![]() We as fans wanted more offense, we craved it, and when they gave it to us we started to point fingers and ask questions. To say that the 1994 strike directly led to the steroid era is a bit of a stretch, but after that strike, it’s undeniable that the game changed for the next twenty years. We all love it-the crack of the bat, the stare into the stands as he knows he hit the sweet spot, the possibility of ending the game with one swing of the bat-it’s the pinnacle in the sport. Kids bring their gloves to the games and want to sit in the outfield with the hopes of catching a homer. The increase in homer totals helped baseball reach television and attendance rating heights it hadn’t seen since before the strike, simply because it’s what we wanted. ![]() However, this should be no surprise to anyone, seeing as how the long ball saved baseball. Even though the 1994 MLB Strike affected record books, millions of dollars in losses, and questioned the loyalty of even the most loving fans, it seems as though we can take this as a learning experience not of how negative strikes are as a whole, rather of just how distracting fireworks can be.Īfter the 1995 season, the home run numbers continued to increase for ten years, into the height of the steroid era. Huge home run numbers, the power bats swinging, stuff legends are made of-how can we not sit and watch the titans of the late 90’s-early 2000’s MLB, when they were putting on such a fireworks display. But what did the 1994 strike, the “lowest moment” in baseball, teach us? MLB may not have fully gained back the trust of the fans at this point, but they were distracted long enough to get back in the stands, this time without throwing the broken bottles. It may be cliché and overstated, but the home run saved baseball, at least at this point in time. It took 3 years and one of the most exciting home run races in the history of the game between Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa and Mark “Big Mac” McGwire of the St. Expletives and broken beer bottles littered the stands of parks throughout the league. Television ratings and game attendance fell sharply, and those who did show up were angry. After the strike was finally settled 232 days and many replacement players later, the fans of baseball had lost their sense of loyalty. The owners wanted that number decreased, and they wanted more control when it came to striking a new collective bargaining agreement, all while masking these desires behind their owner-approved salary cap plan. ![]() In 1994 the average salary for a player in the MLB was about $1.2 million according to CBSSports, $1, 188,679 to be exact. 400, the home run record (then held by Maris) was in jeopardy, and the Yankees were about to make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years (so much for big market teams dominating!) Major League Baseball canceled the World Series for the first time in 90 years, back when the New York Giants owner refused to play against the “inferior” champions of the American League. The legendary Tony Gwynn was on pace to hit over. The 1994 MLB strike left so many unanswered questions in its wake.
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