St. Louis will host 2009 All-Star game

ST. LOUIS -- Busch Stadium in St. Louis will host baseball's All-Star game in 2009.

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig made the announcement Monday night at the 49th annual dinner hosted by the St. Louis chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

"There can't be a better baseball town in America," Selig said.

The decision, which was expected, gives St. Louis its first baseball All-Star game since 1966. The old Busch Stadium hosted the Midsummer Classic that year.

The 2007 All-Star game is scheduled for July 10 in San Francisco and the 2008 event is likely to be played at New York's Yankee Stadium, which is slated to be in its final season.

Back in October, during the NL championship series, Selig said it was very likely that St. Louis would be granted the 2009 showcase.

-- AP