A consumer’s guide to the best and worst of sports media and merchandise. Ground rules: If it can be read, played, heard, observed, worn, viewed, dialed or downloaded, it’s in play here.

What: All-Star Web sites

With this year’s major league All-Star game in Colorado on Tuesday night, there could be twice as many runs scored than the average All-Star game.

And this year, there are two Web sites devoted to covering the game and all its festivities.

The sites, www.fastball.com and www.mlballstargame.com, have many similar features. But each has its own way of bringing the action to the computer screen.

Both have news updates, rosters, All-Star history and statistics and stores for All-Star and major league memorabilia, sportswear and accessories.

And the best feature--both have chat sessions with various baseball personalities.

While www.fastball.com didn’t actually begin transmitting from Denver until Sunday, and had no set chat schedule, people like Lou Brock have taken part in chat sessions on www.mlballstargame.com. But that is where the similarities end.

As for www.fastball.com, it features things to do in Denver, a map to the field, trivia and links to other All-Star sites.

On game night, www.fastball.com will have a notebook, a feature on what players are saying before the game called “Around the Cage,” game updates, post-game notes and a photo gallery.

On the other hand, www.mlballstargame.com offers a wider selection of activities, including interactive trivia and interactive All-Star pinball.

It also gives blimp views of Coors Field, and has plenty in terms of multimedia.

On audio, there’s commentary, player features and interviews from the game, home run derby and FanFest.

There are also live updates of both the game and home run derby.

Along with all that, www.mlballstargame.com even offers visitors a chance to win tickets to next year’s game at Fenway Park in Boston.

Between the two sites, the World Wide Web has the All-Star game covered.