Call me a purist. Or just call me old school. I won’t mind at all.

That’s what I am.

I enjoy watching the major league all-star game - an exhibition between the National and American Leagues.

At times, even the home run derby has been fun to watch.

But, I don’t think the winner of the game should be given home field advantage for the World Series. That rule was made in 2003, when commissioner Bud Selig called the contest a tie after both the AL and NL squads ran out of players on their 30-man rosters.

After that 2002 game, the home field advantage was awarded to the winning league for the World Series. But is that fair to the team with the best record from either league to not be awarded the possible seventh game in a 7-game series to be played on their home field?

Allowing the All-Star Game to decide this simply undermines what teams do during the regular season

Like I said, I’m old school. I don’t like the designated hitter used by the AL. I don’t like artificial turf for baseball. (The game is supposed to be played on real grass.)

The All-Star Game should be pure exhibition.

I was reading something on the internet the other day and found several reasons others think the game should not determine the home field for our great American pastime’s championship.

Here are a few that I liked: It is only one game; the previous Sunday’s starting pitchers are ineligible for the game; the rest of the playoffs do not work that way; most All-Star players will not make the postseason; the game does not always have the most deserving players and some players don’t always give their best efforts.

For those reason and many more, I think I’ll just stay old school.

SHORT STUFF:

…. Any boys in grades 9-12 interested in playing football this year at Belfry High School are to report for practice on Monday, July 23 at 6 p.m. at the BHS Athletic Complex. There will be an important meeting for parents on Thursday, July 19 at 7 p.m. in the Belfry auditorium. Equipment will be issued on Thursday, July 19 as follows: Seniors 6 p.m.; juniors 6:20; sophomores 6:40 and freshmen 7:00.

… Former West Virginia University baseball star Jedd Gyorko is closing in on a promotion to the Major Leagues. Gyorko continues to hit the cover off the ball in triple-A Tucson, an affiliate of the San Diego Padres. Gyorko is the most recent Pacific Coast League player of the week.

… Marshall’s Aaron Dobson has been selected to the 2012 College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) Wide Receiver Watch List.

This is the second preseason honor for Dobson, who is from Dunbar, W.Va. Blue Ribbon announced that he was a first-team preseason All-Conference USA pick in late June.

… After working the past two seasons as a graduate assistant, Josh King has been named an assistant coach for Marshall’s men’s basketball team. As a graduate assistant, King assisted the coaching staff with day-to-day operations while earning a master’s degree in adult technical education.

(Kyle Lovern is the sports editor for the Williamson Daily News. Comments or story ideas can be sent to klovern@williamsondailynews.com)