U.S. Venues For 2013 World Baseball Classic Announced

San Francisco’s AT&T Park Will Host Semi-Finals and Final;

Marlins Park to Welcome Second Round Pool;

First Round Games to Be Held at D-backs’ Homes Chase Field,

Salt River Fields at Talking Stick

World Baseball Classic, Inc. today announced the United States venues for the 2013 World Baseball Classic, which will be played at sites throughout the world in March. 

The Semi-Finals and Final of the 2013 World Baseball Classic will be staged at San Francisco’s AT&T Park and hosted by the San Francisco Giants.  Second-round games will be held at Marlins Park, which is currently in its inaugural season, and hosted by the Miami Marlins.  First round competition will be played at both Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona and Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale and hosted by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

San Francisco will make its debut as a host city for the World Baseball Classic, succeeding San Diego’s PETCO Park (2006) and Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles (2009) as the host of the Semi-Finals and Final.  AT&T Park, which is currently in its 13th season as the home of the Giants, has hosted Major League Baseball’s 2007 All-Star Game and the World Series in 2002 and 2010.

Miami will be a second round host venue for the second straight World Baseball Classic, having also done so in 2009 at Dolphin Stadium.  Marlins Park is a state-of-the-art retractable roof ballpark in the heart of Miami, renewing the legacy of the Orange Bowl in Little Havana.

The homes of the D-backs, Chase Field and Salt River Fields, will serve as host venues for the first round.  This is the second time that World Baseball Classic contests will be played at Chase Field, which hosted in 2006, when Scottsdale Stadium also welcomed first round games.  Chase Field hosted the 2001 World Series and the 2011 Midsummer Classic. 

“We are very pleased to partner with three franchises that will prove to be outstanding hosts of the 2013 World Baseball Classic,” said Paul Archey, President of World Baseball Classic, Inc. “The Giants, the Marlins and the D-backs share our commitment to continuing the game’s remarkable global growth, and their world-class cities and ballparks will welcome the unique brand of enthusiasm inspired by the World Baseball Classic.”

“Miami, Phoenix and San Francisco are three culturally diverse, baseball-loving cities,” said Timothy Slavin, a member of the WBCI Board of Directors. “We’re confident each of these communities and venues will provide an unforgettable experience for players and fans from around the world.”

International venues that will host 2013 World Baseball Classic games, pool composition and game dates will be announced in the weeks ahead along with information regarding ticket availability.

Venues hosting games during the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers were announced previously, and include Armin-Wolf-Baseball-Arena in Regensburg, Germany; Rod Carew Stadium in Panama City, Panama; XinZuang Stadium in Taipei, Taiwan; and Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida.