.
What’s more, Kubatko notes that Washington - aligned with MLB in the litigation - is thought to be a potential host in 2017. Which is another way the league is telling Angelos how unhappy it is with him, I assume.
The All-Star Game usually goes NL-AL-NL-AL, etc. If this all holds, the game will be in three NL cities -- Cincinnati, San Diego and Washington -- in three years.
