Some fans still haven`t forgiven Major League Baseball for the strike of `94 and the loss of that year`s World Series. Some fans (such as I) were even more ticked off about the way the Florida Marlins bought their `97 championship, then sold those players off, before their fans had any time to enjoy their remarkable assemblage. Some fans are even more upset about the way the Yankees have made winning a championship almost unattainable by any but the richest teams. Some fans don`t like this ``money ball`` style of winning games with boring walks instead of exciting steals. As a fantasy baseball fan, it was the darkest hour since Bill James stopped writing his Abstracts when STATS sold out to the Sporting News and stopped publishing their wonderful books.

However, the most serious downfall in the game of Major League Baseball has been the rampant use of steroids and other sports enhancement drugs. It is disgraceful. To be outstanding in the sport now, players almost have to take these drugs that could have dreadful long-term affects. I guess I`m a 70s idealist. I think it is wrong to give up your health for any amount of money - unless there is a far nobler cause than sports entertainment.