Dayton, the Cincinnati Reds' Class A team, is averaging 8,400 per game - only 1,857 fewer than the Florida Marlins and 1,935 fewer than the Montreal Expos in the National League. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        DAYTON, Ohio — The plate umpire wraps his arm around the Dayton Dragons' mascot and dances on the infield while the starting pitcher warms up.

        Families lounge on the grass terrace just beyond the outfield wall — a great place to snag a home run. Children sing a cartoon theme between innings. Adults have karaoke and dance competitions atop the dugouts.

        There's '60s music between batters, promotions to pass the time between innings.

        It's minor league baseball, and it's thriving. While the major leagues confront the possibility of another strike, the minors are doing what they do best — providing good times to capacity crowds.

        “It's amazing. They've got a real jewel here,” said Jack Foster, a 60-year-old estranged Cincinnati Reds fan. “If they go on strike, next year you won't be able to get a seat here.”

        In many places, minor league baseball already is the toughest ticket in town.

        The minors drew 38.8 million fans last year, the second-highest total in their 100 years of operation. Through July, the 176 teams in 15 leagues had drawn 29 million fans, only 100,000 off of last year's pace.

        That's a sharp contrast with the majors, where attendance is down 3.3 million from last year and the mood is gloomy. Players have picked Friday to strike if there's no agreement with owners on a new economic system.

        Cincinnati's Cinergy Field and Dayton's Fifth Third Field are only 55 miles apart, but they're in entirely different leagues at the moment.

        “We went to a Reds game and it cost us an arm and a leg to feed the kids,” said Karen Curran of Hamilton, waiting outside the gate with her husband, Jeff, and three sons. “This is more fan-friendly. The kids are excited to go in. They're closer to the field. This is closer for us to drive, and we'd rather come up here.”

        That's a common theme in Dayton, where the Reds' Class A team is averaging 8,400 per game — only 1,857 fewer than the Florida Marlins and 1,935 fewer than the Montreal Expos in the National League.

        Minor league games are more affordable — a family of four can attend a for about $38, according to a survey, and tickets in Dayton cost $5-11. Parking is free or nominal, the food is cheaper, and teams emphasize family entertainment during games involving little-known players.

        “Finances are a big factor in it,” said Jim Ferguson, a spokesman for minor league baseball. “There's always been a gap between minor league and major league ticket prices. In the last 10 to 12 years, that gap has widened considerably.”

        The atmosphere is a lot different, too. The major leagues have stars on the field. The minors must approach it a different way.

        In Dayton, the video board invites young fans to sing along with the “SpongeBob SquarePants” theme between innings. Young men are recruited for a ballet competition atop the dugouts.

        During the game's slow times — pitching changes, between-inning warmups — there's always something going on.

        “If you can't control the talent level, what you can control is the entertainment level,” Ferguson said. “So they've said, 'If you come out to the ballpark, we're going to make sure you have a good time.' It has really caught on.”

        The minors are drawing because in so many ways, they're not the majors.

        “We don't offer the same product that the major leagues offer,” Dragons president Bob Murphy said. “We look at ourselves as a noncompetitive entity with a different slant to the game. It's fun, it's unpredictable, it's enthusiastic.”

        A strike by major league players won't have much immediate impact on the minors, most of which are wrapping up their seasons. If it should stretch into next year, the minors could get squeezed as major league teams tighten budgets.

        For now, the labor talks aren't much of a topic in the stands or the clubhouse.

        “We don't really talk about it around here,” said right-hander Chris Gruler, who got a $2.5 million signing bonus as the Reds' top pick in June's amateur draft. “Spring training and the overall fan base of the game could be affected by it. It doesn't affect minor leaguers as much.”

        Coming off of the 1994 strike, attendance fell in the majors but remained nearly steady in the minors. Fan interest in the majors didn't fully revive until Mark McGwire broke the home run record by hitting 70 in 1998.

        Another strike would drive fans away from the majors again.

        “Then you're going to have to have someone go out and hit 100 home runs to bring them back,” said Dragons manager Donnie Scott, who was involved in one walkout during his playing days. “They're really going to have to juice up that baseball.”

        Based upon their track record, the minors won't have to change anything.

        “If they do strike, they won't see any fans coming back to major league ball,” said Kevin Kleman of Troy, wearing a Reds cap and a Ken Griffey Jr. shirt. “But I will come to this.”

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