tendance recovered from the strike. In 1993, more
than 70 million fans attended games. In 1998, after
four years of attendance between 50 and 65 million,
fan turnout once again surpassed 70 million. Two
events helped baseball recover from the strike of
1994-1995. First, on September 6, 1995, Cal Ripken,
Jr., broke Lou Gehrig’s streak for the most consecu-
tive games played. Ripken had long been one of the
sport’s most popular players, and his surpassing
Gehrig’s streak generated much excitement among
fans, even those who had turned away from the game
because of the strike.
More important to baseball’s recovery was the
home run race of 1998. That year, fans flocked to sta-
diums as Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa pursued
the single season home run record. Since 1998, MLB
has maintained high attendance, and in 2007 turn-
out approached 80 million, shattering the previous
record. The owners and the players’ union alike
have appreciated the impact the strike had on the
sport and have since renegotiated the CBA twice
without work stoppage.Further Reading
Burk, Robert F.Much More than a Game: Players,
Owners, and American Baseball Since 1921. Chapel
Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2001. An
analysis of the business of baseball, spotlighting
the relationship between players and owners.
Helyar, John.Lords of the Realm: TheRealHistor y of
Baseball. New York: Villard Books, 1994. Classic
study of baseball’s owners, providing a detailed
account of the issues that led to the 1994 strike as
well as background information about the busi-
ness side of the game.
Staudohar, Paul D. “The Baseball Strike of 1994-95.”
Monthly Labor Review120, no. 3 (March, 1997): 21-- A concise account of the baseball strike, con-
centrating on collective bargaining and the finan-
cial impact of the work stoppage.
88 Baseball strike of 1994 The Nineties in America
Baseball fans offer their two cents on the Major League Baseball labor dispute during a New York Yankees game on August 11, 1994. The
strike began the next day.(AP/Wide World Photos)