For many students, end of baseball strike hits home

First Michael Jordan, and now baseball. The nine-month-long professional baseball strike has ended, and according to many students, it's about time. "The best thing about it is that we won't have a generation of Americans growing up without having baseball," College and Wharton senior Jon Brolin said. "It's important to give children the opportunity to have these players as heroes." However, Engineering sophomore Deniz Cultu said he had actually hoped the strike would have lasted longer. "I wanted to see it go on for another year so that the new soccer league could pick up publicity," he said. College sophomore Adam Illfelder said that although he is happy that the strike is over, he is uncertain about the quality of the play and the future of player-owner relations. "The players haven't played for almost a year, and they still don't have a long term contract," he said. Wharton junior Rick Burt, a catcher on the Penn baseball team, expressed similar concerns. "I'm happy that its over, but it doesn't sound like anything is going to be resolved -- there will probably be another strike," he said. Brolin said that the players' and owner's differences will be resolved naturally as the season progresses. "Baseball is about hit and runs and suicide squeezes, not about collective bargaining agreements," Brolin said. He added that he believes baseball will continue smoothly because "the players realize that baseball may no longer be on a pedestal." "If owners and players do not realize the treasure that baseball is, they are in danger of not passing on those riches to future generations," he said. And College sophomore Ben Silverman said he did not think the strike will keep fans away from the all-American sport. "The fans will come back in droves. I'll watch baseball because I'm a baseball fan -- I'm still excited to see [Phillies outfielder] Len Dykstra," he said. However, Illfelder said many former fans felt alienated by the strike. "Growing up you could always turn on the television and see baseball," he said. "This fall it wasn't there and it was a really empty feeling." And College junior Jon Slotkin said "I just hope that they get their bats and balls on the field."