Major League Baseball has finally smartened up and decided that the All-Star Game should not count — sort of.
After months of negotiations, MLB and the MLB Players Association settled on a new collective bargaining agreement. One of the most well-received changes will be that the Midsummer Classic will no longer determine whether the American League or National League gets home-field advantage in the World Series. Instead, the team with the best regular-season record will receive the honor.
AP: The All-Star Game will no longer determine home field advantage in the World Series. It now goes to pennant winner with best record.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 1, 2016
Per AP, Instead of home-field advantage, the winners of the All-Star Game will have a pool of money as the incentive to win the game.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 1, 2016
The “This Time it Counts” narrative has been jammed down our throats since 2002, yet the All-Star Game has continued to feel like an exhibition. Back in 2011, Vin Scully went off on fans who voted for the All-Star game to determine home field advantage in the World Series. You can read what the legendary broadcaster had to say here.
This should be a welcome change for everyone. The money pool provides players with a small incentive, yet MLB is not making the mistake of turning what should be a fun event into something more. It’s about time.
