Dennis Kuhl’s weekend plans sound dizzying, even for a Major League Baseball executive.
The chairman of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim has a laundry list of events around town, including at the House of Blues, the Anaheim White House restaurant, the convention center, even chic nightspot Heat Ultra Lounge.
It’s no ordinary weekend for Kuhl, or the Angels.
On July 13, the team hosts baseball’s annual All-Star Game, which some liken to the Super Bowl.
The All-Star Game pits the best players from baseball’s American and National leagues against each other in an exhibition game.
Just as with football’s big game, there are plenty of events leading up to next week’s game.
For baseball fans, hotels, restaurants and others, the All-Star game stands to be the county’s biggest event of the year.
“There’s going to be so much going on,” Kuhl said. “You want to be at every place you can, glad-handing.”
The All-Star Game and related events are expected to pump $85 million into the county’s economy, according to the city of Anaheim and the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau.
Since 1996, cities hosting the game have reported $37.6 million to $65 million in economic impact, according to MLB.
$2 million in Upgrades
As hosts, the Angels have spent close to $2 million on upgrades to Angel Stadium of Anaheim in the past year, Kuhl said.
Improvements include new carpet in the visitors clubhouse and painting “everything that’s not moving and some things that are moving,” he said.
The team also redid the stadium’s “Big A” sign, recovered seats, replaced flooring and did “basically, a lot of cleanup,” Kuhl said.
“When you have 40,000 people come to your house every night, you’re going to have a little wear and tear,” he said.
The Angels also have added things at MLB’s request, such as more seats for the press. More than 2,000 domestic and international media are expected to cover the game.
The Angels paid for the improvements and won’t be receiving a cut of revenue from sales of tickets, food, concessions or merchandise, according to Kuhl.
“It is an MLB event. We are the host and they retain all of the revenue,” he said.
The Angels see it as a “privilege to have the All-Star Game” and wanted to give back to the team’s fans, Kuhl said.
The Angels hope to benefit down the road by showcasing the team and stadium to potential national advertisers, he said.
Moreno, Kuhl
Kuhl’s set to watch the game alongside Angels owner and longtime friend Arte Moreno, who’s hosting MLB Commissioner Bud Selig in his box at Angel Stadium.
Moreno, who bought the Angels in 2003, has a packed schedule as well.
He will host a reception at the Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast on Sunday that’s expected to include Selig and other team owners.
Moreno and wife Carole also are set to make charity event appearances this weekend.
Among the owners coming in for the game is Jeff Moorad, chief executive of the San Diego Padres. Before buying into the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2005 and the Padres in 2009, Moorad was a sports agent in Newport Beach, where he has a home.
Moorad said he plans to “hold court” with meetings at Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach on July 12 and 13.
He plans to attend the July 12 Home Run Derby with one of his three sons and stop by a pair of late-night events after the derby, including a reception thrown by the Major League Baseball Players Association.
Moorad is set to watch the derby and All-Star Game from club seats made available to the Padres. Other Padres officials set to attend with Moorad include Chairman John Moores and Tom Garfinkel, the team’s president.
“I love the energy of the All-Star experience,” Moorad said.
Newport Coast’s Scott Boras, baseball’s most powerful player agent, is set to watch the game, derby and Sunday’s Futures game for minor league players from his usual dugout suite behind home plate.
Ten of Boras’ minor league clients were invited to play in the Futures game.
MLB officials and staffers are expected to start arriving in Anaheim on Thursday, according to Matt Bourne, vice president for business public relations for the league.
Selig, former owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, is expected to arrive Saturday or Sunday.
Sponsors
Corporate sponsors also are set to be on hand.
MLB’s national sponsors include Bank of America Corp., Anheuser-Busch InBev SA, General Motors Corp., Nike Inc., Pepsico Inc. and Taco Bell Corp.
The backing of sponsors is important to break even or “make a little money” on the All-Star Game, Bourne said.
“The sponsors are really critical to all of our efforts,” he said.
Bank of America, the largest bank operating in Orange County, is using the game to showcase community service by its employees.
The bank feels an “opportunity and responsibility to give back,” said Allen Staff, senior vice president and regional executive.
The slow economy hasn’t really hurt MLB in terms of sponsors, according to Bourne.
“Companies still need to sell their goods and sell their services, and they need creative marketing ways to do that,” he said. “When they’re making choices, we’re not the one being cut out.”
Even so, the still sluggish economy has led some of MLB’s backers to pull back from “sponsoring 100% of the pie,” he said.
For the Angels, the All-Star Game didn’t really boost season ticket sales versus 2009 but kept them from slipping as companies still are cautious about spending on luxuries, according to Robert Alvarado, vice president of marketing and ticket sales for the team.
FanFest
What Bourne called “baseball’s version of Disneyland” starts Friday with FanFest at the Anaheim Convention Center.
The event, which runs through July 13, is expected to draw more than 100,000 fans, said Jackie Secaira-Cotto, MLB’s manager of special events.
FanFest includes interactive exhibits and clinics, player appearances and merchandise for sale. For many, FanFest will be as close as they can get to the All-Star Game, for which tickets are pricey and hard to come by.
Among the 45,000 people with game tickets are sponsors, players, former players and league officials, according to MLB’s Bourne.
Angels season ticket holders were given the chance to buy tickets. Some individual tickets passed over by season ticket holders now are up for sale.
Hotels
The game and related events are providing a boost for area hotels.
The 1,600-room Anaheim Hilton and the 1,000-room Anaheim Marriott are co-headquarter hotels for the game.
Anaheim Hilton is set to house sponsors and MLB administrators and upper management, said Brad Logsdon, the hotel’s director of sales and marketing.
The Hilton also is “hosting a lot of the hospitality parties,” he said.
Most guests are arriving Saturday, Logsdon said.
The Hilton’s occupancy is set to go up about 10% from Saturday to July 14, according to Logsdon. About three-quarters of the hotel’s rooms are blocked for All-Star visitors, he said.
At the Hilton and Marriott, about 2,200 rooms have been set aside for the game.
The Marriott is set to host players, who are baseball’s biggest stars.
Other hotels are seeing business from the game.
A pair of All-Star groups is taking 100 rooms at the 332-room Pelican Hill, according to spokesman Landry Fuller.
Fuller declined to say who’s staying at the hotel. In the past, Pelican Hill has hosted big names, such as Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees.
Angels Past, Present
The Angels are reaching out to current and past stars for All-Star events. Former first baseman and Hall of Famer Rod Carew and current centerfielder Torii Hunter are spokesmen for FanFest.
Former Angels Tim Salmon and Wally Joyner are expected to be at a party hosted by former team broadcaster and player Rex Hudler.
Pitcher Chuck Finley and outfielder Fred Lynn are among retired players set to play in a celebrity softball game on July 11. Other invited retirees include pitcher Clyde Wright and second baseman Bobby Grich.
There will be no rest for the weary after the last pitch on July 13, according to Kuhl.
“We come in very early the next day,” he said, to host a three-game series with the Seattle Mariners.
“This is baseball,” Kuhl said.
