Alexander: Hasn’t All-Star gimmick run its course?

SAN DIEGO >> Does it really have to count?Major League Baseball's annual midsummer exhibition is already the best and most compelling of professional sports' all-star games. And it has sports' best opening act, the Home Run Derby the day before.So is it really necessary to still have the All-Star Game tethered to the World Series?We are in the 14th year of that gimmick -- Fox's original slogan, remember, was "This Time It Counts" -- and for the 11th time the American League will "earn" the opportunity to play World Series games 6 and 7 at home, after Tuesday night's 4-2 victory.