Posted Monday/July 1, 2002; 3:16 p.m. PDT

Why is it that pro sports only want Fans voting on stadiums and All-Star games? Every stadium that goes up and every All-Star Team that gets fielded needs "voter approval." Even this "30th Man" deal (Why not just take the next highest vote getters?) is a "voter approved" baseball issue. You've gotta love the pitch, "There can be no arguments. No Second Guessing. You Get The Final Say."

Baseball's most volatile season is at the midway point. The All-Star Game is next week in Milwaukee, at the park of the league's puppet commissioner/de facto owner and baseball's most profitable team. Players are taking about boycotting the All-Star Game and possibly going on strike. A fellow-Website is rallying and organizing a FAN STRIKE. The owners probably can't wait to declare an impasse. Contraction. Revenue sharing. "Competitive balance" tax. Arbitration. These are the issues Fans should be voting on, NOT the 30th Man! The "60/40 debt rule," a "Commissioner's discretionary fund," and a "centralized information bank" are issues infinitely more important than two guys who couldn't get voted in the first time around! But Major League Baseball doesn't want Fans to have the "Final (or any) Say" on any of the REAL issues.

At least MLB has the right number. The number at this point in the season is 30. But it's "30 Fans, man" not "the 30th man." In other words, Fans in each of the 30 MLB markets, voting for the ISSUES. 100,000 Fans VOTING on the We Love Baseball Ballot in each of the 30 MLB cities equals 3 MILLION FANS making their voice heard. Thirty Fans should be able to turn into 3,000,000 on the Net this baseball season, man! If you LOVE BASEBALL, VOTE for it!

Outta The Closet : WTF on PTI