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A couple of significant changes are on the way for Major League Baseball's All-Star Game, starting with this year's contest in Anaheim. But those hoping MLB would reverse field and remove the tie it established in 2003 that awards home-field advantage in the World Series to the representative of the league that wins the All-Star Game will be disappointed. That hot-button issue will remain in place for the foreseeable future.
While common-sense ideas like giving home-field in the most important series of the year to the team that emerged from the six-month regular season with the better record didn't gain traction, there was some forward progress.
First on that list is that a designated hitter will now be used every year, rather than only in games held in American League parks. While pitchers rarely ended up batting in All-Star Games anyway, there's no reason to have the possibility arise, nor to make the All-Star managers and their coaching staffs keep track of double-switches and the like when they already have enough damage on their lineup cards thanks to the game's myriad of substitutions.
The AL's starting DH will continue to be voted in by the fans, while the NL manager will determine his team's starter at the position.
The other headline change that will help managers -- this time sparing them the wrath of their brethren around the league -- has to do with the deployment of starting pitchers. Beginning this year, pitchers who start the Sunday immediately prior to the All-Star Game will not be allowed to pitch in Tuesday night's exhibition and will be replaced on the roster.
They'll still be welcome as All-Stars and get the full treatment, but their arms won't be put at risk by having them throw full-bore in a game situation on a day they would normally be throwing a low-key bullpen session.
In another move to protect players from unnecessary use and potential injury, rosters have been expanded again, from 33 to 34. An extra position player has been added, and rosters will now consist of 21 position players and 13 pitchers. Finally, one position player who has departed the game will be allowed to reenter the game in the event that the last available player at any position is injured. This falls in line with a rule already in place that a catcher may reenter the game if his team's last eligible catcher gets hurt.
The bottom line on these changes is that progress is being made, but you're guaranteed to hear more about what wasn't done than what was. And until Bud Selig or his successor changes his mind, the matter of tying a July exhibition to the games three months later that decide baseball's champion will be raised every year.
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