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Gonzales: Now is not the time for baseball's lockout to drag on

'Tis the season to buy a shirtsey or jersey - if you can afford it - for your Cub- or White Sox-loving child for the holiday season.

But when can they wear it with no certainty of games in sight? At least kids can still wear Justin Fields attire with the knowledge the Bears' savior won't be traded.

Even after a sordid scandal, the Blackhawks sport one of the most iconic logos on their always-popular sweaters.

And a once-clumsy Bulls franchise has been invigorated by newcomers DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso who have fortified a roster led by Zach LaVine and raised realistic expectations for the first time since the Derrick Rose era. The Sky possesses a WNBA championship trophy, and there are enough unselfish and talented players on the Bulls and Sky to satisfy any jersey-seeking kid and the purchasing parent.

Baseball's lockout has halted the offseason excitement caused by the free-agent signing frenzy. Those blockbuster signings, which were dragged out to January or February in past winters, kept baseball fans thirsting for more.

But will these fans become parched, as well as for causal observers who look forward to the warmth of spring training and a two-hour drive to Sedona or a hike at Camelback Mountain?

Baseball was supposed to be dead after the 1994-95 strike, with the 2000 Blue Ribbon Report claiming that 27 of 30 teams lost money during a five-year period (1995-99).

The influx of performance enhancing drugs didn't hurt "Chicks Dig The Long Ball" campaign that mesmerized fans in the late 1990s. However, other potholes - such as length of games, manipulation of service time, high cost of attending games, teams tanking - are mere firecrackers to the diabolical threat of delaying the start of the 2022 season and further alienating observers who have other sporting options or can just earmark their money toward a vacation or a long-term investment.

Major League Baseball already has de-emphasized its product. Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters the removal of stories on active players and their mug shots on its website was a legal issue.

Funny, I've never seen a fan wearing a jersey with the name of an owner or executive inscribed on the back. The players remain the game, but why bother if they're not being promoted or at least displayed on their bosses' website?

The MLB Network has scratched most of its live programming and devoted one day to a World Series Game 7 marathon. Coincidentally, one of those classics was Game 7 of the 1971 Series in which Hall of Fame announcer Curt Gowdy observed that the first five innings took one hour, five minutes.

Fans would settle for a 3:15 p.m. World Series game before somersaulting to bed at a reasonable hour. But that won't happen anytime soon.

Even access to watching games is a challenge. Outfielder Ian Happ tweeted last April that his mother, who resides in Columbus, Ohio, couldn't watch him and his Cubs teammates play the season opener at Pittsburgh because of an MLB.TV blackout.

Meanwhile, the times of NHL and NBA games haven't lengthened considerably over the years. The increase in passing has extended NFL and college games by about one-half hour over the last 25 years, but the fan interest remains strong.

The popularity of youth travel baseball over the last three decades has provided more exposure for kids pursuing a pro career or financial aid for college.

The large stage events allow talent evaluators to watch prospects on a large stage, but the community pride has eroded.

And many towns were deprived of being a part of pro baseball when MLB eliminated 42 minor league teams, preventing their citizens from claiming a future star as one of their own.

The other pro sports are far from flawless. The COVID capers of Antonio Brown and Aaron Rodgers were embarrassing to the NFL. The NBA's TV ratings have declined amid political scrutiny, and the Blackhawks' sexual assault cover-up cast a black eye that is healing slowly.

But myriad problems has sunk baseball to the bottom of the ninth inning, facing a firm deficit in the game of relevance unless it can rally for a settlement in the next three months.

@MDGonzales

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