Cleveland to host 2019 All-Star baseball game

NEW YORK — The 90th Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 2019 will be held at Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians, commissioner Rob Manfred officially announced on Friday. The Indians returned to the World Series last fall for the first time since 1997, which also was the last time the team hosted the All-Star Game. The Indians took the Chicago Cubs to seven games last year before losing a dramatic World Series. Cleveland also hosted the All-Star Game in 1935 (the third in the event’s history) as well as 1954, 1963 and 1981. “Last year’s World Series was a great illustration of the rich baseball history in Cleveland,” Manfred said in a statement. “We are delighted that the 2019 All-Star Game will be in Cleveland with the Indians’ loyal fans during an exciting time for the franchise. Major League Baseball looks forward to bringing 90th Midsummer Classic to downtown Cleveland in 2019 to celebrate the best of our sport.” The Indians will follow this year’s All-Star Game hosts, the Miami Marlins, and the Washington Nationals in 2018. The 2017 All-Star Game is slated for July 11 at Marlins Park in Miami, marking the first time that the Marlins will host the event in their franchise history. In wake of Ventura’s death, Royals face harsh reality In Kansas City, there is no timetable on grief. Unfortunately for the Kansas City Royals, there is one in Baseball. Following the tragic death of 25-year-old pitcher Yordano Ventura last weekend, the difficult and unavoidable reality is this: The team must soon get back to business. Killed in a car crash early Sunday in the Dominican Republic, the man his teammates called Ace will be missed and the loss will be felt for years. But pitchers and catchers report to spring training in mid-February — though many players will be there long before that — and the Royals need to fill Ventura’s spot in the rotation. The hard-throwing right-hander averaged nearly 180 innings in his three full major league seasons. The two known quantities on the starting staff are Danny Duffy and Ian Kennedy. Jason Vargas, who looked sharp in brief appearances late last year after recovering from Tommy John surgery, is expected to be ready for a full season. It appeared three pitchers were set to compete for the role of No. 5 starter. Chris Young, an integral part of the Royals’ 2015 World Series championship, struggled last season. Matt Strahm, a young lefty who was used strictly out of the bullpen last year, spent almost his entire minor league career as a starter. Nathan Karns, acquired from the Seattle Mariners for Jarrod Dyson in the offseason, has made 46 big league starts. Now it appears that trio will be bidding for two starting spots, and the most likely of the three to get one is Karns. In 54 major league games, he is 14-9 with a 4.41 ERA. What excites the Royals most are his 270 career strikeouts in 265 1/3 innings. “I like him,” manager Ned Yost said Friday at FanFest. “I keep flashing back to a game he threw against us in Tampa Bay when we couldn’t do anything against him. He was fantastic.” Vargas pitched 12 innings in September and gave up three runs on eight hits. But he was a big part of Kansas City’s 2014 American League championship. He made 30 starts that year, including three in the postseason when he crafted a 3.52 ERA. “(Vargas) is ready to go,” Yost said matter-of-factly. Yost said he hadn’t thought about Baseball since Ventura’s death. All he would say about filling the gap in the rotation was, “I don’t worry about that. We’ll find a way to replace him. (General manager) Dayton (Moore) and I and our coaches will figure it out. This is Dayton’s busiest time of the year. He’s going 24/7, looking for ways to improve this team. “The beautiful thing about spring training every year is there is always a big surprise, and sometimes there’s two,” Yost added. The players in town for FanFest all wanted to talk about Ventura the man more than Ventura the pitcher. They called him things like “little brother” to describe their relationship, and mentioned they would miss him in the clubhouse more than on the field. Quintana wants to stay with rebuilding White Sox In Chicago, Jose Quintana pulled on his No. 62 White Sox jersey for the first day of the team’s fan convention. He grinned when asked about pitching for Colombia in the World Baseball Classic. Those are the only teams on Quintana’s mind right now. The durable left-hander can’t do anything about the trade talk, so he just tries to ignore it. “I hear a lot about trades this year, but I don’t have control over that,” he said. “I’m happy to be here, and I have new teammates this year. We have some good talent this year, and I’m here. I have all my focus on the White Sox.” While the crosstown Cubs prepare for their title defense, the rebuild is in full swing on the south side of Chicago. Ace pitcher Chris Sale and outfielder Adam Eaton were traded away during the winter meetings, but the 28-year-old Quintana remains with the White Sox after posting a career-high 13 wins last season and reaching 200 innings for the fourth straight year. General Manager Rick Hahn indicated Friday the team remains open for business just a couple of weeks before the start of spring training. Third baseman Todd Frazier, who set career highs with 40 homers and 98 RBIs during his first season with Chicago, finds himself in a similar spot as Quintana. White Sox closer David Robertson also could be an attractive piece for some contenders. Now the focus is on a group of young players that came over in the Sale and Eaton deals. Touted infielder Yoan Moncada and right-hander Lucas Giolito are considered two of Baseball’s best prospects and could impact the major league club this season. — Agencies