NEW YORK — A few years ago, Paul Konerko found out exactly how much it meant to win the All-Star game.
He played on the American League side that won the exhibition in 2005. That gave the AL the home-field edge in the World Series — his Chicago White Sox then took advantage, opening with a pair of tight victories at U.S. Cellular Field on their way to sweeping Houston.
So what about it, slugger? That link between the summer showcase and the Fall Classic is a pretty nifty idea, right?
“I think it’s totally ludicrous,” Konerko said.
The three-time All-Star first baseman has plenty of company. Ask most anyone in the majors and they’d prefer to change the concept that began in 2003 as a two-year experiment.
“I would hope that we’ll move on eventually to a better way,” Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.
Maybe that means the team with best record hosts the World Series opener. Perhaps the club with the top interleague mark gets the edge. Or the league that posts the best AL vs. NL record draws the honor.
“Obviously, you’ve got to have some way,” Houston outfielder Lance Berkman said. “I do know that the notion that guys will play harder, or not as hard, is a fallacy.”
The AL has won five straight All-Star games since players and owners OK’d the plan. The result? AL teams have gone 8-2 in Games 1 and 2 of the Series.
Boston second baseman Dustin Pedroia will try to extend the streak Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.
“I think it’s huge. Last year it was big for us,” said Pedroia, whose leadoff home run in the Series opener sent the Red Sox toward their sweep over Colorado.
All-Star results historically run in cycles — right now, the Americans are 10-0-1 since Todd Worrell, Mark Wohlers and Ricky Bottalico helped shut them out in 1996 at Veterans Stadium.
Tom Glavine pitched for that winning NL team, too.
“I’m not a big fan of the home-field advantage thing. I don’t think most players are,” the Atlanta lefty said. “I just think that in an effort to continue the goodwill that was going on between the players and the owners, this is something that we agreed to do because Fox really wanted it. So it was kind of an olive branch thing.
“We agreed to do it, but I don’t think any of us agrees with it per se,” the 10-time All-Star said. “We’re basically doing it because other people want us to. And so we do. In a perfect world, we would all love the team with the best record to have home-field advantage. But we keep being told that we can’t do that. I’m not quite sure why.”
Logistics, mainly. This way, possible sites are whittled down well before the pennant races heat up. No need to scramble for hotel rooms and flights on one day’s notice.
Overall, how much does it mean to open in October? Consider this: The team that owns the home field has won 18 of the last 22 championships.
Want more? Home teams have won the last eight Game 7s in the World Series.
No matter, the link is part of the labor contract through 2011. Any change, even back to the alternating system that existed for nearly a century, requires the approval of the players’ union and management, and that’s not likely.
“I know there are many players who would prefer that home-field advantage for the World Series be determined as it was prior to change. But from 1903 to the year of the change, there were numerous instances in which a discernibly inferior team had the advantage, simply because it was its league’s turn to get it,” said Gene Orza, the union’s No. 2 official.
“At least this way, the outcome of an actual game determines it. There may be other ways, too, but I’m not sure why a return to the old format would be better,” he said.
Major League Baseball chief operating officer Bob DuPuy saw it the same way.
“We are satisfied with the current system, which gives the All-Star game much more significance than it had prior to institution of the current plan,” he said. “Clearly there has been a renewed emphasis on winning the game over the past few years and we believe the play and managerial strategy reflects that. I would not expect any change in the current system.”
Said AL manager Terry Francona of the Boston Red Sox: “If we win, I love it.”
Commissioner Bud Selig and Fox television certainly like it. Playing up the “This Time it Counts” theme, the All-Star game bounced back the last two years after drawing record low ratings in 2004 and 2005.
Count Boston third baseman Mike Lowell among those who would scrap the idea.
“If it means so much to win the All-Star game, then you should just have your best nine players play all nine innings,” he said.
White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen would give the edge to the team with the best interleague record.
“It would be more fun, I think. Because one game is hard,” he said. “And now I’ll have a call from the commissioner. It’s my opinion, sir. It’s my opinion. I’m not telling you to do that.”
Anything but the current system, Konerko said.
“There’s going to be a guy there that will be on a last-place team that will have no bearing on the playoffs, and he could come in and either give up a home run or make an error in the field that could result in changing the game,” he said. “He’s just going there to enjoy the game, and in the middle of October, he’s going to get questions about a play he made that settled home-field advantage. I just don’t think that’s right.”
To St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols, the whole debate is silly.
“Who cares?” he said. “You’re in the World Series.”
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