5 Reasons Citi Field Will Be the Perfect Host for the 2013 MLB All-Star Game

The New York Mets' home ballpark of Citi Field was announced as the home for the 2013 MLB All-Star Game on Wednesday afternoon. The midsummer classic returns to New York, five years after it was played in old Yankee Stadium. 

It's the first time the Mets have hosted the All-Star Game since 1964. The honor provides yet more good fortune for a team that's been through a rough stretch over the past few years, between losing records, bad contracts, ill-conceived outfield fences and the financial problems of team ownership.

But things have turned around this season. Financial doom doesn't hang over the franchise, and the team is playing well and competing in the NL East. The Mets are being talked about for all the right reasons now, and hosting the All-Star Game next year is something else to be proud of. 

Why is Citi Field such a good setting for the 2013 All-Star Game? Here are five reasons.

New York City

People in the midwest or on the West Coast might roll their eyes at this, thinking New York gets far too much attention as it is. But no other major metropolitan city can provide the kind of big event environment around the All-Star Game and its other festivities.

Times Square, Wall Street, Broadway and Central Park can all host big, splashy events involving players and fans in the days leading up to and during the midsummer classic.

And that's just in Manhattan. Flushing Meadows in Queens could be an ideal outdoor setting for the All-Star Fan Fest. Plus, is there an area with a higher concentration of sports bloggers than Brooklyn? We'll get non-stop coverage of All-Star activities and maybe some reporting on intriguing off-the-field, after-hours stuff as well. 

The Home Run Apple

Would the Mets' symbol of a home run by the home team get worn out during Home Run Derby? What cooler accompaniment could there be?

But maybe asking the Home Run Apple to work on a night when baseball after baseball will be hit into the seats is asking too much. That thing will get worn out after the first two batters. The hydraulics would probably break down after constant use.

Besides, it really doesn't move up and down that fast. Is everyone supposed to wait until the apple goes back into its box?

OK, maybe the Apple should be saved until the end of the Derby, when we have a winner. Or maybe it should just be saved for the big game, when a home run will really matter. 

David Wright

The Mets' third baseman is the face of the franchise and one of the most recognizable figures in baseball. He's also an MVP candidate this year, taking back his place among the best players in the game.

Could MLB ask for a better host and hometown hero for one of the season's biggest events? 

The only concern for the Mets might be making sure Wright doesn't get worn out by his hosting duties. Torii Hunter admitted the constant obligations tired him out during the 2010 All-Star festivities in Anaheim, and it affected his play later on. 

Maybe the Mets could have manager Terry Collins tag along with Wright and pull him out of any event before he gets too worn down. Gotta protect the star player. 

Architectural Nods to History

Citi Field's retro exterior, which evokes the Brooklyn Dodgers' famed home of Ebbetts Field, provides a beautiful setting for baseball's midseason showcase event. What better nod to the past and embrace of the present and the future? 

Incorporating the distinctive front facade into the 2013 All-Star logo will make for a memorable design, maybe one one of the best we've seen in recent years. (I mean, I presume that's the way MLB will go. How could the logo go any other way?)

The ballpark also features the Jackie Robinson Rotunda, dedicated to perhaps the most important figure in baseball history, at its front entrance. It provides another tremendous setting in which to celebrate the sport's rich tradition and the promise of what's to come. 

Mr. Met

There is no better mascot for the All-Star Game. Period. 

How many places can Mr. Met and his smiling baseball head be during the five days of All-Star celebrations in New York and the surrounding boroughs?

Forget about David Wright getting worn out. What about Mr. Met? Everyone will want his time. He'll pose for countless pictures. He just might have to be cloned.

Let's just hope Mr. Met still has that smile on his face after All-Star festivities have ended. 

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