01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Winning the All-Star game will still be worth something in October.

Home-field advantage in the World Series this year will again go to the league that wins the July exhibition, owners and players agreed yesterday.

Originally a two-year experiment in 2003 to make the midsummer classic more meaningful, the idea was extended last season.

The American League has taken the All-Star game all three times, and the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox have won the World Series the last two years. Florida won in 2003 despite opening the Series at Yankee Stadium.

Players and owners hoped to announce a plan for this year earlier, but have been busy with many other off-the-field issues, including steroids. Baseball's labor deal runs out after this season, and the sides may try to agree to a long-range plan tying the All-Star game to the World Series in future labor negotiations.

This year's All-Star game will be July 11 at Pittsburgh.

ROUNDUP

RAYS TRADE GATHRIGHT: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays obtained left-handed pitcher J.P. Howell from the Kansas City Royals for outfielder Joey Gathright and infielder Fernando Cortez yesterday. Howell went 3-2 with a 4.75 E.R.A. in eight starts with Triple-A Omaha. He had two stints with the Royals last season, going 3-5 with a 6.19 E.R.A. in 15 starts. Devil Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Howell will report to Triple-A Durham. Gathright started the season with the Devil Rays, hitting .201 with 12 stolen bases in 55 games before being optioned to Durham June 6. Cortez had a .222 batting average in 60 games with Durham this season.

NO SALE: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that, contrary to speculation by fans and media, the Braves have no plans to trade veteran stalwarts and start rebuilding. The newspaper quoted a person familiar with the Braves' discussions in its story. The Braves believe that when Mike Hampton is fully recovered from elbow surgery next season, he will join John Smoltz and Tim Hudson to lead a formidable starting rotation.

NOT SO FAST: Reliever Octavio Dotel, who hoped to join the Yankees this weekend after undergoing Tommy John surgery 12 months ago, suffered a setback in his rehab when he experienced elbow pain not normally associated with the surgery. Yankee general manager Brian Cashman says the problen is "nothing major."

TAKING HIS MEDICINE: Randy Johnson has dropped the appeal of his five-game suspension for intentionally throwing at the head of the Indians' Eduardo Perez last week and began serving it yesterday. Because the Yankees have a day off tomorrow, the suspension will simply result in Mike Mussina taking Johnson's start on Sunday, and Johnson starting in Mussina's spot on Monday.

HELLING ACTIVATED: The Milwaukee Brewers activated right-hander Rick Helling from the disabled list to start their game against the Detroit Tigers last night. The Brewers also purchased shortstop Chris Barnwell's contract from Triple-A Nashville. The team designated right-handed reliever Allan Simpson for assignment and sent right-handed reliever Joe Winkelsas to Nashville. Helling made two relief appearances for the Brewers before going on the disabled list because of a sprained right elbow.

ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDS: Five Florida spring training sites are eligible to receive $15 million each over the next 30 years under a bill signed yesteday by Gov. Jeb Bush that also provides the Orlando Magic with $60 million to refurbish their arena. Six baseball teams will be able to apply for the money, which would be split into $500,000 annual payments to help keep Arizona's Cactus League from raiding the Florida Grapefruit League. The Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Devil Rays are covered in the bill.

REESE IS RECALLED: The New York Yankees recalled outfielder Kevin Reese from Triple-A Columbus and started him in left field last night against Philadelphia. Reese, who hit eighth, was batting .286 with four homers in 49 games in Columbus. He also appeared in five games for the Yankees in May, going 2-for-5. To make room on the roster, the Yankees sent pitcher Jose Veras to Columbus. He didn't pitch in a game since he was recalled Sunday.

LOE ON THE DL: The Texas Rangers placed right-hander Kameron Loe on the 15-day disabled list yesterday and recalled outfielder Freddy Guzman from Triple-A Oklahoma. Loe has a bone bruise in his right elbow. He attributed it to excessive weight lifting during the offseason. The move was retroactive to June 19, so Loe will be eligible to return July 4. Texas manager Buck Showalter said the club is leaning toward recalling right-hander Robinson Tejeda from Oklahoma to take Loe's turn in the rotation Saturday.

DRAFTEE IN FOLD: The Chicago White Sox and right-hander Kyle McCulloch, the team's first-round draft pick out of the University of Texas, agreed to a contract yesterday. The 6-foot-3 McCulloch was named the Big 12 Conference pitcher of the year after going 8-5 with a 3.61 E.R.A. as a junior this season. He was the winning pitcher in the clinching game of the College World Series in 2005 when the Longhorns beat Florida for the title.

SIMULATED EFFORT: Chicago's Kerry Wood threw a 70-pitch simulated game at Jacobs Field yesterday, but it's unlikely the injured right-hander will start for the Cubs until he makes another one. The club had been hoping that Wood, who has made just four starts following offseason shoulder surgery, because of a stiff shoulder, would pitch this weekend against the Minnesota Twins. "I would not rule it out, but I would put doubt on it," Cubs trainer Mark O'Neal said. O'Neal reported that Wood's first 60 pitches went well, but he began to fatigue and stopped after 10 more.