On Oct. 2,

the Atlanta Journal-Constitution asked a question in a front-page article.

The question posed in the article's headline was, "Does Atlanta Care

About the Braves?"

Although I

am a lone, solitary voice amidst the millions, I will give my own, personal

answer: "NO!" My disaffection with the Atlanta Braves and with

major league baseball in general began several years ago and has finally

blossomed into full-blown apathy.

It wasn't always

this way. My wife and I were in the stands way up in the nosebleed section

when Atlanta, who just the season before was one of the very worst teams

in all baseball, clinched the division title at home. The stands rocked

with the tomahawk cheer long after the ninth inning was over. There was

a magic in the air as one began to believe in the impossible. People who

didn't know each other hugged and cried in disbelief and wonder. The hapless,

incompetent Braves were on their way to baseball greatness. Who woudda

thunk it?

Of course,

shortly thereafter, ticket prices began to rise and ball players stopped

signing autographs. Then came the awful strike and the shameful spectacle

of young millionaires demanding more money and, by refusing to play, punishing

the very fans who enabled their livelihood. The truth was out there for

all to see baseball was just a business and the games were mere products.

Somehow, the mystery, the glory, the honor the downright fun left the

game.

I stopped going

to the ballpark. I stopped buying major league baseball products. I even

stopped watching the games on television, except during the playoffs.

Even then, I really didn't care about the games or who won or lost. Suddenly,

the Braves against the Dodgers seemed too much like Pepsi against Coca-Cola.

I simply didn't care. All of the talk about another strike during this

current season finished off what little interest there was.

Did you know

that in 2001, Mo Vaughn of the Anaheim Angels earned $13,166,667 even

though he was on the disabled list? Derek Jeter of the Yankees made $12,600,000

and he was on the disabled list too. Wilson Alvarez of the Tampa Bay Devil

Rays earned a cool $9,000,000 and, yep, he was on the disabled list. Rangers

player Alex Rodriguez was paid $22,000,000 and, believe it or not, he

was not on the disabled list.

But there were

lots of guys who made over $10,000,000 to play baseball and, as far as

I can tell, the lowest paid players still made $200,000 a year, more than

most physicians. Compare that with what the real heroes the police officers,

firefighters, and military personnel make defending society. Did you know

that a private in the military will make $13,272 a year? Or that new firefighters

in Atlanta earn about $26,500? Or that Atlanta police recruits make a

whopping $27,031 to face death every day? And these people actually do

something that matters!

Now I'm not

opposed to people making lots of money. Hey, it's America. Knock yourself

out. But I do want to go off in a corner and retch when I hear about people

who have very little education much less, generally, than professional

football or basketball players who, year after year, moan and whine about

how unfairly they are treated when they make gadzillions of dollars playing

a game they love. Grow up.

I haven't watched

a single inning on television this year. I don't know and don't care who

is what in which division. I'll watch the History Channel, or Fox News,

or even the Weather Channel before I invest hours in watching ungrateful

millionaires, who have forgotten the lowly fans, play a game that has

become cheapened by the unbridled greed of its participants.

Last season,

I happened by one of the local high schools as a baseball game was commencing.

I pulled into the parking lot, paid the couple of bucks admission, and

watched these 16- to 18-year olds give it their all. I bought a hot dog

and soft drink, leaned back on the hard benches and had one whale of a

time watching a contest that still seemed innocent and pure.

I love baseball.

At one time, I loved major league baseball. But not now, not today. Does

Atlanta care about the Braves? I can only speak for myself. And, no, I

couldn't care less.

David Epps

is rector of Christ the King Charismatic Episcopal Church in the Coweta/Fayette

County area of south metro Atlanta. He may be contacted at [email protected]

or at www.ctkcec.org.