I've been bombarded on local radio about the need to vote for the rapidly approaching All-Star Game. Upstate New York radio desperately wants to eradicate Boston players from the American League starting lineup. Upon hearing the plea for the millionth time, I starting thinking about this year's game and the debate that spring up about using this venue to determine home field advantage of the

It only seemed appropriate to raise this issue once again since the game will be played in Pittsburgh, whose Pirates dropped their 12^th game in a row with a loss to the White Sox on Tuesday. This topic slipped under the radar this season with all the rumor, conjecture and speculation regarding the use of banned substances and several other controversial stories on and off of the playing field.

The decision to make "this one count" occurred just a few weeks ago and there was again some concern about players from the aforementioned Pirates or the Royals or Cubs deciding home field advantage.

I wanted to bring forth one argument in support of the policy of using the All-Star Game for this purpose. With the shift to the unbalanced schedule a few years back and the continuation of inter-league play, the simple reliance on overall record would give an incomplete picture.

Yes, I understand that you still need to play and beat all teams on your schedule, but one must account for the difference in the degree of difficulty, for lack of a better term, in teams' schedules. For instance, the teams in the AL Central get to take their frustrations out on the Royals 19 times each this season. The Royals currently possess a record of 10-21 against division opponents.

Then, take into account the rotation of the division from the opposite league to contested in inter-league play. Stepping outside of the whole "rivalry" factor and the sometimes seemingly arbitrary choices to pair teams up, the schedule rotation wreaks havoc with determining the "best" team in each league heading into the World Series to determine home field advantage. In 2006, the AL Central is taking on the NL Central. Remember the example of the Royals in divisional play, the Royals are riding high with a record of 8-2 in their last 10 games against the teams of the NL Central. They were swept in the May series against St. Louis, but it still illustrates the point of how playing these series may impact a team's standing dramatically.

The eight wins by the Royals against the NL Central constitute one-third of their win total in 2006!

The examples of series and divisional matchups of this ilk are numerous and will continue so long as the disparity of payrolls and talent levels remain in place.

There's no simple way to level that playing field and create the perfect formula to make sure that the "proper" team gets home field advantage. Therefore, you can choose a neutral field like the NFL and buck tradition even more, alternate leagues each year or go with the current solution.

In my role as commissioner of my mind, I'll keep things as they are, except that pitchers will never bat in my All-Star Game. But that's a rant for another time.

I like the idea of two teams putting it on the line between the white lines on a Tuesday in mid-July. For that one night, a Royal, a Devil Ray, a Pirate or better yet, a Cub, can actually have a World Series moment in 2006.