(670 The Score) Security concerns have long been the main impediment to the Cubs and Wrigley Field being awarded another All-Star Game, but president of business operations Crane Kenney senses “good progress” on that front as he continues to hold discussions with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and city officials.
“The commissioner has basically made it very obvious – fix your security issue, and I’m going to award you an All-Star Game,” Kenney said on Inside the Clubhouse on Saturday.
The Braves will host the 2025 All-Star Game, and the Phillies will host the Midsummer Classic in 2026. That would put the Cubs in line to host the All-Star Game in 2027 if they address the security concerns.
Kenney is hopeful that it will happen soon, and he detailed the history of the Cubs’ pursuit in recent years that dates back to Rahm Emanuel's tenure as Chicago’s mayor from 2011-’19.
“We’ve had multiple mayors chase this,” Kenney said. “Mayor Emanuel went to New York with a proposition for the game. We were trying to get it for the finish of the Wrigley project. So we were looking at like 2021, which turned out, because of COVID … wouldn’t have been the (best) year for us. The commissioner made it very clear to then-mayor Emanuel, ‘This is what I need to see around Wrigley Field.’ So every year, there’s a scoring system and unfortunately in New Orleans, we just saw another incident. But even going back to the Stade de France (in 2015) and what has been happening internationally, there’s a scoring system for each ballpark in terms of perimeter security and we are last in baseball.
“The beauty of Wrigley is we play in a neighborhood. That means active streets during the game, 40,000 people inside and a U-Haul truck that could have fertilizer in it rolling right past the gates. That’s no good, and the commissioner made it very clear that’s no good. Those streets need to be closed – not just from the moment the game starts but during the game. Progress was made, and then Rahm left office. Honestly, mayor (Lori) Lightfoot made a lot of progress with the commissioner and a plan and then was not re-elected (in 2023). So we picked up the torch with mayor (Brandon) Johnson, and he’s been making a lot of progress. And I think it’s a very realistic expectation for 2027 based on the conversations I’m aware of that are happening.”
The conversations taking place are between the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Illinois Office of Tourism and the Chicago Department of Transportation as well as other city and state officials, Kenney said. Kenney isn’t involved in most of the conversations but is regularly updated about them.
Merchants’ desire to keep streets open as much as possible, the commercial impact of closing streets as well as residents’ wishes and concerns are all factors in the conversations, Kenney said.
“I’m sensing good progress,” Kenney said.
Wrigley Field hasn’t hosted an All-Star Game since 1990. The stadium underwent a years-long renovation that was completed in 2019.
“We’re overdue,” Kenney said. “We’re more than 30 years past our last All-Star Game, so we’re in the right asking for it. The commissioner wants to do it.”