Baseball is not for those with weak hearts or shallow pockets. In the long run, this simple game that once embodied simple American values seems committed to planting the seeds of its own discord. As one of the sport's brightest young stars, he simply commanded market value. The lords of the diamond must ask themselves some tough questions about baseball's future. Seattle will survive the loss of Alex Rodriguez.
Players come and go.
But in the long run, baseball's economic structure is alienating fans outside the big-dollar markets. Baseball's risk is that its richest teams will spend handily while its smaller partners will spend less. If indeed money buys success, then too many teams and fans will be looking at competitive imbalances and failures. More revenue sharing may be vital. The irony of all this is that baseball experts predict the sport is heading for a yet another money-related work stoppage.