Ted Webb - Clear Channel, Tampa

Major League Baseball is about make a serious mistake. The players are on the verge of setting a strike date unless they can come to agreement with the owners on a series of issues. It seems to be a battle between millionaires and zillionaires. Does this affect me? Not in the least.

Many fans failed to return after the 1994 strike as it claimed the World Series, an act considered sacrilegious to many. How could baseball sacrifice the most respected post season play? They did. They are about to again.

It would be a mortal wound to the sport should they do it again. It does not matter whose fault, players or owners, the fans will hold them both responsible.

How can you be unhappy making 7 million dollars per year? One player who makes that amount was trying to justify to me a possible walkout. “Try making ends meet on a normal salary! Try sending your kids to college or private school, paying mortgage, car payments, insurance and food on a normal salary! Do you sweat making ends meet on 7 million dollars a year?”

A walkout would hurt the smaller market teams more than it would the big guys, but overall it would hurt the league and game. There are some serious problems in the world today, ask the Jews and Palestinians about “contraction”. Ask the Afghans about “arbitration”. Ask the elderly people who male daily decisions about food or medicine if they are for “free agency”.

Yes, there are some serious things we entertain on a daily basis, and baseball is not one of them.

That’s how I see it!