Baseball's back - but who cares?

• Author: Barrett, Wayne M.

HERE ARE a few typical early-season snippets from the post-strike world of the Summer Game:

* A Cincinnati batter is issued ball four, only the hitter does not jog down to first. He didn't know the count and thus failed to realize he had been walked.

* Trying to keep the Houston Astros' slim lead from expanding so his team can mount a comeback in its last at-bat, a Pittsburgh Pirate reliever induces the batter to ground to first, where the hitter is called out on a close play, with the relief pitcher covering. The Pirate hurler, thinking the inning was over, spikes the ball to the ground and heads for the dugout. Trouble is, there only are two out and an Astro baserunner scampers home with an insurance run as the ball rolls across toward the vacated pitcher's mound.

* A Reds baserunner attempts to steal third and the Met catcher guns the ball in plenty of time to nail him, except the Met third baseman takes the throw out of position--in front of the bag--failing to block the base. He is forced to reach back with a swipe tag that is applied too late.

Add to these examples the litany of batters who swat what appears to be a home run and stand at home plate admiring their supposedly mighty blast, only to have the ball bounce off the wall or land on the warning track. Such actions result in some of the longest singles on record or sure stand-up doubles and triples ending up as bang-bang plays. And don't forget all the outfielders who consistently throw to the wrong base or miss the cut-off man by a country mile.

To anyone who is pointing to the strike that cancelled last year's World Series as the major reason attendance is way down all across North America, you're probably right. However, there are a number of other factors at work here, not the least of which is that the latest generation of players--much like America's dumbed-down, poorly trained labor force--don't show pride in their work and fail to grasp the basic fundamentals that go into doing a job properly. Instead, the modern players' skills are limited to preening for the TV cameras, strutting for the crowd, and trash talking with opponents and umpires, but when it comes to mastering the subtleties of their craft, forget it. They more resemble delinquents who never go to class, but get passed on to the next grade anyway.

Baseball's fans, or, more accurately, paying customers, have had it. Not even across-the-board, "we-miss-you-so-please-comeback" ticket price reductions and special...