There are many points of contention. There are plenty of things to criticize. It's actually kind of nice to see baseball's All-Star game stirring some passion, so let's hit a few of the topics!

Should the All-Star Game determine who gets home field in the World Series? I'm the first to admit the "This time it counts!" campaign is cheesy. But I will say this: If the game didn't mean something, it would not have been nearly as competitive and hard fought as it was for fifteen innings last night. (In fact it probably would have been called a tie after ten or eleven. Lame.) Other alternatives for determining home field are:

• Alternating leagues. The old tradition that seems kind of stupid.
• Best record. Totally flawed when a team from the weak sister NL west could theoretically be deemed better by winning one more game than someone in a real division in the AL. Add to that, they might have 4 common opponents in general.  Unfair.
  
• League with the best overall record in inter-league play. This is probably the fairest barometer, but it's not as sexy in a thirty second promo for Fox.

Has the All-Star Game lost it's sexiness? To some degree, yes. But those who want to blame baseball are somewhat off base. Blame cable TV. Blame ESPN. Blame satellite dishes. Blame the MLB Extra bases package or whatever it's called. We see so much baseball compared to the days when, here in St. Louis, you got the Cardinals, and one national "Game of the Week," that it's hard to get excited about seeing players from the other league. You see them in highlights every night. Granted, inter-league play has taken some of the luster off the All-Star game as well, because you've already seen Albert Pujols face Johnathan Papplebon once this year, but I think our media culture has more to do with it than anything.

Is baseball's All-Star game the best of such contests? Absolutely! The NBA and NHL games are pathetic if you care about defense. The NFL's version is played when the season's over, and has less intensity than a college spring game. Did you see the pitching last night? Those guys weren't going half speed to save their arms. The defensive play (particularly on outfield assists) was outstanding. It was played by great players the way they would play in a great game.

Was last night's game another point in favor of instant replay? That's a really tough call. Replay, as it stands, is to be limited to fair and foul on home runs for the moment. The umps certainly blew a couple of calls, but there remains the question of whether bang-bang plays at second and home will even be reviewed. I must say, it would be nice to see them get a few more right. I might have gotten to be before midnight last night!

Many of these questions will be centered around Busch Stadium a year from now! (Or Stella Artois Park) What are your thoughts on all this?