The players' union faces an interesting challenge this time around. Can the players remain unified in the event of a strike?

        It's never been a problem in the past. The players' union is regarded as probably the strongest union in the country because of its history of solidarity and winning in court. Even baseball's management team acknowledges it.

        But there is a perception out there that perhaps the middle class of players — not the rookies making minimum or the lavishly paid superstars — doesn't feel it is so well-represented as to stay out on a prolonged strike.

        The union has said that the greatest aggregate gain on their 700-some membership is in the middle class — 200 to 500, as officials there call it — and that there is no lack of solidarity.

        But there is also no question that the individual players who have made the most spectacular gains are the megastars, such as Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds, and the foreign-born players.

        Major League Baseball said it doesn't want the present negotiations to deteriorate into a work stoppage. But clearly that is a possibility: it has happened eight times since 1972. If the union thinks its membership isn't as solid as in the past, its negotiating position isn't as strong, and that would mean owners might have some leverage this time.

        “Everything we've done (in these negotiations) has been calculated to avoid a stoppage,” said Robert Manfred, Major League Baseball's executive vice president for labor negotiations and human resources. “We want to continue down that road, and we hope we can convince the fans that our intentions are to get a moderate deal that addresses the issue that really matters to fans — competitive balance.”

        Sandy Alderson, formerly the general manager of the Oakland A's and now Major League Baseball's executive vice president of baseball operations, said “nobody wants wants baseball to be interrupted.”

        “On the other hand, I don't want to be out there selling a "walk in the park' for the next 20 years,” he said, referring to franchises who have had to promote baseball as entertainment, rather than a real game they have a legitimate chance to win. “That's not why I got into baseball, and it's not why the average fan comes to the ballpark .... Baseball can't sustain itself over the long haul without competition. The problem has got to be fixed, because that's what's going to keep fans coming out to the ballpark. Without competition, eventually people turn away and do something else. It's a very delicate balance. Nobody wants it interrupted, but we have to fix the problem.”

Reds 4, Rockies 3 Reds box, runs Barely hundred fans at finish Small crowds could mean big trouble for Reds Baseball owners push deal to avert strike Reds broke even last year, baseball says SULLIVAN: Baseball's future lies in balance Owners pitch luxury tax 'Middle-class' players could prove to be key Reds fined for tampering with Griffey No date set on Griffey's return Reds Notebook: Kearns earns playing time Yankees 8, Athletics 5 Angels 10, Mariners 6 Cubs 10, Giants 4 Expos 5, Brewers 4, 15 innings

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