OTHER VIEWS

“As easy as it is to blame Bud Selig for baseball’s latest fiasco, this one wasn’t his fault ....Besides, it’s an exhibition game and it’s mostly been played that way for years. No more Pete Rose running over Ray Fosse, winning the game yet ruining the guy’s career. No more Yogi Berra catching all nine innings--as he did five times. No more league presidents suggesting managers hold back pitchers so they can be prepared for the All-Star game.”

Ben Walker

Associated Press

“First, strike talk, now this. Is [Selig] jinxed, or what? Or is it that the responsibility of carrying a game is too much for his slumped shoulders? How about both? His is the public face of baseball, and that public hates that mug with a passion.”

Rick Morrissey

Chicago Tribune

“It was as if a drunken guest fell into an expensive wedding cake.... [Selig’s] shining moment in his hometown was marred, if not ruined.”

Gary D’Amato

Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

“Videotaped highlights of the unrestrained fan disgust ... should be mandatory viewing for all parties during the upcoming negotiating sessions. It will clearly show how fans are on the edge when it comes to the national pastime.”

Pedro Gomez

Arizona Republic

“Baseball was faced with a classic choice. Put the fans and the game itself first, or make sure not to make any player, his team or his agent unhappy.”

Thomas Boswell

Washington Post

“If anybody in baseball has a sliver of intelligence or marketing savvy, they will refund every dime spent by the fans ... “

Keith Olbermann

ABC Radio