CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago Cubs fans shared their excitement with ABC7 on Thursday about multiple reports saying the MLB All-Star Game will come to Wrigley Field in 2027.
Crain’s Chicago Business reported the story on Wednesday.
The official announcement is apparently expected next week, but the word is out. The Cubs are reportedly planning to host their first all star game in more than three decades.
The year was 1990. The best Major League Baseball players in the world were at Wrigley Field for the All-Star game, and with them came all the fans and worldwide media attention. Many fans are excited for that to possibly return.
“It is a huge deal to have that game here in Chicago, especially here in Wrigleyville to showcase this great neighborhood,” Cubs fan John Tate said.
Yak-Zie’s Bar and Grill opened in 1990, just in time for the big boost the game brought. General manager Leah Spagnoli was not yet born, but she’s looking forward to an even bigger boost this time around if the game comes back in 2027.
“It’s now putting our neighborhood in the national spotlight and getting people here,” Spagnoli said. “I feel like it’s what the neighborhood has been looking to do since all the improvements happened.”
The Cubs and the city have been working on getting the game back for years and have put some $30 million into safety and security updates for Wrigley Field and the neighborhood, including widening the sidewalks along Addison next to the ballpark. They are improvements that would benefit the neighborhood long after an All-Star Game.
“So this is all in prep to not only make it a safer ballpark all the time, but also to be able to be more attractive to get games like the All-Star Game,” said Maureen Martino with the Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce.
Martino said the crowd that comes to the All-Star Game includes many more out of town visitors than a normal game. That means more business for hotels and restaurants, not only in Wrigleyville, but throughout the city and suburbs.
The spotlight from the game and all the activities that go with it will bring tons of good publicity for the neighborhood. The last time the game was in the city was 2003, when the White Sox hosted it on the south side.
North Siders are looking forward to showing off all the improvements to the neighborhood, including bars, hotels and restaurants, like Sluggers, which was also around in 1990.
“It’s nice something like this to bring much action to the entire city, because that brings outside money from other cities, possibly countries, to our town,” said Zach Strauss with Sluggers.
The 2027 would be the the fourth time in history the Cubs have hosted the All-Star Game. For those keeping score, the Sox have already hosted four times.