Colorado Rockies: Coors Field one of the favorites for the 2021 MLB All-Star Game

On paper, the Colorado Rockies looked to be one of the odds on favorites to host the 2021 MLB All-Star Game once MLB decided to move the game (and 2021 MLB Amateur Draft) out of Atlanta, Georgia.

After all, the Rockies have not hosted the game since 1998, which is the ninth-longest in baseball, and some of the teams that have gone longer don’t have great stadiums (Oakland and Tampa).

But with Texas Governor Greg Abbott saying in a statement today that the state of Texas “will not seek to host the All-Star Game or any other MLB special events” in 2021, the Rockies and Coors Field seemingly have even better odds than before for hosting the All-Star Game, according to SportsBetting.ag.

Here are their odds for hosting the All-Star Game:

• American Family Field (Milwaukee)   -125
• Wrigley Field (Chicago)           +200
• Coors Field (Denver)   +400
• Comerica Park (Detroit)          +700
• Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia)       +800
• Kauffman Stadium (Kansas City)        +900
• Fenway Park (Boston) +1000
• Globe Life Field (Arlington)     +1000
• Yankee Stadium (New York)   +1200
• Guaranteed Rate Field (Chicago)        +1400
• Dodger Stadium (Los Angeles)           +2000
• Hiram Bithorn Stadium (San Juan, Puerto Rico)         +2500

Milwaukee leads the betting odds because the Milwaukee mayor is leading the charge in a pitch for the All-Star Game. Their chances are also helped because, when the game was going to be held in Atlanta, MLB planned on honoring Hall of Famer Hank Aaron (and likely Hall of Famer Phil Niekro as well) since they passed away this offseason and both played for the Braves in Atlanta.

But both of them played in Milwaukee as well, with Aaron playing with the Braves there before they relocated to Atlanta and he finished his career with the Brewers as well.

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However, Milwaukee hosted the All-Star Game fairly recently (2002) and other than a name change to their stadium from Miller Park to American Family Field, the stadium and the area surrounding it have not had much renovations.

For the Rockies, though, their chances on hosting the game and the 2021 MLB Amateur Draft may actually even be higher for a number of reasons.

• The opening of McGregor Square for the 2021 season
• The Rockies have had a longer drought for not hosting the game than Milwaukee (and most teams)
• Coors Field has the second-largest seating capacity of any stadium in the sport
• Colorado and Denver has public and health officials that are willing to let the Rockies have a larger seating capacity for big events (e.g. Opening Day) and Rockies games, in general
• They can still honor Aaron and the other Hall of Famers that have passed away recently but they can also honor Larry Walker, who will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as the first Colorado Rockies player ever to do so just a few weeks after the game.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported earlier today that MLB could decide the new location for the game and draft as soon as this week and considering the time and planning that is required for it, time is of the essence for MLB to make a decision quickly.