The headline sums up basically what was accomplished in the American League’s 4-3, 15-inning, 4-hour-50-minute marathon win over the National League in baseball’s All-Star game. The happiest man in Yankee Stadium seemed to be Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona, who knows that if his team can make a repeat appearance in the World Series, it will have home-field advantage.
The N.L. has not won the All-Star Game since 1996, but at least this time Commissioner Bud Selig did not call the game a tie like he did in 2002. Awarding World Series home field to the league that won was started recently to make the All-Star Game more meaningful, but it’s a stupid gimmick that uses an exhibition to set competitive rules for games that do matter in the postseason. The old system of the leagues swapping home field each year was a nice tradition that should have been kept. But baseball seldom makes changes that make a whole lot of sense. —Jim Buzinski
The headline sums up basically what was accomplished in the American League’s 4-3, 15-inning, 4-hour-50-minute marathon win over the National League in baseball’s All-Star game. The happiest man in Yankee Stadium seemed to be Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona, who knows that if his team can make a repeat appearance in the World Series, it will have home-field advantage.
The N.L. has not won the All-Star Game since 1996, but at least this time Commissioner Bud Selig did not call the game a tie like he did in 2002. Awarding World Series home field to the league that won was started recently to make the All-Star Game more meaningful, but it’s a stupid gimmick that uses an exhibition to set competitive rules for games that do matter in the postseason. The old system of the leagues swapping home field each year was a nice tradition that should have been kept. But baseball seldom makes changes that make a whole lot of sense. —Jim Buzinski
