The Half-Century wait

MLB All-Star Game 2013 / MikeBritt00 - Flickr

The Half Century Wait It has been 49 years since the New York Mets have hosted the MLB All-Star Game. On July 16th the best players from both the National and American Leagues will face off in an action packed game. Seats are being sold, hotels are being booked, and this 2013 All-Star Game is definitely going to be a big financial boost to the city.

With people coming from all over the world just to see the 2013 All-Star Game, it is bound to generate a lot of money for the city. The last All-Star Game held in New York in 2008 generated 148.4 million dollars, the most money ever made from an All-Star. Seats closest to the All-Star action are priced at $5000. This year’s All-Star Game has been promoted so much that it may even surpass the money made from the 2008

All-Star Game the game that generated the most gross profit The Mets have waited nearly half a century to host another All-Star Game, and the players themselves are just as excited to show off Citi Field. “It's just a great park to come to every night, and I think what's going to be even better about it with the All-Star Game, is it's going to be packed,” said Mets left fielder Mike Baxter said in a MLB.com article. Knowing this, there is no question that New York is going to try and milk the cow.

With the amount of people coming in, hotels, restaurants, and even attractions are sure to benefit from this game as well. While these three may be big contributors, revenue will also come in from smaller MLB events during the All-Star week. The Home Run Derby, Celebrity Softball, and Taco Bell All Star Sunday are some of the events that will be featured along with the All-Star Game.

 With the All-Star game just around the corner, New York City is expecting a big economic boost. Its been 49 years since the the Mets hosted the All-Star game and this year they are doing it on an improved Citi Field. There is no question that this year’s All-Star game will be one to remember. “It’s what’s good for the game” said Mets Chairman Fred Wilpon in a MLB.com article.

The legendary sandman enters his final season

Will Mariano Rivera’s retirement lead to the downfall of the New York Yankees’ legacy? The Yankees ace closer has been with the team for 19 seasons and contributed to five World Series wins. Throughout the years he has shown consistency and reliability as a closer and he has been essential in the ninth inning.

Mariano Rivera - Wikimedia Commons

Rivera said that he would have retired at the conclusion of last season if he did not tear his ACL on May 3, 2012. He was on the shelf most of that season; however, he did not want to retire due to an injury. "I didn't want to leave like that," Rivera said in a press conference before the 2013 season. "I felt like I wanted to give everything."

The New York Yankees need Rivera to elevate his abilities with some of their best players including Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez out due to injury. Rivera returned to baseball on April 4, 2013, leaving him a significant amount of time to recover and come back even stronger than last season. Rivera is the most tenured player on the team and his experience will play a major role for winning another World Series.

Although many did not expect the sandman to return after his ACL injury, Rivera has been very consistent this season. He started the season by saving Andy Pettitte’s eight inning performance against the Boston Red Sox in their third game of the season.

The Yankees are looking forward to a better opening to their season as far as they are concerned with their pitching. With some of their best and more reliable batters out pitching is where the Yankees really have to be aggressive. Rivera’s composure and consistency are exactly the attributes that the Yankees need during the pressure situations.

Contributed by Kian Zadeh and Din Islam