First played in the 1933 season, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game is played in early July, which is close to the midpoint of the Major League Baseball season.
The game is played at a different site each year, chosen by Major League Baseball. It typically alternates between leagues each year.
The starting position players in the game are chosen by fan balloting. Paper ballots are distributed at all Major League ballparks, and internet voting was added in the late 1990s, allowing all-star voting to go global.
The remainder of the rosters are selected by the managers of the game, which is the manager of the previous year's league champion. One player from each team is selected to the game.
A home run derby was added in 1985, and the competition takes place the night before the All-Star Game.
The game is an exhibition, and managers are careful not to overuse players, especially pitchers, in the game. But after the controversy surrounding the 2002 game -- it ended in a tie because each team ran out of available pitchers -- a new rule was enacted to make the game more relevant and add to the incentive. The winning league in the game now receives home-field advantage in the World Series that season.
