Manfred on 8 Royals' leading All-Star vote: 'open to change'

BOSTON (AP) With eight Kansas City Royals leading in fan voting for starters at the July 14 All-Star game, baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says he is ''open to change.''

Speaking to reporters Tuesday at Fenway Park, Manfred says it is too early to draw conclusions.

''We have 16 days left,'' he said. ''Lots of years we've worried about lots of things about fan voting, but in general fans have done a good job.

''We'll see how it all turns out. ... We are responsive and open to change if we get a result that is not consistent with the goals of the system that is in place.''

Fans elected seven Reds to start the 1957 game in St. Louis, but after concluding half the fan ballots came from Cincinnati, baseball commissioner Ford Frick added Willie Mays and Hank Aaron to the NL lineup in place of Reds outfielders Gus Bell and Wally Post.