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]