Pure Baseball

Imagine you are attending a baseball game.

The weather is perfect, a balmy 80 degrees.

Your box seat, located five rows behind the dugout, costs five dollars.

The players, genuinely happy to be playing a game they love, chat with fans while they stretch.

The game is played with heart and the entire bench rises to high-five a player for simply advancing the runner.

Simply put, imagine baseball at its best.

For three weeks this utopia was a reality. It was called replacement baseball.

Having attended three Los Angeles Dodger exhibition games over spring break, I can honestly report that the replacement games were a on a similar level to Double-A (minor league) baseball.

The Dodger replacement squad, for example, was a melting pot of talented minor leaguers, former major-leaguers, and imported players.

Third baseman Mike Busch batted .263 in Albuquerque (AAA), belting 27 homeruns and knocking in 83 RBIs last season.

Pitcher Wayne Edwards, an ex-Detroit Tiger, had several strong outings this spring. The southpaw was equally effective as a starter or reliever, finishing with a 3.00 ERA.

Outfielder Tito "Say Hey" Landrum hit .245 along with 16 homers and 50 RBIs in Bakersfield (A).

Pitcher Miguel Alicea compiled a 2-2 record in Puerto Rico last year, racking up 39 saves with a 2.04 ERA.

This odd assortment of players won 20 games over spring training, and by the end of the three weeks had truly gelled to become a team.

There was an visible bond between players that is sadly lacking on most Major League teams.

While the play of the Hendersons, Cansecos, and Clemenses can generally be described as selfish, the replacements were selfless.

If the batter sacrifice bunted, he got high-fived by his teammates. Few double plays were turned because the replacements slid hard into second base.

And the players were genuinely friendly, down-to-earth guys.

Unlike major leaguers, who often pass by screaming autograph-seekers as if they are alone, the replacements not only stopped to sign, but also (mirabile dictu) conversed with the fans.

Certainly, the replacement players made their share of errors on the diamond, but these miscues didn't result from a lack of effort.

In a 4-3 L.A. win over Montreal, two errors were made that Major Leaguers would have handled easily.

And in the sixth inning of a 5-2 Dodger win over the Mets, Mets reliever Rich Turrentine uncorked two wild pitches allowing two runs to score.

But that was the beauty of replacement baseball. What the players lacked in talent, they made up for in hustle.

Not that I'm disappointed the strike ended.

It will be exciting to watch Tony Gwynn chase .400 yet again, and see Frank Thomas go after Maris' homerun record.

The higher caliber of play will make the games more exciting and naturally the fans will return.

But replacement baseball was baseball at its purest. A game without egos and without million dollar salaries.

Replacement baseball exemplified the best aspects of sports: the players had fun, played hard and played as a team.