Status of All-Star Game still unsure

[Giants666]

This time it counts." Or does it? Less than one month before Major League Baseball's 77th annual All-Star Game in Pittsburgh, baseball has not reached an agreement with the players union that will reward the winner with home-field advantage in the World Series.
"I'm surprised. I'm not aware of that at all," said Fox Sports president Ed Goren, whose network televises the game and whose marketing campaign uses the slogan, "This Time It Counts."

"In fact, I was under the impression that it was in place this year. Maybe it just counts for us. I don't know."

Commissioner Bud Selig said he is optimistic an agreement will soon be reached to retain the 3-year-old format, but confirmed that nothing is in place.

"We're still hopeful," Selig said, "because I think it's really good for the game. Everyone likes it. The owners. The players. The sponsors. It just adds a lot of meaning."

Said Donald Fehr, executive director of the players association: "We're still talking to them, so we'll see. It's something that has to be negotiated."

The All-Star Game format was changed in 2003 after the previous year's All-Star Game in Milwaukee ended in a 7-7 tie when both teams ran out of pitchers. MLB and the players union originally negotiated a two-year deal and extended the agreement last year. They were hoping to have a multiyear deal this season, but with fan balloting nearing an end for the July 11 game, have instead begun focusing on this year's game.

"I think originally we had hoped that we would have sort of a permanent resolution to this issue," said Rob Manfred, MLB executive vice president/labor relations and human resources. "Time has become pressing because we're getting closer to the game. We decided to focus on a one-year agreement and hopefully have a multiyear done with the next (labor) agreement.

"I'm very optimistic we'll have 'This Time It Counts' for this year's All-Star Game."

Said Goren: "I sure hope something is done because it's become a better All-Star Game with this format. The baseball All-Star Game for years ran counter to every sporting event you televised. From the seventh inning on, when the game was competitive, a lot of marquee players were pulled from the game, and the interest diminished.

"The thing this has accomplished is that managers have taken a somewhat different approach to the game. They've kept their marquee players in the game longer. We're seeing sacrifice bunts, hit and runs, stolen bases, things we haven't seen before. It wasn't a point where you ever questioned the intensity of players, but how many at-bats the key players got. You don't worry about that anymore."

They need to do away with this format.

[redsfan28]

It needs to be what the NHL does, the U.S. vs. the World. But I guess that goes against the WBC, so I don't know if they'd do it.

[Giants666]

But the WBC is every 4 years they should be able to do that........Don't they do that in the Minors?

[riverdunesrat]

Never knew it was debatable.....just thought it was another Selig boner we were stuck with till someone else comes along and changes it......humpth.....

[love_that_reefer]

This current format is total shit! Every team gets a representative which is not fair to others more deserving. Oh and I almost forgot, the fans get to vote guys like Piazza in. If it counts, shouldn't theyhave the best? The team with the most wins should have the home field advantage. I wonder how different things would have been in 2004 if the Red Sox had to go to St. Louis instead of getting to continue the ride in Boston to start the WS.

[A'sDiehard]

I'm confident Bud will address this and get it taken care of..........in about four years.

[Giants666]

Selig also needs to get rid of interleague play, but that's for a different day.

[HollywoodLeo]

This current format is total shit! Every team gets a representative which is not fair to others more deserving. Oh and I almost forgot, the fans get to vote guys like Piazza in. If it counts, shouldn't theyhave the best? The team with the most wins should have the home field advantage. I wonder how different things would have been in 2004 if the Red Sox had to go to St. Louis instead of getting to continue the ride in Boston to start the WS.

Piazza SHOULD be voted in!

[Providence A's]

They need to get rid of the ASG. The game and the whole process are jokes.

[love_that_reefer]

Piazza SHOULD be voted in!

[HollywoodLeo]

it's corrupt, may as well be corrupt with a Padres starter

[HollywoodLeo]

They need to get rid of the ASG. The game and the whole process are jokes.

If we're just dumping things that are broke (instead of fixing them) we may as well get rid of all of major league baseball while we're at it

[love_that_reefer]

it's corrupt, may as well be corrupt with a Padres starter

I don't even want to see Bonds there and his ass will be there! Enough is enough! We are stuck with one of the worst presidents ever because people are too dumb and we have been stuck with terrible ASGs for the same reasons! Maybe this year the Nomar votes will actually be worth it!

[HollywoodLeo]

I agree with you reefer, but it's not going to change unless they go back to managers selecting all the participants, or, at the very least, limiting fan voting to the stadiums.

[love_that_reefer]

I know. I just need to rant for a second. I hate seeing people be there based on name recognition.

Here's something somewhat related but not really. Mo Vaughn was the highest paid player in the NL in 2003 and guess how many games he played?