Major League Baseball Makes Changes to All-Star Game

The 81st Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Anaheim will have some new wrinkles.

On Wednesday, the league announced modifications to its All-Star Game effective this year. The changes made were suggestions from Bud Selig’s Special Committee for On-Field Matters.

Listed below are those modifications, along with my thoughts on each.

Rosters will be expanded from 33 players to 34 players.

I am not a fan of expanding the rosters. Is the idea to get everyone in the game or win the game? Now that the game decides home-field advantage in the World Series, I believe the idea is to win the game.

If the idea is to win the game, then the 34th-best player in the league shouldn’t replace Albert Pujols or Chase Utley. I would rather have the roster go back down to 30 players and have the best players play.

The contest always will include a designated hitter no matter where it’s played.

Smart move here. Nobody wants to see the pitchers hit in an All-Star Game.

However, there is one caveat to this decision. Having the pitcher in an All-Star Game is an easy way to get hitters into the game. With the rosters expanding and no pitchers hitting, managers now will have even a tougher time getting everyone in the game.

No pitcher who competes for his team on the previous Sunday will be allowed to pitch in the game.

Again, smart move. The pitcher should be honored at the game for making the team but in no way should be allowed to pitch.

Ruining someone’s season just to pitch an inning in an All-Star Game never made any sense to me.

A rule will allow one position player re-entry into the game if necessitated by injury.

This move was already in place for catchers but shouldn’t be in place for the other position players. This isn’t Little League.

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