Strasberg: Behind the scenes of San Diego’s first two All-Star Games
From SABR member Andy Strasberg at MLB.com on July 1, 2016:
As the Padres welcome baseball’s All-Stars to the city of San Diego for the third time in the team’s nearly 50-year history, I thought it would be fitting to look back on the club’s first two Midsummer Classic hosting gigs. As the vice president of marketing for the Padres from 1975-96, I played a role in facilitating the All-Star Game both times it came to town, which happened to be near the beginning and end of my 22-year tenure, in 1978 and ’92, respectively.
In each instance, my fellow employees and I recognized that the All-Star Game would profoundly shape the image of our team locally, nationally and internationally. We not only needed to get it right, but also had to exceed the expectations. Now, as Petco Park welcomes the 2016 All-Star Week events, I’d like to tell you my stories — from the innovations that worked, didn’t pan out or never came to fruition — from when San Diego hosted its first two All-Star Games.
Read the full article here: http://m.mlb.com/news/article/187299998/1978-1992-mlb-all-star-game-in-san-diego/
Originally published: July 11, 2016. Last Updated: July 11, 2016.