- Mar 23, 2025
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On a typical game day in Arlington, Globe Life Field is colored in two tones: Texas Rangers blue and red.
Tuesday was far from a typical game day.
Baseball fans wearing Rangers jerseys walked side-by-side with the Washington Nationals red, Houston Astros orange, New York Yankees navy, and Pittsburgh Pirates yellow — all brought together from across the country for the 94th MLB All-Star Game on July 16.
It was the first time since 1995 that Arlington has hosted All-Star Week. From Friday to Tuesday, the city turned its entertainment district into an “All-Star Village,” featuring food, games, baseball relics, and the world’s largest baseball.
As Eric Nash walked outside the Rangers’ former home of Choctaw Stadium, threading the family stroller between the baseball-themed carnival games and merchandise, he wore his St. Louis Cardinals jersey with pride.
He’d driven his family 12 hours to get to Arlington, and he would have driven farther if required, he said. The family of six tries to attend as many All-Star Games as possible, and Nash didn’t think twice about coming to Texas.
“It’s hot; it’s humid,” he said. “But it’s fun.”
The game is composed of 64 players from the MLB’s 32 teams. The starting nine spots for each team are selected by fans, and the final spots are decided by MLB players and the MLB commissioner’s office.
The teams represent the National League and the American League. Thirty-two players play on each side. This year, three players from the Rangers played for the National League team.
Washington Nationals fans Luke and Kate Dallaire flew their family in from the nation’s capital for the game. For their three sons, it was the first baseball game they’ve ever attended.
“We’ve set the bar very high,” Kate said, hugging her youngest son, Milo. “The two big kids are starting their first baseball season this fall, so they’re learning about the sport in the best way possible.”
But for other baseball fans, the commute to the stadium was routine. Cindy and Curtis Copeland, Keller residents attending the game in well-worn Rangers jerseys, have been fans of the team since their first date at a game in 1984.
Two years later, they were married. By 1990 they were season ticket holders and have been ever since.
“I’m not sure she knew what baseball was before she knew me,” Curtis said.
“I called it football,” Cindy followed, laughing.
She was a little uncomfortable with the number of Houston Astros jerseys on her home turf, but she said she’d bear through it in the spirit of the All-Star Game.
Local and MLB officials expected All-Star Week’s turnout to mirror last fall’s World Series when attendance to Globe Life Field games hovered around 42,000, breaking Rangers attendance records.
Arlington residents living near the entertainment district shared the same sentiment: this week’s traffic was nothing out of the ordinary.
Paula Bee Cole, an Arlington-based Lyft and Uber driver, said
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