Several years ago when FOX and MLB put their collective heads together and decided to make the All-Star game “count” (in part because of the 11-11 tie in Milwaukee in 2002 that left Commissioner Selig shrugging his shoulders), voting for the All-Star game has become a joke. Now that the game determines which league has home field advantage during the World Series, what would make me want to vote for the best players in the American League? Do I want the best in the American League to face the best in the National League? Heck no!

For the past several years I have skowered the All-Star ballot for the worst the A.L. has to offer and voted for them. I’ve voted for guys who spent much of the first half on the DL, or even found their way back to the minors. I’ve even written in guys who weren’t deemed good enough to make an appearance on the ballot. Likewise, American League voters have been missing an opportunity to vote for the Braves’ Jordan Schafer. Obviously my individual votes have not had an effect on the outcome of the voting. It’s just my silent protest on the ruination of this “exhibition” game.

Now that the game “counts,” I also want the best players to play the majority of the game. Somewhere along the way, All-Star managers felt they had to get everybody into the game (I guess so no one would have their feelings hurt). It used to be the case that several players played the entire game, and now that the game “counts” it only makes since that the game’s best players should play the whole game. Do I want Albert Pujols or Hanley Ramirez coming out after two at-bats? Do I want (fill in whoever the Pirates designated representative) facing Mariano Rivera in the ninth to decide the National League’s fate?

Now yesterday Major League Baseball announced that All-Star rosters will expand to 33 to accommodate an extra pitcher. How long until Bud’s no longer the commissioner?