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Progressive Field to host 2019 MLB All-Star game

While it hasn't been confirmed by the team, several prominent sources are claiming the Tribe will host their sixth All-Star game in 2019.

By Matt Lyons
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Indians are set to host the 2019 MLB All-Star game, per several sources.

This will be the first MLB All-Star game in Cleveland in more than 20 years and the sixth overall hosted by the Indians, the most by any MLB franchise. The last All-Star game hosted by the Indians was in 1997 at Jacobs Field when Tribe All-Star catcher Sandy Alomar hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the seventh inning.

Cleveland was also one of the first handful of teams to host the All-Star game in its infancy. The third-ever Midsummer Classic was held in Cleveland Stadium and featured a record attendance of 69,812 that stood until the Indians broke their own record with 69,812 fans in 1935 and later 72,086 fans in 1981. No other All-Star game has had an attendance over 65,000.

As Paul Hoynes writes, this is the perfect time for the Indians to host the All-Star game, having just finished off their first AL Pennant run in years and coming within a run of winning their first World Series since 1948. Though recent renovations to Progressive Field has dropped the seating capacity from around 44,000 to 38,000.

It's hard to predict two years into the future for any baseball team, but unless basically everything that can go wrong for the Indians does, they should still be competitive -- even if that means at the tail end of the window to win -- in 2019.

The Indians are holding a press conference tomorrow at 10:15 a.m. to formally announce the news.

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