Reasons to watch or not watch the All-Star Game

I'm thinking of boycotting the All-Star Game this year, out of solidarity with A.J. Pierzynski.

A.J. got royally hosed in the voting this season - and I don't mean the fan voting, I mean the players' voting.

A.J. was never going to beat Joe Mauer in the fan popularity contest. Yet how could he lose to Jason Varitek of the Red Sox in the player balloting for reserves?

A.J. was hitting .300 while batting second and guiding the White Sox' pitching staff to the best ERA in baseball, while Boston's "Captain" Varitek wasn't even hitting his weight - with or without his catching gear on.

When elected, Varitek was batting in the neighborhood of .217, which might be above the Mendoza Line, but is considerably short of the get-your-chin-off-your-chest line. Is A.J. really that despised by his peers? I get the feeling he would finish third in an election against George W. Bush and a dead dog in the street.

So during a media conference call this week, I gave Fox baseball color analyst Tim McCarver, who'll do the game with Joe Buck at 7 p.m. Tuesday on WFLD Channel 32, the chance to justify the Varitek selection.

"As a .217 hitter, either a catcher or a shortstop is the kind of player who would be elected by the players," McCarver said. "The players play against these guys, and they value his talents." Apparently more than they value a .300 batting average and calling a skillful game behind the plate. "It's one of the inconsistencies in the All-Star Game you find year in, year out."

He didn't say a word about A.J., apparently having been instructed as a child that if you can't say something good about someone say nothing at all.

What a putz. As if I needed another excuse not to watch.

McCarver did, however, remind me of a reason to watch when he talked about how difficult it is just to make the All-Star team. "Joe Crede is a terrific third baseman with the White Sox," he said, as usual belaboring the obvious. "He's been with the White Sox nine years. And this is his first All-Star Game."

All right, 'nuff said. I'll have to watch for Joe. So much the better if the 2005 World Championship ticket of Jermaine Dye and Aaron Rowand prevails in the Final Vote tally.

Otherwise, as usual, expect Fox Sports to make the most of the All-Star Game pomp, especially with the farewell to Yankee Stadium. The network will cover a red-carpet parade at 6 p.m. Tuesday, with the introduction of the various illustrious Hall of Famers in attendance at 7 p.m. constituting the pre-game. Once the game proper begins, look for baseball to dominate, although not exclusively.

I believe Yosh Kawano is the only Cub not to be selected for the All-Star Game, so cocky Cub fans will be rooting for the National League to seal home-field advantage for their trip to the World Series, and play-by-play announcer Joe Buck did insist that makes for a better game.

"You've got every reason now to manage the game to win," Buck said. "It becomes less of an exhibition and more of a baseball game, and I, for one, enjoy that."

McCarver said simply the format is "better than it was," when home field shifted from one league to the other from year to year, sort of like his defense of Jason Varitek.

Fox Sports President Ed Goren promised no coverage of the Alex Rodriguez-Madonna affair - unless she somehow winds up driving a limo in the red-carpet parade.

"I think at some point you don't want to make it like it's 'Access Hollywood,'" Buck said. "I'll leave that to Billy Bush."

Promises, promises.

In the air

Remotely interesting: Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig visits CBS' "Late Show With David Letterman" at 10:35 p.m. Monday on WBBM Channel 2.

Dan Patrick will join NBC's "Football Night in America" next season. ... Showtime has named James Brown, Phil Simms and Cris Collinsworth hosts of "Inside the NFL" as it switches premium-cable channels. ... Dan Dierdorf will receive this year's Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and don't expect me to explain that decision.

End of the dial: WSCR's Dan Bernstein plays host to a "Chicago Radio Free-for-All" involving Lin Brehmer of WXRT 93.1-FM, Steve Dahl of WJMK 104.3-FM, Ray Stevens of WUSN 99.5-FM and Eddie Volkman and Joe Bohannon of WBBM 96.3-FM - all, not coincidentally, CBS Radio affiliates - from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday on WSCR 670-AM in a live broadcast from Smith & Wollensky, 318 N. State St., Chicago. Video will also stream on www.670thescore.com.

Producer Jen Patterson has left the Score. She'll be working with Mike North on whatever it is he chooses to do in the coming months.