World Series Homefield advantage

Let's take a look at how home field advantage for the World Series is determined. Prior to 2003 the home field advantage for the World Series was alternated between NL and AL. However after the 2002 All-Star game ended in a tie, commissioner Bud Selig changed the rule and made the winning team of the All-Star game have the home field advantage for the World Series. While to many home field advantage may not seem like much, it can have a significant impact on any game, especially the World Series. I personally do not like the current way of having the All-Star game decide who has home field advantage. You may think that I think this because I am a fan of the NL and the Mets. This is not the case however.

I think it is unfair that the All-Star game decides the World Series because many times the best players do not play in the All-Star game. Those who play are voted on by the fans. This year Wright was only on due to Soriano injury and Reyes was not on the team at all despite the fact that he had an historically good first half becoming the first player in history to have 10 home runs, 10 triples, 20 doubles, and 30 stolen bases before the All Star break. Santan was not on the team despite having one of the lowest ERAs in the NL at the time. These are just 3 snubs from the Mets this year and does not take into account everyone else in the league for every other year. Also, the All-Star game is an exhibition game meant for fun. This means that the fans want to see all players get in the game so many times managers take out their starting and sometimes best players for backups who may not even deserve to be on the team in the first place.

My solution would not be to go back to alternating years (although it is better than the current All-Star game method). The World Series home field advantage should be determined by the team with the better record throughout the year. This rewards teams who play in an exceptionally tough division who have to win more games to get into the playoffs because of their division. Also, it gives teams who are lightyears ahead of the rest of their division motivation to continue winning games and not slack off. In the case of a tie for best record in MLB in both leagues (Yankees & Mets in 2006, although neither made it to WS) then you go to a coin toss or opposite of who had the advantage in the previous year. This system is more fair and would make the teams continue to play rahter than slack off and take the rest of the season lightly after clinching a post season birth. Also, it forces managers to be more stategic. For example if a team has the best record in the MLB and is in the AL but the best NL team is only a couple games behind them with a week left to play, do you rest your regulars or go for the best record and a chance for home field advantage? More managing and strategy = better baseball. (which is why the DH makes it easier to manage in the AL, but that is a whole other can of worms).