SEE IT: MLB, Cardinals Release All-Star Game Logo

Major League Baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals and the City of St. Louis today unveiled the official logo of the 80th All-Star Game, which will be played at Busch Stadium on July--, 2009. Today’s unveiling took place at a press conference at Busch Stadium prior to the Club’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Those in attendance for the announcement included the Mayor of the City of St. Louis, the Honorable Francis Slay; the St. Louis County Executive, the Honorable Charlie Dooley; MLB President and Chief Operating Officer Bob DuPuy; St. Louis Cardinals Chairman and CEO William DeWitt, Jr.; Cardinals Team President William DeWitt, III; Cardinals Vice President/General Manager John Mozeliak; Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, a five-time skipper in the Midsummer Classic; and a pair of 2008 National League All-Stars, Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols and outfielder Ryan Ludwick. The official logo of the 2009 All-Star Game features the classic St. Louis Cardinal perched on a baseball bat beneath the iconic Gateway Arch, representing the rich history that the team has shared with the St. Louis community. The typography of the 2009 Midsummer Classic will reflect the Cardinals’ signature script and heralds a red ribbon in celebration of the event. “Major League Baseball is thrilled to celebrate the 80th All-Star Game with one of the game’s most historic and decorated franchises, the St. Louis Cardinals,” DuPuy said. “It will have been 43 years since St. Louis last hosted an All-Star Game, and we are delighted that the magnificent St. Louis fans will have the opportunity to experience the Midsummer Classic and all of its festivities.” “The St. Louis Cardinals are proud to host next summer’s All-Star Game,” said Cardinals Chairman and CEO William DeWitt, Jr. “This will be a great opportunity to showcase our wonderful ballpark, build upon the rich history of baseball in St. Louis and allow our fans, the best fans in all of baseball, to enjoy the great celebration of baseball that the Midsummer Classic embodies.” Mayor Francis Slay said: “Major League Baseball hit a home run in selecting St. Louis to host next summer’s All-Star Game, which will bring thousands of people to our community, pump tens of millions of dollars into our economy and give us a chance to showcase our great city and our great Cardinals fans.” County Executive Charlie Dooley said: “They call Missouri the Show Me State and St. Louis the Gateway to the west. Next summer, we will become the Watch Me State and the Gateway to a world-class baseball diamond that will glitter for one wonderful evening next summer with Major League Baseball’s greatest players.” The last four All-Star games in St. Louis were held in 1940 and 1948 at Sportsman’s Park, in 1957 at Busch Stadium (the renamed Sportsman’s Park), and in 1966 during the inaugural season of Busch Memorial Stadium. This will be the first time the All-Star Game has been played in the new Busch Stadium, which opened in 2006 and played host to the World Series in its inaugural season.Source: Major League Baseball Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/), which includes The Biz of Baseball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/), The Biz of Football (http://www.bizoffootball.com/), The Biz of Basketball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/) and The Biz of Hockey (http://bizofhockey.com/). He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus (http://baseballprospectus.com/news/?author=124), and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com _content view=article id=47 Itemid=18) He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com _contact view=contact id=2 Itemid=29). more...