The new Frontier

The Frontier League gets it. They've gotten it for years, and just like MLB it happened again Wednesday for the independent baseball league; they couldn't complete an All-Star game in nine innings. For the fourth time in seven years, the Frontier League All-Star game was decided by a home run derby. Imagine that. No extra innings, no stretching pitchers beyond their reasonable limits. No squirming from the commissioner's seat.

The Frontier League came up with the concept of a Home Run Derby to decide the All-Star Game after the 2002 MLB game was declared a tie. It also helped to avoid a long extra-inning affair, like Tuesday's version of the midsummer classic ended in 15 innings.

"In a lot of ways, the way it ended was better than winning 2-0 in nine innings," said Kalamazoo's Fran Riordan, manager of the East squad. "The crowd was into it. I've never seen two teams more into a Home Run Derby to decide an All-Star Game.

"It was real exciting and fun to be a part of." The extra swings -- with three hitters representing each side -- were necessary after the West team scored two in the top of the ninth inning off Kalamazoo closer Brandon Parillo.

If the World Cup of soccer can be decided on penalty kicks, then an All-Star exhibition can certainly be decided on a home run derby.

I do, however, want to say that I'm not in any way for the All-Star game determining home-field advantage for the World Series. That is a total farce. The league that wins interleague play should have home-field in the World Series.