Wednesday, July 24, 2002

The "strength" of baseball?   Baseball as a game, maybe,  but MLB is what we're talking about.  Then,  MLB has impact,  and the marketing of the game is what SELLS so much to kids,  not all of it great,  but the constant prescence of the game as I was growing up,  and the family trips to see the Reds,  including trips to the '70 and '72 world series.....all of that was golden.  This guy misses all that , I think. Yeah,  people will trickle back,  but my disgust will cut so much deeper.  I think of the titles of programs like "When It Was A Game",  and I am deeply nostalgic for the less "millionaire laden game".  It was only  30 years ago when Pete Rose became the first non-homerun hitter to make (gasp) $100,000.  Inflation and growth have not been so kind (or so cruel, in this case) to anything else like it has professional sports. Anyway,  the article which spawned all this: The Miami Herald | 07/24/2002 | Save your breath: Baseball is as tough as hide that covers it 7:56:31 PM

Rogers to Seattle instead of Cincnnati?  If so Kenny,  you're a liar and disgust me with your "family" reason.  The Sports Network - Major League Baseball: "Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Kenny Rogers could be making his final start for the Rangers tonight while possibly facing his future team when Texas meets the Seattle Mariners in the second of a three-game series at Safeco Field. " 7:39:50 PM

Ok, so I've been avoiding the spectre of a strike......but now I'm seeing all these news articles.....and I'm thinking "Somebody better get a clue that there will BE NO return from this.   Not ever.  What you're giving up now is not a few months of extreme fan frustration and staying away,   and a  longer, more drawn out 3-4 year underlying disillusionment,  able to be almost dispelled by the dramtics of the Homerun race in 98,  both somewhat "ride-able"........now we're talkin' total disgust.......no more large crowds......ANYWHERE......even more dramatic loss of revenues in baseball souveniers as the sense of wonder and nostalgia dissolves into a disdain for the absolute decadence perceived by 99% of the fans for whining millionaires saying that can't pay their bills ,  or sobbing owners saying they can't afford all this and then turn right around almost immediately after that previous strike and spend even more ridiculous amounts.   NOBODY feels for either side.  We just wanna see baseball. I'd like to see all the it all "started over".  Like Billy Crystal's ('do over") from CitySlickers.  Draft the entire league all over,  like we used to do with Strat-o-Matic ( a baseball strategy board game based on real player stats) ....and have all the teams rosters filled in by a turn-by-turn 30-round draft.  Have a salary cap.  Instead of doing "throw-back uniforms"   we have throw back salaries.   I think that even the most materialistic of players would cave,  that is,  if they are really players,  and play for less,  say a mere six figures? Ok,  1.1 million. Geez.  Either that , dudes,  or maybe,  pump gas.   Thing is, most of them have made so damn much already,  they probably don't have to work another day in their lives, unless they were like , real stupid with their money (like spending more than they should) ,  which some of them probably were,  and still are? It's all such nonsense.  Do they really think people will come back anywhere close to as fast as last time? Noone can be sure,  but I maybe the fans should give them a taste prior to strike.  If there's a date set,  then set some "here's what you can do with yer strike" fan strikes could be set,   and we could say to them "Here it is and then some if you do this;  owners, players,  whoever....get it gear and settle it or you both lose and lose BIG,  cuz that's who deserves to lose,  and not the fans,  you low-life scum! Ah, baseball, we'll miss you. Spokesman-Review.com Jul 24 2002 4:31PM ET [Moreover - Sports: baseball news] 6:56:39 PM