Parity has been the rule of thumb in 2012. Heading out of the All-Star break, all but about five or six teams can still envision a scenario in which they can wind up in the playoffs.

As the players who earned the trip to Kansas City, and their teammates who didn't, made their way to their respective homes or next destinations on the 162-game marathon, most were heading into mid-July with their postseason hopes very much intact.

If you're a baseball fan, the numbers indicate you are in the clear majority if you are pulling for a team that still has not just a chance, but a genuine opportunity, to reach the postseason. As a measurement of fan enjoyment and the health of the game as a whole, that is a fine prospect for the second half of the season to offer.

Typically, having the right pieces to fill immediate needs at the Trade Deadline comes down to having prospects to offer potential trade partners. While building a farm system is essential for long-term success, it's also important so that contending teams have trading chips to use at this time of year.

While a few of last year's top rookies have fallen victim to the annual sophomore slump, Mark Trumbo's and Craig Kimbrel's numbers have only gotten better.

The great baseball photographer Walter Iooss Jr. once said: “Every shot has a story.” It's time to tell your story, and it could mean two free game tickets, a Samsung Galaxy SIII phone or maybe even a trip to the 108th World Series this October.

Plenty of surprises are still in store as baseball heads into the second half. Exactly half of the 30 teams are within five games or fewer of their division lead, while 19 have a record of .500 or better.

Left-hander Mike Montgomery, one of the Royals' top pitching prospects, on Wednesday was demoted to Double-A Northwest Arkansas after going 3-6 with a 5.69 ERA in 17 starts for Triple-A Omaha.

Kansas City took a deep breath Wednesday and reflected on the wild and very wonderful week that encompassed the 83rd All-Star Game — and all the satellite events and community projects that went with it.

Tuesday's Midsummer Classic drew an 8.1 metered market rating, up from the 7.9 for last year's game. It also generated 807,603 total public Twitter and Facebook comments, an increase of 257 percent from 2011.

Count Bryce Harper among the core of Nationals players to help revive baseball in the nation's capital this year. The only question that remains is whether the club can continue this torrid, surprising pace in the second half.

The Cubs have signed outfielder Albert Almora, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft.

When the new First-Year Player Draft system was collectively bargained, the expectation was that it would rein in costs, get players to sign early and avoid signing deadline drama. For the most part, it's done exactly that.

There were many surprise teams in both leagues before the All-Star break. You can expect more during the upcoming weeks, which means we are heading toward a wonderfully wacky finish.

The rest of the championship season beckons. And while we all love to star-gaze, baseball is a team game, and there are 30 teams out there trying to prove they're the best. Well, which one is the best?

After 1,283 games and 87,188 at-bats, big league hitters entered the 2012 All-Star break with a collective batting average of .254. In total, 658 men have thus far managed to tally at least one hit.

After he managed the NL to an 8-0 win against the AL in the All-Star Game on Tuesday, Tony La Russa said he's working for Major League Baseball as Commissioner Bud Selig's assistant for special assignments.