OK, so you get it: The AL is better. The question, then, is why.

This is going to sound crazy, since we're talking about pro sports here, but money has a lot to do with it. Five of the top six payrolls in baseball belong to AL teams. Obviously, the more you spend, the better chance you have to win. But the money provides another boost to the quality of play in the AL — teams know they can't sneak into the playoffs with 85 wins. That creates a higher standard for AL teams to live up to, so even the lower-payroll teams in that league have to be more creative just to compete.

Winning begets winning. An NL team can win a weak division and fool itself into thinking it's a powerhouse in the making. An AL team with the same record knows it must improve, and general managers react accordingly.

And of course, there is the DH. Generally, baseball fans are either DH Guys or No DH Guys. (And women can be DH Guys, too. I believe "guy" is gender-neutral.) DH Guys would rather eat pickled human than watch pitchers hit. Me, I'm a No DH Guy. I'll gladly watch a pitcher flail at a few curveballs in exchange for more complicated strategical options later in the game.

But there is no arguing that the DH has helped the AL. It gives AL teams a chance to plug a top offensive player into the lineup without any worries about defensive liabilities. It is the equivalent of an NBA Western Conference team putting Carmelo Anthony on the floor and saying he doesn't have to play any defense. Oh, right. That actually happens. But at least the Nuggets pay a price for it.

The NL might win this All-Star Game. The NL representative might even win the World Series. But neither of those results would change the obvious fact: the AL is better, period.