Michael Ventre

Now that more pressing matters such as which sluggers passed up the Home Run Derby or why the Supreme Court failed to meddle in Barry Bonds’ late voting surge like it did in the 2000 presidential election are off the radar, it’s time to focus on the races.

No, I’m not talking about our inherent differences as humans, but rather the division races in baseball. At this time of year, they can be just as much of a hot-button topic.

The All-Star break is a chance for everyone involved to collect their breath, relax, count their money and complain about why they’re not featured more often on “Baseball Tonight.” But really the key issues involve teams vying for the postseason. In that regard, there figures to be some feisty maneuverings in the coming weeks.

It might be easier to begin with the one race that isn’t one. The Boston Red Sox appear to be moving like Secretariat at the Belmont Stakes. Despite some recent sputtering — the piping-hot Tigers completed a sweep of the Red Sox on Sunday, who have now lost eight of 13 overall — Boston still has a formidable 10-game lead in the American League East, and it has the pitching to hold off the rest of the division.

Usually the philosophical struggle between the Red Sox and Yankees keeps the baseball world captivated right on through until October. But this year the most interesting angle on the Yankees will be whether Roger Clemens can prevent A-Rod from getting his picture taken with another stripper.

The AL Central clash between Detroit and Cleveland appears to be rife with possibilities. The Tigers hold a one-game lead. And they seem to be finding their groove at the right time. The second half may see them pulling away behind a rotation featuring Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman, Nate Robertson and Kenny Rogers plus a potent batting order led by Gary Sheffield, Magglio Ordonez and Placido Polanco.

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The Indians will be right there. They’ve had a rash of injuries, but have displayed solid depth. Chances are that the Tigers will prevail because of a slightly superior overall rotation (even though Cleveland has two 10-game winners, Fausto Carmona and C.C. Sabathia, at the break for the first time since 1956), but the Indians will make a go of it with their lumber: They lead the AL in homers at the break with 109.

While that drama unfolds, look for the Mariners to fold in the AL West. Right now the first-place Angels hold a 2.5-game lead over surprising Seattle, but it figures to get larger. The Angels have displayed some flaws lately — Bartolo Colon is not right, rookie Reggie Willits is cooling, Ervin Santana had his confidence shattered by the Yanks on Sunday, and the team could still use another major bat to complement Vlad Guerrero — but they still have the best team in the division.

Any club that puts most of its faith in two Dodger castoffs — like Seattle has with Adrian Beltre and Jeff Weaver — is bound to have its season end in disappointment.

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