By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Tonight's MLB All-Star Game in Miami will mark 21 years since the Philadelphia Phillies, then playing at Veterans Stadium, last hosted an MLB All-Star Game. The Phillies don't plan to bid on games in the imminent future, however.
To put how long it's been since the Phillies hosted an All-Star Game in perspective, consider these few facts. Barry Bonds won the Home Run Derby at that All-Star Game, edging out Mark McGwire, who still played for the Oakland Athletics. The No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 at that time was Tupac's "How Do U Want It." And Citizens Bank Park, which is currently in it's 14th season, was eight years from opening.
In other words, the Phillies are due to host an All-Star Game. But James Wagner of The Washington Post reported in 2015 that the Phillies plan to wait another nine years before hosting Citizens Bank Park's first All-Star Game:
Ten of the 14 new stadiums built since 2000 are in the National League. Excluding Petco Park (hosted in 2016) and Marlins Park (hosting this year), four new stadiums have yet to host an all-star game: Tropicana Field in Tampa, Yankee Stadium in New York, Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia (the Phillies are waiting to bid for the 2026 edition to commemorate when America turns 250) and Nationals Park (will host in 2018).
Former Philadelphia mayor and Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell confirmed to Glen Macnow of 94 WIP in April that the Phillies do plan to bid for the 2026 All-Star Game. He also noted that the Sixers and Flyers will attempt to host the All-Star Games in their respective sports that year and that the Eagles will bid to host the Super Bowl.
As our Matt Albertson noted in his look back at the three All-Star Games that the Phillies have previously hosted, Philadelphia held the 1976 All-Star Game, the first one at Veterans Stadium, in celebration of America's bicentennial (200th) year. So it would make sense if the Phillies looked to host the game in America's sestercentennial (250th) year.
If word is out that the Phillies plan to host the 2026 game, one would think they will be successful in their attempt. The Washington Nationals would have probably been their biggest contenders, though as mentioned above, they will host the 2018 game. The New York Yankees, who haven't hosted an All-Star Game in the new Yankee Stadium, hypothetically could bid for the game as well. They last hosted the All-Star Game in 2008, the final season at the original Yankee Stadium.
2026 would be the 23rd season at Citizens Bank Park, meaning if the Phillies would host the All-Star Game that season, perhaps they would consider making some renovations to the stadium in anticipation of the first All-Star Game to come to the city in three decades. In its current state, it's hard to imagine what those renovations would be — Citizens Bank Park got new infield grass in 2016 and got a new scoreboard in 2011 — though within the next 10 years, the Phillies could certainly attempt to find some new features to add to the stadium.
