Deciding Who Should Select the MLB All-Star Team

Baseball without statistics is like the American political process without elections. And speaking of elections, fan voting still determines the starting lineups for Major League Baseball's All-Star Game.

And like the political process in our democracy, we get it wrong just as often as we get it right. What else could explain why a suspended Manny Ramirez ranked fourth among NL outfielders in the initial voting?

The first thing that should be decided is: Whom exactly is the game for? Is it still an exhibition giving the fans the opportunity to see their favorites on the field or has it evolved into something much more, now that home field advantage in the World Series for the winning league hinges on the outcome?

Because I see it as no longer an exhibition, I have changed my mind on the fan balloting idea. Let the players decide is my new mantra. How can it be that I can sit in my home and possibly affect the Fall Classic?

Who am I to tell Dustin Pedroia and the Boston Red Sox, regardless of the fact they may have baseball's best overall record at season's end, that he and his team have to play on the road in the biggest series of the year all because Grady Sizemore struck out in St. Louis with two outs in the ninth?

Because Bud Selig decided the All-Star Game should be meaningful, I am now of the opinion that those most affected by the final score—the players themselves—should have the most say as to who represents each respective league. As a fan, you and I have nothing substantive to lose that night in mid-July, but the players risk everything.

Why not at least institute a system, much like the NFL's Pro Bowl balloting, in which the players and the fans get an equitable say? This allows the fans to still have an impact on the game itself and elect the players they most want to see, while still giving the players a direct say in what may ultimately be their October fate.

The die is cast. The All-Star Game now means so much. How can we ignore the voices of the players?

After all, it's their game now. Let the elections begin.