Shawn Green is probably too nice to say anything, so I'll say it for him: "What the heck is going on? What does it take for a baseball player to get noticed these days?"

This year, we should try something new. Let's have the best players represent the sport of baseball at the All-Star Game.

Catch up, people! Were Green's four home runs in four at-bats not good enough for you, especially since it's only one less than Tsuyoshi Shinjo has hit all season. I'm not even sure why Shinjo, currently fourth overall in voting among NL outfielders, is even on the ballot, while the Dodgers' right fielder sits 14th.

Note to fans: All-Star voting should not be a popularity contest. Choosing a player based on anything other than his performance is ridiculous. If you want superlatives, check your high school yearbooks. Actually, if you checked Green's yearbook, it wouldn't surprise me if he were voted "Best All-Around" because that is what he has been on the field in the first half of the season.

With the popularity of fantasy leagues and with fans incessantly checking box scores and player stats, I'm surprised the majority don't make more educated decisions when they punch their All-Star ballots. For crying out loud, at least check who's on the DL!

Of course, fans aren't the only culprits contributing to the nonsensical All-Star selection system. MLB mandates that every team be represented and limits the number of players per position.

The best is the best. Period.

For example, there are five American League shortstops worthy of making this year's All-Star team: Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Nomar Garciaparra, Omar Vizquel and Miguel Tejada. Not only should all of them make the team, but they should all be in the starting lineup. It's safe to assume All-Stars can handle any position.

Let's face it: Randy Winn and Steve Cox are both having nice years for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, but we don't really need players from a 25-50 team, already 21½ games out of first place. The Devil Rays don't even draw enough fans to care if their team is represented.

This year, we should try something new. Let's have the best players represent the sport of baseball at the All-Star Game. If we need to expand the rosters to make that happen, expand the rosters. It seems simple enough, right?

Bud, please do something for the players just this once. Change the rules so that the players invited to Milwaukee deserve to be there. If you do, I'll even say that I like interleague play. Really, I will.