MIAMI -- Rob Manfred's legacy as Major League Baseball commissioner will ultimately be shaped by the answers to some thought-provoking questions. The game will look markedly different if and when pitch clocks, robot umpires and international expansion become part of Manfred's quest to broaden baseball's fan base and have it resonate with a younger audience.
Against that big-picture backdrop, the stakes of an exhibition game in the middle of July seem almost like a housekeeping chore. But MLB takes its All-Star Game very seriously. As Manfred strives to embrace the future, he is showing that it's possible to make a statement by letting go of the past.