Iconic Dodger Stadium Celebrates Jackie Robinson’s 75th Anniversary During 2022 All-Star Week
LOS ANGELES, CA — Forty-two years ago was the last time Dodger Stadium hosted a Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star game, and this July the star-studded affair will turn up another notch. The number 42 is a significant number not only to the Los Angeles Dodgers organization, but also MLB as the league will celebrate the life and legacy of Jackie Robinson and the 75th anniversary of him breaking the baseball color barrier during All-Star week.
The week kicks off Friday July 15 through Tuesday July 19 in three iconic locations: Dodger Stadium, Santa Monica Pier and L.A. Live.
#AlwaysLA Mookie Betts on honoring the legacy of Jackie Robinson during 2022 MLB ASG pic.twitter.com/6TFRjRm7XD
— Nick Hamilton (@NickHamilton213) May 3, 2022
The festivities include the Red Carpet event, Home Run Derby, and of course the 92nd All-Star game.
The announcement was made on Tuesday at Dodger Stadium alongside Dodgers President Stan Kasten, L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, MLB Chief Operations & Strategy Officer Chris Marinak, and several Dodger players including Mookie Betts, Clayton Kershaw, Freddie Freeman and Walker Buehler to name a few.
With several events taking place in the locations previously mentioned, the communities that can’t be overshadowed are those in the Black and Latino communities around the Los Angeles area during All-Star week.
“We have an MLB Youth Academy in Compton that will have a whole host of programming, in terms of instructional academy as well as play,” Marinak said. “We’re in the process of finalizing our community engagement activities where we are going to be building fields, we are to be doing ‘Play Ball‘ events (and we’re going to be engaging with those communities. You’re going to see local teams compete at ‘Play Ball” Park and just getting an opportunity to participate in All-Star Week.”
Play Ball Park will be the world’s biggest baseball festival – inside the Los Angeles Convention Center and through L.A. Live. A huge fan-focused event that brings together music, baseball, technology with various MLB celebrities. A grand opportunity for MLB to blend the culture and grow the sport of baseball amongst the youth from various urban communities.
The lineup of events for the MLB All-Star Game in L.A. pic.twitter.com/zG4N7fYBeT
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 3, 2022
MLB will also host a celebrity All-Star softball game and SIRIUSXM Futures Game at Dodger Stadium followed by an exclusive concert on Saturday night. With many players and fans calling for the league to incorporate more of the culture into their standard operations moving forward. Though the concert may not top what millions witnessed earlier in the year at Super Bowl LVI with Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg as the headliners, however MLB can come very close.
“We are absolutely focused on latin, hip hop, pop that type of genre, we don’t know exactly who we are going to get yet,” Marinak said. “Because coming out of the pandemic it happened to be the biggest touring year for the concert acts so we’re seeing who’s available. But this is absolutely focused on more multicultural and engaging younger fans and creating a cultural activation that really showcases the sport.”
A premiere time for baseball to showcase this game to a new audience and a start enticing young players to get more involved with the sport.
. @MayorOfLA Eric Garcetti spoke with me about the economic impact of the MLB ASG in LA pic.twitter.com/s6L0yPJAeH
— Nick Hamilton (@NickHamilton213) May 3, 2022
Beyond the economic effect that the MLB All-Star week will bring to the City of Angels, the league has grounds to make a lasting perception of community care that goes beyond the game. And in return, the rediscovery of the love of the game that could emerge in many neighborhoods that felt forgotten in times prior.
With five days of festivities in Los Angeles, MLB will have to come close to what the NFL did with Super Bowl LVI to make a strong impact on its players and fans across the nation. For five days all of the baseball world will be focused on the iconic Dodger Stadium and Los Angeles, where stars are made.
*Tickets for the indoor portion of Play Ball Park can be purchased at AllStarGame.com
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