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Baseball fans haven't recovered from strike
As every sports fan in America readies themselves for an exciting football season, something will be lost in the aftermath. It is something referred to as America's game: baseball.
Baseball was one dream that every American kid had each summer. This game made such players as Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Cal Ripken legends. This was a game that put the spotlight on players such as Kirk Gibson, Carl Yastremski, and Kirby Puckett in the late fall classic known as the World Series.
I hate to tear into a game which is still
SPORTS COLUMNIST
loved by many, but the owners and greedy players have brought on a tragedy that is felt by a third party, the fans.
Major league baseball has not recovered from the 1994 strike, and has turned into a dying sport. The owners can build luxurious, old-time stadiums and put players in turn-back-the-clock uniforms, but it will
never bring back the game of yesteryear. This is an age of baseball when utility infielders make more than $1 million a year.
We live in a time where a beer is now sold for $5. Getting a buzz in a stadium is a thing of the past.
It is amazing how a starting pitcher can lose close to 20 games and still sign a multimillion dollar contract. Too bad I wasn't a southpaw pitcher with a decent curve ball. I'd probably be spitting sunflower seeds in the dugout and making millions.
Here's another thought to ponder: How about that Saturday afternoon game on Fox? It's ratings are well below ESPN's sand volleyball tournaments. You can ask your buddies about baseball and get no response. This is a game where the interest has been lost.
Although I am still a fan of this game, one more strike will be a permanent setback for me and I'm sure for many others. As the World Series approaches, the thoughts of 1994 still arise.
On the other hand, football season is underway and flourishing. Stadiums are packed with fans and parking lots with tailgaters, basketball is right around the corner, and lost in the shuffle will be a World Series. I hope.
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September 12, 1996 The Hill
The City Scene
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