Boston is the best sports city in America, but it has not played host to an NBA, MLB or NHL All-Star Game in a long time.
This city hosted four of the first 14 NBA All-Star Games, but the event hasn’t been back since 1964. The NHL All-Star Game last came to Boston in 1996 — the first year of the Fleet Center (now TD Garden).
And the MLB All-Star Game was most recently held in Boston in 1999, when Red Sox legend Ted Williams took part in the first pitch ceremony and Pedro Martinez gave an iconic performance by striking out five of the six batters he faced and winning MVP.
What are the chances Boston’s All-Star drought ends fairly soon?
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters, including Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe, ahead of Tuesday’s 2025 MLB All-Star Game in Atlanta that Fenway Park “would be a great venue” to host the Midsummer Classic again.
“Time is one issue. Level of interest of the club is another issue,” Manfred said, per Abraham. “The Red Sox have certainly expressed interest.”
The 2026 All-Star Game will be hosted by the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
There are seven teams, including the Red Sox, that haven’t hosted the MLB All-Star Game in this century:
- Rays: Never hosted
- Athletics: 1987
- Cubs: 1990
- Blue Jays: 1991
- Orioles: 1993
- Phillies: 1996 (hosting in 2026)
- Red Sox: 1999
First pitch for this year’s All-Star game is scheduled for Tuesday at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Red Sox will be represented by closer Aroldis Chapman. Alex Bregman and Garrett Crochet were also selected but will not participate.
