Amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Major League Baseball announced on Friday, July 3, that it has canceled its 2020 All-Star Game, which was set to take place in L.A.’s Dodger Stadium on July 14. According to MLB.com, this will be the second year ever that the All-Star Game doesn’t take place since it was founded in 1933; the last time was 1945, due to World War II. The Atlanta Braves are already scheduled to host the 2021 All-Star Game, so the Dodgers will now host the next available Midsummer Classic, in 2022. In a statement about the cancellation, Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti said, “COVID-19 has forced us to make a lot of tough calls and sacrifices — and while it may have disrupted our plans for this year, we can’t wait to welcome baseball’s best to Los Angeles for the 2022 All-Star Game.†Dodger Stadium is currently being put to much more practical use as a free coronavirus testing facility. The shortened MLB season is still “expected to begin July 23–24,†but many baseball players are opting not to play due to concerns about coronavirus. The game basically runs on spit; not great for limiting the spread of an infectious disease.