Typically, the All-Star Game is preceded by a Home Run Derby the day before. But now, if the All-Star Game is even following nine innings, there will be another home run contest.
Beginning with tomorrow’s All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium, the event’s 92nd edition, and continuing at least for the duration of the current CBA, any Midseason Classic that is tied following nine innings will not be decided by extra innings, but with a tiebreaker decided by home runs.
This is how it would all work:
American League and National League managers will select three players (and one backup, in case of injury) from their rosters who have agreed to participate, plus three coaches to pitch batting practice. Each player will swing three times, and the team with the most home runs following those three rounds will be declared the winner of the game.
The action will pause briefly to allow the pitching staff to reconfigure the terrain. Each participating player will have three swings to hit as many home runs as possible. Each player can view an unlimited number of pitches without counting once morest his swing total.
Players on each team may bat in any order, with both ninths alternating. The away team (the AL in this case) will bat first and the home team (NL) second. Once all six participants have completed their swings, the team with the most home runs will be declared the winner of the All-Star Game. In the event of a tie, each manager will choose one of those chosen to take three swings to break the tie. The manager may select a different batsman in a subsequent round if they remain even, as long as he is one of the original three participants (or the substitute in case of injury).
The new format was negotiated as part of the CBA that went into effect this season.
The All-Star Game has gone to extra innings 13 times, most recently at the 2018 edition at Nationals Park in Washington, DC, which took the LA 8-6 in 10 acts.
