The very idea of an All-Star game is almost primal. As a little kid, whether you were playing Strat-O-Matic or video games or whiffle ball in the back yard, wasn't one of the first things you did imagine a game where all of the best players competed against each other? The modern interleague showdown dates back to 1933, but All-Star games were common even back in the 1800s. In fact, the first professional baseball game to ever charge admission in 1858 featured All-Stars from several Brooklyn teams vs. All-Stars from several Manhattan teams.
So how did the modern All-Star game become so lousy, and is there anything we can do to fix it?