There was a lot of controversy a couple of weeks ago when the Baseball All-Star game ended in a tie.

        Personally, I thought it was unfortunate. Baseball games never end in ties. It's one of the beauties of the greatest game ever invented. No matter how many innings you have to play, there's always a winner and a loser. Then you play again tomorrow.

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Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky., a Hall of Fame pitcher who played for Philadelphia and Detroit, is a Northern Kentucky native and a graduate of Xavier University. Sen. Jim Bunning, R-Ky. (File photo) | ZOOM |

        My next thought then was that they should play the game over. As a former Major Leaguer, I know that's not practical. But I was so offended by the idea of a tie game that the competitor inside of me said that they should play the game again just to see who the winners and losers would be.

        It's those sort of confused and frustrated feelings that I, and I think a lot of baseball fans, are feeling now -- not just about the All-Star game, but about the whole baseball season.

        Because we're hearing yet again that baseball is heading toward a work stoppage and that a strike is probably going to come -- by the latest media accounts, maybe as soon as Sept. 16.

        Haven't we heard this song before?

        In fact, the last eight labor negotiations between baseball owners and players have ended in either a strike or lockout. On this stat, baseball is batting 1.000.

        As a lifelong baseball fan, I'm sick of it. And I'm worried sick that if there is another strike, the players and owners just might kill the game that I love.

        I'll be honest. When I played in the Major Leagues, I was a union representative and I pushed the players to confront the owners about the awful, unfair way they ran the game.

        But now I say a pox on both your houses to the players and owners alike because in the end they're not the ones getting hurt the most by this constant bickering -- it's the fans who are going to get the short end of the stick (or bat).

        The issues that are on the negotiating table for the owners and players are the same ones that have been around for decades. There's nothing new under the sun here.

        But I'm afraid that in the coming weeks we're going to have to listen yet again to the owners and the Players Association bicker and whine back and forth.

        It's obvious to all of us fans that both sides need to take a step back, admit that they've made mistakes in the past and make concessions now in order to iron out their differences and save the game.

        For instance, the owners have to share all of their revenues with each other.

        Right now the big market teams like the Yankees and Braves have money to burn and can chase a pennant every year. But there's no way that teams like the Reds and Brewers can realistically expect to annually compete with the resources at their command.

        The players have to agree to some sort of salary cap or limit. I know they are dead-set against this, but I don't see any other way for the players to help contribute to the long-term fiscal viability of the game.

        If there are questions about teams' fiscal health, there should be an outside, independent audit right away to figure out if the books have been cooked.

        I truly believe that if the owners and players don't compromise, if there is another strike, that it will be the end of Major League Baseball as we know it.

        It will be for me, at least. I won't go back to another game. And I don't think the fans should either.

        Maybe that's the one way we could get Major League Baseball's attention -- by staying away and making them understand that this is our game, and not theirs.

        I hope it doesn't come to that. But it might. Unless some big slugger comes up to hit a homer to win this game, unless the owners and players step to the plate now, we the fans are going to be left holding our ticket stubs like the fans at the All-Star game in Milwaukee.

        Baseball doesn't need anymore tie games, and it doesn't need any more tied-up labor negotiations. We need to strike out this nonsense once and for all.

        Then we'll be able to play again tomorrow. And if we're lucky, we can be like the great Chicago Cubs shortstop, Ernie Banks, and say “Let's play two!”

FORUM: Please don't kill the 'greatest game' FORUM: It's time to toss the antitrust exemption FORUM: Local Voices - Two cents worth FORUM: Strike would be costly, and not just in money FORUM: Who's not on first? 3 steps to save baseball Mets 6, Reds 5 Reds box, runs Finances foil shot at Rolen Larkin planning to return Tuesday Up next for Reds Wizard's journey ends at Hall of Fame Giants get Lofton; Dodgers add Shuey Notes from Sunday's games NL roundup AL roundup Louisville 6, Charlotte 0

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