Fisher Pence is still helping Nick Swisher.

The first time was when they were students together at Parkersburg High in West Virginia, during the 1995-96 school year.

"He was my tutor when I was in ninth grade. I failed geometry, and he was my tutor as a senior," Swisher remembered. "That's the first we ever met. What a great dude."

The second time was during the ongoing 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game balloting campaign. For the first time, MLB.com is letting fans join the campaign staff of any player on the ballot, with the opportunity to rise from the ranks of Campaign Volunteer all the way up to Campaign Manager depending on how many points they earn from voting and grassroots support through social networking.

Pence is Swisher's Campaign Manager, helping his former classmate to fifth place among American League outfielders as of the last update. Not only that, entering the week, the MLB.com user "fpence" was the leading overall points-earner of any campaign.

"It just makes you feel so good to know that you've got people from your own hometown -- coming up from a little town like Parkersburg -- it's nice to have that sort of following," Swisher said, sitting at his locker in the Yankees' clubhouse during the weekend's Subway Series against the Mets. "He's amazing. He's such a great guy. I'm proud to call him a friend.

"I'll take it. I'll keep him. Everybody wants to be an All-Star. I've yet to be one, and I think it would be an absolute honor to represent the Yankees in the All-Star Game."

That is the kind of response MLB.com heard from various Major Leaguers as they asked All-Star candidates and their Campaign Managers about this new wrinkle to what already is the largest All-Star balloting program in professional sports.

"I didn't think it would resonate the way that it has, but I'm thrilled to see that it has because he's so deserving," said Pence, a talent manager for the 3Arts Entertainment agency in Beverly Hills, Calif. "Nick is having an unbelievable year. To get this kind of recognition from his fans is remarkable. Just to add to the support and enthusiasm and the fact that the fans get to have a say like you're letting us do this year is kind of amazing."

David Wright would love to be an All-Star starter again. As of the last NL balloting update, the Mets' third baseman was still trailing Placido Polanco of the Phillies. He was delighted to hear that his own campaign was being "run" by a mid-40s accountant on Long Island named Barbara Bruce Golden, and her dog. They vote a lot and spread the word.

"That's what it's all about," Wright said. "There's no greater feeling of a kid wearing your jersey, seeing a fan wearing your jersey, to know that you have fans out there and people who genuinely care about trying to get you to the All-Star Game and do good things for you. That's great. I'm beyond appreciative. You want to try to go out there and put on a good show for the fans and to know that they have your back, and know that you have people out there who are trying to do nice things for you. It's just above and beyond what you would expect."

Golden (aka bbruce) was the Campaign Manager entering the weekend, but as of late Sunday night she had been bumped down to Deputy Campaign Manager by anistar69. As everyone participating knows, one's position on a campaign staff might waver, depending on how many points they and others keep earning.

"I saw a Facebook post from the Mets about two weeks ago that said David Wright was in second place and needed more votes to get him to the All-Star Game," Golden said. "I love David Wright -- he's a nice, clean-cut kid -- and I've had a soft spot for him ever since he got beaned in the head last year with that fastball. I just emailed my family and friends and posted the link on my Facebook profile. I have just over 300 Facebook contacts and I don't even know most of them; it's all from playing games on Facebook.

"It's easy to campaign -- MLB.com gives you all the tools you need. You can email right from the site, which is great."

Mary Shannon Carrigan (auntmair99) is a diehard Yankees fan from Waterford, N.Y., and "more specifically a loyal Derek Jeter fan." So it came as no surprise to her family and friends that Carrigan jumped all over the opportunity to be his Campaign Manager.

"This all started when I emailed my family and friends to go online and vote for the 2010 All Star Game," she said. "While looking over the ballot I saw the link for the All-Star Campaign Headquarters, clicked, and immediately was excited. What a great way as a fan to show my support for Derek Jeter ... I immediately signed up to be on his campaign with the title of Campaign Manager as my goal."

Carrigan said she emailed everyone in her address book. "Especially the two Red Sox fans," she added. "I encouraged them all to network, network! I made it fun and I may even have thrown in a Gillette razor as incentive. Or even a ride in my new Ford 'Edge' that I was certain would be delivered any day now! I sent countless updates each day, checked my status each night, and as my points started to rise, as well as my 'role' in the campaign, it was a great feeling to see how supportive my family and friends were of Derek.

"On and off the field, Derek is living his lifelong dream every day, and he never takes that incredible opportunity for granted. Through his Turn 2 Foundation and generous support, he encourages every child to realize his or her dream and strive toward it. He always gives credit to the fans for their support, and I am proud to have played a part of what most certainly will be his 11th All-Star Game appearance."

Jeter was rushing out to batting practice before the opener of the Subway Series, but on his way out, he said he was happy to learn of the campaign program and acknowledged what Carrigan and others are doing for him.

"Any time the fans appreciate how you play, it makes you feel good," he said. "I was unaware of that. I definitely appreciate it. You talk to every player and they would appreciate it."

Dustin Pedroia no doubt appreciates all the work Lena Ziskin has been doing as his Campaign Manager. She is an 18-year-old high school senior in Westport, Conn., who is headed for MIT in the fall, and right now the fan named lmziskin is trying frantically to help the Red Sox second baseman overcome Robinson Cano's big lead.

"I'm really excited to be Pedroia's Campaign Manager. As soon as I heard about the contest I got to work," she said in an email. "I had already maxed out my votes on a couple of email addresses and just started broadcasting to all of my friends. Facebook, text messages, emails, any way I could get my friends to vote. Since I'm done with school and just relaxing all summer, I have plenty of time to obsess over Pedroia's (my future husband's) numbers."

Welcome to the new world of All-Star voting.

It's not just about the players. Many of them will be going to Anaheim for the 81st All-Star Game on July 13. It's also about the fans. Just as you receive voting updates each week, it is now time to share the list of those who were the top-five overall Campaign Managers entering the weekend. After Pence, they included: Jeff Bilbrey (for Miguel Cabrera), Jeff Percell (for Troy Tulowitzki), Steve Adler (for Adrian Gonzalez) and Rich Kolesar (for Andrew McCutchen).

Here is how they have made it to the top:

• "Detroit Sports Nation loves the way MLB.com is approaching the ballot this year," said Bilbrey (jeff.bilbrey), from Mount Clemens, Mich. "We seized the opportunity to leverage our broad social media presence and our website, DetroitSportsNation.com. We immediately recognized our ability to pull votes when we started asking our fans on Facebook to vote. ... We believe that Cabrera deserves the starting position. Out of those he is campaigning against, he has by far been the best this year ... and we are simply echoing what the fans are telling us."

• "The Campaign Manager program is a great opportunity for fans to get more involved with the All-Star Game selection process," said Percell (jefe_13), of Dacono, Colo. "My campaign is primarily based on the Twitter platform. You can follow it @VoteTULO. Through Twitter I've been reaching out to prominent members of the Denver and Colorado community to encourage everyone to vote for Troy. Additionally I've been posting updates and links on Facebook and blogs, such as purplerow.com, as well as emailing friends and family. One message I've been trying to push is that people can vote 25 times."

• "I think the Campaign Manager is a great way to show support for your favorite team and favorite players," said Adler (steveadler76), of San Diego. "I run a Padres blog called the Friarhood, I am able to utilize tools that are set up for Facebook, and we've been sending the link out to everyone on Twitter and even started the hashtag #VOTE4AG. It doesn't take much at all. I just go to the Campaign page, send the Facebook message out, copy and paste the link for Twitter and I'm done.

"I am campaigning for Adrian Gonzalez for two reasons. One, I feel he is the best overall first baseman in baseball and really does not get the proper recognition because he plays in San Diego. Two, with him eligible to become a free agent after the 2011 season, I felt it was important that we, as Padres fans, show him and the organization that he is important not only to the team but also to the fans."

• "I love the Pirates and feel that Pittsburgh is still one of the best baseball towns in the nation," said Kolesar (kolesar.rich), from Uniontown, Pa. "Andrew McCutchen is a true star in this league and his talent needs to be showcased at the All-Star Game. I did all of my campaigning through Facebook. I posted a link on my wall and sent a message to every member of the group 1,000,000 Pittsburgh Pirate Fans, which I started a few years ago."

This is the kind of campaigning that is happening right now, all over the Internet. It is the kind of support that Major League players genuinely appreciate. That includes Swisher, who figures whatever his buddy Fisher Pence is doing out there can't hurt. Long before Pence was tutoring him, Swisher was watching All-Star Games as a kid and wondering what it might be like to play in one.

"I was always a Home Run Derby kind of fan," Swisher said of his best All-Star memories. "But the game is something you watch every year. I remember Bo Jackson's homer on the first pitch [in 1989]. It was pretty impressive. I'd love to be part of it."