It was the “worst of times” for Major League Baseball in 1994.

The World Series had been canceled, and labor peace was not on the horizon. It was going to be a long and cold winter as fans, rightly disgusted, deserted the game in wholesale numbers.

Owners directed the acting commissioner and league presidents to devise a creative strategy to regain the game’s footing on the American landscape. Business as usual was not an option for Major League Baseball.

Baseball found itself in a highly competitive world of sports, one that dared to be different. The game, as never before, had to do battle for the entertainment dollar with other professional and college games, television, movies, theater, music, video games, the Internet, and a “new thing” called NASCAR.

It would not be easy, as Bud Selig reminded an uneasy ownership.

Virtually all of the decision makers agreed the future success of America’s pastime rested on the hope of each fan that his or her team had to have a chance to win, an opportunity to reach postseason play. Labor and management saw the imminent danger of imbalance and came out in favor of enhanced revenue sharing.

The fans had a legitimate right to be concerned and to agitate for reform, as did the media. The volume of criticism was ear-shattering.

The real rebirth of Major League Baseball began in September 1995 as fans became transfixed on Cal Ripken’s determined drive to break Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games played streak. The fans and the media were mesmerized by the chase, resulting in an unprecedented outpouring of goodwill. As television personality Bob Costas told me that night in Baltimore, “Baseball is back in business.”

Rich Levin, MLB’s able spokesman, gives considerable credit to the introduction of the 1995 Division Series, a new round of playoffs that featured the three division winners and a wild-card team competing for the chance to advance to the League Championship Series.

It should be pointed out the decision to restructure the leagues and add a tier of playoffs was met with massive criticism from so-called traditionalists and the media. Bud Selig and the league presidents stood their ground even though, at times, it felt like standing on quicksand.

Importantly, the move improved geographical alignments, removed many problems with scheduling and team travel, and doubled, from four to eight, the number of teams that advanced to postseason. Those in marketing said from the outset it was the right strategy, one that would win over many more fans, and they were right.

Another significant change in the game came in 1997 with the introduction of interleague play, a dramatic departure from Major League Baseball’s time-honored traditions. Some critics thought the regular season interleague play would cheapen the significance of the World Series. They were wrong, and Selig and his people were proven correct. Record numbers of tickets were sold.

At the insistence of MLB, baseball has remained a family game. Its unique appeal has been handed down from generation to generation and a clear majority of today’s fans can trace their interest in the game back to an older family member. Nearly half of the fan base is female. Who can forget the sights and smells of one’s first visit to a ballpark?

Taking the difficult, but right path in the 1990s has brought the game:

¢ Direly needed revenue sharing that is resulting in competitive balance among the teams;

¢ Genuine enthusiasm for the Division Series format, the round of playoffs that offers three division winners and a wild-card team;

¢ Continued popularity of interleague play;

¢ The likely possibility of another record attendance of more than 78 million fans and an additional 45 million at the minor league level;

¢ Shorter and more action-filled games; and

¢ A record number of fan-friendly promotions especially designed for youngsters.

Major League Baseball will continue to surpass the combined attendance of professional football, basketball, and hockey for the foreseeable future. It remains the most affordable of the major sports, one that a family can still afford.

Perhaps the greatest challenge facing the commissioner is finding new and effective ways to significantly increase the number of African-Americans who play the game of baseball. The number is dangerously low at a time when baseball celebrates the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier as a member of the old Brooklyn Dodgers. With a thoughtful and long-term plan, adequate resources, and sustained commitment, the game could experience the “best of times.”