Baseball plagued with problems losing fans

Let's face it, baseball fans -- this off-season has been nothing but bad news. Ever since Arizona's Jay Bell scored the winning run in of one of the most exciting World Series ever, baseball has been dealing with problem after problem.\nAnd worst of all, nothing has been solved.\nIn November, the owners voted to eliminate contract two teams: Minnesota and Montreal -- but were unable to pull it off. Now those teams will play the upcoming season with doubt surrounding their futures and with fans who have been essentially forced away.\nBoth teams will come into the 2002-2003 season knowing they have no chance at a championship, yet they must play it out.\nAnd let's not forget the free-agent frenzy that has taken place over the past few months. Once again, the big boys have managed to take talent away from their "younger brothers." The Yankees managed to strengthen themselves by signing Jason Giambi from Oakland, Rondell White from the Chicago Cubs and David Wells from the Chicago White Sox.\nThe Mets brought in big names like Roberto Alomar, Mo Vaughn and Jeremy Burnitz, and in exchange gave up one established player (Kevin Appier) and several young prospects.\nAll of the big acquisitions came from the handful of teams that can afford stars. Every year, more teams drop out of contention for the post-season, and this year is no exception. \n Take the Philadelphia Phillies, for example. This team showed promise last season in competing for the NL East title. They battled Atlanta all season and previously unheard names were spoken around baseball circles. What were they able to do this winter? They added Ricky Ledee, a Yankee reject, and Terry Adams, a traveled pitcher who has started 22 career games.\n How are they supposed to compete with the Mets, or the Braves, who are able to dish out the big bucks just to plug holes? Scratch the Phillies from the list of contenders.\nSure, there may be one or two shocking clubs that are able to overachieve and make the post-season, but don't bet on it.\nBaseball has had problems like these for a long time now, yet they fail to fix them. All they try to do is delay decisions and play on as if everything is just wonderful.\nBut they've gone too far now. The damage has been done, and until the labor issues that are causing all of this strife are solved, things are just going to get worse.\nI'm sorry, baseball fans, I know that the month of February should be a time of anticipation and hope, but not this year. I cannot be optimistic while the MLB heads further and further in the wrong direction.\nThings get even more depressing when we hear about the possibility of a work-stoppage on the horizon. The is the same issue left unsolved eight years ago when a mid-season player strike disenfranchised thousands of fans. If the league halts play again, who knows how many more fans will lose interest all together.\nSo, Major League Baseball, fix your problems. \nIt is unfair to the fans, the players and the teams to continue in this state of limbo while the same one or two teams profit every year. If it means a strike or a lockout, then so be it, but this time solve the problem.\nOtherwise, the trend will continue, and every year one or two more teams will get scratched from the list of contenders, and may as well join Minnesota and Montreal on the slate for contraction.