The 2002 All-Star Game Ends in a Tie

On July 9, 2002, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Miller Park in Milwaukee ended in a 7-7 tie after 11 innings when Commissioner Bud Selig declared the game over because both teams had run out of pitchers. A crowd of 41,871 fans in Selig's hometown booed loudly as the umpires walked off the field. It was the first tie in an All-Star Game since 1961 and became one of the most ridiculed decisions in the sport's history.

The game was supposed to be Selig's crowning moment. Miller Park, home of his beloved Brewers, had opened in 2001, and hosting the Midsummer Classic there was a point of personal pride. Both managers, Joe Torre of the American League and Bob Brenly of the National League, wanted every player on their rosters to participate. They cycled through pitchers generously, using all available arms by the 10th inning.

When Vicente Padilla finished the top of the 11th and the National League failed to score in the bottom half, Selig conferred with the managers and decided to stop the game. The decision baffled fans and commentators. Position players could have pitched. Extra innings could have continued with the remaining fielders. The game simply did not need to end in a tie, and the crowd at Miller Park let everyone involved know it.

The backlash was immediate and widespread. Sportswriters savaged Selig for the decision. Fans who had paid premium prices for tickets felt cheated. The incident reinforced a perception that Major League Baseball's leadership lacked the ability to anticipate obvious problems.

In response, Selig introduced a new rule the following year. Beginning in 2003, the league that won the All-Star Game would receive home-field advantage in the World Series. The rule, designed to add competitive stakes and prevent another meaningless tie, lasted through 2016 before being scrapped. The tied game at Miller Park became a permanent stain on an event meant to celebrate the sport.