Former commissioner Peter Ueberroth said Selig will be the factor working in the game's favor this time. Allen Sanderson, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago and a contributor to various economic studies on baseball, isn't so sure. I would think it's more than 50-50 that there will be a work stoppage. Selig likes to point toward baseball's growing attendance as proof the game's popularity is rebounding. But many teams hurting financially have not recovered from the horrific 1994-95 strike.
Economic disparity remains at the heart of baseball's woes.
The union counters that the key to economic parity is improved revenue sharing among owners. Selig recently endorsed the findings of a Blue Ribbon Panel, which recommended increased revenue sharing and a salary cap for teams. So I think you can look at it that good management is going to be rewarded. Yet given the bitter history between players and owners, that may be a swing and a miss for nervous fans.