Typically, the home run derby is held the day before the All-Star Game. But now, if the All-Star Game is still after 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 through at least the current CBA era, any midseason classic tied after nine innings will not be decided by extra innings, but by the tiebreaker deciding home run.
This is how it all works:
The 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, and three coaches to practice pitching. Each player will swing three times, and the team with the most home runs after those three rounds is declared the winner of the game.
Action will pause briefly to allow the pitching staff to reconfigure the terrain. Each participant has three swings to hit as many home runs as possible. Each player can see an unlimited number of pitches without counting against their swing total.
Players in each team can bat in any order, and the two ninth teams can play alternately. The away team (AL in this case) will bat first and the home team (NL) will bat second. Once all six participants have completed their swing, the team with the most home runs is declared the winner of the All-Star Game. In the event of a tie, each manager selects one of the chosen ones to take three swings to break the tie. As long as he is one of the original three participants (or a substitute in case of injury), the manager may select a different batsman in the next round if there is a tie.
The new format was negotiated as part of the CBA that took 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, where LA won 8-6 in 10 innings.
