Report: No home-field advantage in World Series for All-Star winner

AL or NL champion with best record will have home-field advantage

The Major League Baseball All-Star Game will no longer determine home-field advantage in the World Series, the Associated Press reported early Thursday.

According to the report, the American League or National League champion with the best record will now have home-field advantage in the World Series.

Home-field advantage used to rotate from the AL to the NL. Since 2003, the winner of the All-Star Game has determined home-field advantage. That was always a controversial policy because it meant the All-Star Game counted as more than an exhibition game and affected the use of pitchers and the style of play.

Since 2003, the American League has won 11 of 14 All-Star Games, including the last four. In that same period, the National League has won eight of 14 World Series. The team with the home-field advantage won seven of 14 World Series.

The change is part of the new collective bargaining agreement reached Wednesday night. Another part of the agreeement is a reduction in the minimum amount of time players can spend on the disabled list. It will go from 15 days to 10 days.

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