  05/01/2003 5:09 PM ET
All-Star Game winner to get World Series advantage
Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association announced today that they have agreed on a two-year experiment in which the league that wins the All-Star Game will receive home field advantage in the World Series.
"On behalf of the Clubs, I am very pleased that we have agreed to this important structural change to the All-Star Game," said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "Baseball, like all institutions, must continually reevaluate and reassess itself, and make necessary changes to sustain its fan base and attract new ones. This is part of our overall effort and the purpose of my new task force: 'The Commissioner's Initiative: Baseball in the 21st Century.' To keep the game vibrant and more compelling for our present fans and future fans, we must be vigilant in seeking out fresh, bold, and creative ideas. This change is one of them. It will ensure that the All-Star Game, which its founder Arch Ward called the 'Mid-Summer Classic,' remains just that."
Don Fehr, the Executive Director of the MLBPA, said: "We are pleased to have been able to reach an agreement on this matter. Part of that agreement is a joint commitment to having further discussions about other structural changes in both the All-Star Game and post-season. In that respect, it is a platform for change. The sport has always prided itself, and justifiably so, on its sense of tradition. But change that is tailored to the times does not necessarily detract from tradition. It can sustain it. The Players hope this experiment works well, and they look forward to the discussion of other ideas they have about how the future of the sport is best served."
MLB and the MLBPA also agreed to the following:
The roster size of the American and National League teams will be increased from 30 to 32.
While the fans will continue to elect the starting position players in each league (nine including the Designated Hitter in the AL, eight in the NL), a separate ballot of managers, coaches, and players (the Player Ballot) will be conducted by Major League Baseball during the final week of fan balloting to select an additional nine position players in the AL and eight in the NL and eight pitchers in each league (five starters and three relief pitchers). Should a player selected in the Player Ballot be named by the fans, the second place finisher at that position in the Player Ballot will be named to the All-Star Team. The manager in consultation with the Commissioner's Office will select the final six AL spots (four pitchers and two position players) and eight NL spots (four pitchers and four position players). In the event there is no designated hitter, as will be the case in Houston in 2004, the fans will elect the starting eight position players in the AL, the Player Ballot will select eight AL position players instead of nine, and the Commissioner's Office will select the final eight players (four position players and four pitchers). In 2004, the NL selection process will remain the same as in 2003.
All teams will be entitled to a representative. The final eight selections (six in the case where a Designated Hitter is used) available to the Commissioner's Office will be used to select players from unrepresented clubs.
No pitcher will be required to pitch more than three innings, and all starting position players must get at least one at bat.
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Official Info
