National League aiming to end All-Star drought

By Larry Fine

NEW YORK (Reuters) - National League manager Clint Hurdle will be making a very simple point to his players ahead of Major League Baseball's All-Star game against the American League at the storied Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.

Win, and you get home field advantage for the World Series.

"We play this game for the championship ring," Hurdle told reporters on Monday ahead of the game at Yankee Stadium. "This game now gives a team a better opportunity, by winning this game, to win the championship ring.

"That is the one point that I do want to make sure that our club is aware of and responsible for as we take the field."

The winner of the game, since 2003, has been given home field advantage in the season-ending World Series, though the National League have not won the game since 1996 and Hurdle was determined to reverse that trend.

"We will attempt and make every effort to put a foot down and stop this slide," said Hurdle, who steered the Colorado Rockies to the National League pennant last season.

The National League leads the All-Star games 40-36-2.

The game is the last to be held in the current Yankee Stadium, which opened in 1923 and witnessed a record 26 World Series winning teams and hosted three other All-Star games in 1939, 1960 and 1977, before the Yankees move to a new stadium across the street in the Bronx from next season.

American League manager Terry Francona, whose Boston Red Sox swept the Rockies in last year's World Series, noted the historic element of the game.

"We're honored, as a staff and as the players, to represent not only the Red Sox but the American League in this final game in New York at Yankee Stadium," said Francona.

"We are all aware of the history of what has happened because of the success of the franchise."

This year, the National League boasts a powerful lineup that has more muscle in the order than the usual slugger-happy American League.

Led by Phillies second baseman Chase Utley (25 home runs), Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez and Brewers left-fielder Ryan Braun, both with 23, National League starters have a combined 166 homers this season versus 114 for the AL lineup.

"We're going to be able to attack them all the way through. It's the best lineup that I've ever written down on paper, so we'll see where it takes us," Hurdle said.

Hurdle named Milwaukee right-hander Ben Sheets (10-3, 2.85 earned run average) as his starting pitcher, while Francona countered with Indians lefty Cliff Lee, who has had a remarkable comeback season.