Star-Crossed Decision

Tampa Bay closer Lance Carter and San Diego outfielder Rondell White have about as much chance of playing in the World Series this October as, well, a baseball game has of ending in a tie. The Devil Rays and Padres are buried in their divisions, a combined 47 1/2 games back.

But Carter and White could still play a huge role in determining whether Seattle designated hitter Edgar Martinez starts three or four games in the World Series, or the San Francisco Giants are home for Game 7 instead of on the road, as they were when they lost to the Angels in the deciding game at Edison Field last October, or whether Arizona outfielder Luis Gonzalez -- and not New York Yankee first baseman Jason Giambi -- has the chance to end the series with a hit.

Under baseball’s new made-for-TV format, the winning league in tonight’s 74th All-Star game at U.S. Cellular Field will gain home-field advantage for the World Series, a two-year experiment that players reluctantly approved to appease Major League Baseball, which was embarrassed by the hail of boos accompanying last year’s 7-7 All-Star tie, and Fox, which is embarrassed by sinking All-Star television ratings.

That means if tonight’s game goes extra innings, and managers Mike Scioscia of the Angels and Dusty Baker of the Chicago Cubs run short on players, they might have to turn to those who are here only because every team must be represented -- players such as Carter and White and Pittsburgh reliever Mike Williams and Detroit outfielder Dmitri Young -- to produce for the players for whom this game matters most -- those on contending teams.

“There are going to be a lot of guys sitting at home, banking on us to win this game,” Gonzalez said. “And we’re going to be counting on a lot of other people to come up big for the National League. If I were here with seven teammates it would be different, but I’m the only representative of our club. I may just get one at-bat. There’s a lot more riding on it.”

Gonzalez knows how important home-field advantage is. The Diamondbacks won all four home games, including Game 7 on his ninth-inning, series-ending RBI single, against the Yankees in 2001, and the last eight times a World Series has gone to a decisive Game 7, the home team has prevailed. Of the last dozen World Series that have gone at least six games, 11 have been won by the home team.

“Home-field advantage is huge -- just ask the Angels,” Texas shortstop Alex Rodriguez said. “That’s going to be a major difference in this game. It used to be, you did whatever you did, showered and went home. This year, it’s like making a putt -- it means nothing ... until you put $5 on it. Then you’re going to focus more because it means something.”

Players don’t expect the new format to change their mind-set for tonight’s game, which will pit starting pitchers Jason Schmidt of the Giants and Esteban Loaiza of the Chicago White Sox.

“I don’t see this as adding any more pressure,” Atlanta closer John Smoltz said. “It’s a challenge in itself, facing these kinds of hitters in the All-Star game.”

But the frivolity of recent All-Star games -- Barry Bonds playfully grabbing Torii Hunter and lifting the Minnesota Twin outfielder over his shoulders after Hunter robbed Bonds of a home run last year, live interviews with the managers during the game -- is probably a thing of the past.

There probably will be more bunting, more situational hitting, more aggressive baserunning, more attention to pitcher-hitter matchups, more intentional walks -- and a lot more managing -- tonight than in the last 10 All-Star games combined.

“Who’s to say a guy from Pittsburgh or Tampa Bay -- or New York or Boston -- is going to play?” Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek said. “That falls on the managers. They have a lot more pressure, a lot more variables to deal with. I wouldn’t want their job.”

Neither Scioscia, the American League manager, nor Baker, the NL manager, have received mandates to leave starters in the game longer, but both intimated starters would play more than they have in past All-Star games.

During media day, both managers wrestled with the same issue: Does winning the game take precedent over getting everyone in the game?

“I’ve looked at this a lot of different ways, and I think it’s going to be tough to do both, to manage for matchups and get everybody in the game,” Scioscia said. “So, I think I’m going to have to apologize to a lot of guys in advance that might not get an opportunity to play.

“We’re going to do everything we can to get everybody in, but I think No. 1 is to go out there and make sure we have the matchups as close as we can get them to give ourselves the best chance to win.”

Baker said his decisions will depend on the score and the way the game unfolds.

“I’m going to try to win the game -- anybody who knows me knows I play every game to win, whether I’m playing my mom, my daughter or my wife,” Baker said. “But I also don’t like the idea of guys who travel thousands of miles and don’t get an opportunity to play in front of family and friends, so hopefully we can do both.”

The players are not thrilled with the new format, but with Fox pumping $2.5 billion into the sport for television rights over six years -- and much of that lining players’ bank accounts -- their union signed off on the switch. It also did so knowing baseball would be open in the future to what players really want.

“It should be who has the best record over 162 games -- don’t put it all on one game, where anything can happen,” Seattle second baseman Bret Boone said, echoing the feelings of many All-Stars who believe that would be the logical determinant of World Series home-field advantage.

“But that’s life. It doesn’t bother me. I’m just going to try to do the best I can to help my team win. I know everyone is going to do the best job they can, and we don’t need any ‘This Time It Counts’ slogan to do so.”

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Starting Lineups

*--* NATIONAL LEAGUE Edgar Renteria St. Louis SS Jim Edmonds St. Louis CF Albert Pujols St. Louis LF Barry Bonds San Francisco DH Gary Sheffield Atlanta RF Todd Helton Colorado 1B Scott Rolen St. Louis 3B Javy Lopez Atlanta C Jose Vidro Montreal 2B Jason Schmidt San Francisco RHP AMERICAN LEAGUE Ichiro Suzuki Seattle RF Alfonso Soriano New York 2B Carlos Delgado Toronto 1B Alex Rodriguez Texas SS Garret Anderson Angels LF Edgar Martinez Seattle DH Hideki Matsui New York CF Troy Glaus Angels 3B Jorge Posada New York C Esteban Loaiza Chicago RHP

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Comforts of Home

The team with home-field advantage has won the last eight World Series that have gone seven games. The results of those Game 7s:

*--* Year Result 2002 Angels 4, San Francisco 1 2001 Arizona 3, N.Y. Yankees 2 1997 Florida 3, Cleveland 2 (11) 1991 Minnesota 1, Atlanta 0 (10) 1987 Minnesota 4, St. Louis 2 1986 N.Y. Mets 8, Boston 5 1985 Kansas City 11, St. Louis 0 1982 St. Louis 6, Milwaukee 3

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