WASHINGTON -- As Major League Baseball transitions to a new era marked by home runs, strikeouts and fewer balls than ever making contract with grass and dirt, the game's decision-makers are plunging ahead with a new mandate: Package the home runs, strikeouts and 98 mph fastballs with technological innovation, and sell it in a way that will make for must-see viewing during "jewel" events.
There will never be a more compelling test lab than the 2018 All-Star Game -- when new-school ball combined with NBA-style marketing to provide a snapshot of where the game is headed.
Monday night at Nationals Park, hometown favorite Bryce Harper staged a frantic comeback to win the Home Run Derby and send a sellout crowd home happy.