In a new Associated Press-Knowledge Networks poll of fans showed that the rising price of games would be the main problem in the upcoming Major League Baseball. Soaring salaries and steroids dominated news were the main worries in past surveys. But in recent poll the nation’s recession period is the big blow to MLB whose opening day is less than a week away.

New York Yankees star Mark Teixeira, who signed an eight-year, $180 million contract in the offseason said, “Like every election, it’s the economy and in tough times, disposable income may not be there.”

In other poll about 60% fans said no Hall of Fame honor to players, who were involved in steroids usage or other performance-enhancing drugs issues. Nearly 85 percent people said that the names of all players, who were in the list of positive tests for drugs in 2003, should be made public. Till so far, only Alex Rodriguez has been identified. Besides these percentages, over 50% people said that they were not at all interested in the World Baseball Classic, the preseason tournament that involves major teams.

However, the rising cost of tickets, concessions, parking and other expenditures were the fans’ main concerns. “It’s gone up like everything else. The last game we went to, we paid $50 for a seat. That’s pretty steep,” said Robert Neel, a retired director of admissions at the University of Cincinnati.

From The Daily News:

Soaring salaries and steroids dominated fans’ worries in past AP surveys. But with opening day less than a week away, the nation’s recession is delivering the biggest blow.

“Like every election, it’s the economy,” said New York Yankees star Mark Teixeira, who signed an eight-year, $180 million contract in the offseason. “In tough times, disposable income may not be there.”

In other poll results released Tuesday:

Nearly 60 percent of fans said no player who used steroids or performance-enhancing drugs should get into the Hall of Fame.

Eighty-five percent said all 104 names on the list of players who tested positive for drugs in 2003 should be made public. So far, only Alex Rodriguez has been identified.

Sixty percent said they were not interested in the World Baseball Classic, the preseason tournament involving major leaguers that was won by Japan for the second time.

But the cost of tickets, concessions, parking and everything else added up to fans’ main concern. The toll of attending a game was tops at 45 percent, followed by player salaries (29 percent), steroids/drugs (19 percent) and the length of games (6 percent).

According to the Team Marketing Report, the average ticket price for majors was around $25.43 last year. Although the cost for 2009 has not been decided yet, but there wll be an increase that outplace the inflation rate.

To attract fans to the games, Major League Baseball said that from all 30 teams about two-thirds agreed to lower either their average ticket price or some level of seats. In this regard, The Toronto Blue Jays went a step further by offering a season ticket in the upper deck for $76.

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In the midst of the outrage over steroid use in the Major League Baseball, Angel Presinal, trainer of baseball stars whom everyone is pointing to as the supplier of the performance enhancing drugs to baseball stars, retreated to his hometown in Dominican Republic. Friends say that he had not been well. His family said that he has lost some weight and recovering from diabetes related sickness.

In 2006, it had been reported that Presinal was nabbed by Canadian authorities for carrying a bag of steroids across the border to Toronto. Since then he had been banned from MLB clubhouses and ballparks. The latest was from the Dominican Republic team who had been forbidden to use Presinal as their trainer for the World Baseball Classics.

From the Daily News:

Moises Alou, former Mets left fielder and captain of the Dominican WBC team, told The News that he was unaware that Presinal had worked with Rodriguez during A-Rod’s admitted steroid seasons. Alou, who has trained with Presinal in the past, said that his WBC teammates were “a little bit” disappointed that they would not have the opportunity to work with Presinal during the tournament. But, Alou added, Presinal’s absence would be one less distraction. Rodriguez was knocked out of the WBC with a torn labrum and cyst in his right hip.

“Everybody here understands what’s going on now,” Alou said. “Personally, myself, I’m kind of glad (Presinal) is not here. We’ve been through a lot. It was enough distraction - not to us as players, but people asking us the same questions. But seriously, I’ve got nothing negative to say about (Presinal).”

Presinal is a respected trainer in the MLB community. Even in his native Dominican Republic he had a good reputation of training the best players both for professional and amateur baseball.

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The Rodriguez saga might not end in such a happy note as everyone might expect. The baseball star, who had been the center of attention for admitting that he used performance enhancing drugs in 2001 through 2003, may have another problem in his hands. A cyst had been discovered at his right hip that some speculate may have been caused his steroid use.

Internist and anti-doping expert Gary Wadler of the World Anti Doping Agency say it wasn’t likely. However, the presence of the cyst might jeopardize Rodriguez’s chances to play in the World Baseball Classics under the Dominican Republic Team.

From Newsday:

“Everybody’s jumping to correlations or conclusions, but there’s no basis for it,” Wadler said yesterday from his Manhasset office.

Rodriguez, the Yankees‘ third baseman, might not play in the World Baseball Classic because of the cyst, whose presence the Yankees disclosed Tuesday. Rodriguez flew to Vail, Colo., yesterday morning to be examined by hip specialist Dr. Marc Philippon.

The cyst is probably not related to an injection of anabolic steroids, Wadler said, because the hip is not an injection point for the performance-enhancing elixirs. Among the much more likely causes are athletic wear and tear, infections, tumors or genetic conditions.

“Some people are born with them,” Wadler said. “You’re either born with them or probably the single biggest reason is trauma or osteoarthritis, and then down the line are various forms of malignancies.”

Roger Clemens once had an abscess (an infected cyst) on his buttocks that was linked to a PED injection by his longtime trainer Brian McNamee during a February 2008 Congressional hearing. Clemens continues to deny he ever took PEDs.

A-Rod recently join the D.R. team, a decision he might have hoped quiet down the steroid scandal and help him put the past behind.

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As Alex Rodriguez alighted from the vehicle that took him to the his first batting practice with the Dominicans in Jupiter, Florida, he sported a look that said he was putting the past behind. Clad in red, white, and blue uniform he was starting anew with the Dominican Republic team. He brought along with him his ex-wife Cynthia, Natasha his eldest daughter and 10-month old baby, Ella. Like a scene out of a reality TV show, Rodriguez giving the public a glimpse of his private life.

Fresh from Sunday’s meeting with the Major League Baseball Officials on the steroid scandal, the spotlight remain focused on Rodriguez. So far he is the most interesting player in the World Baseball Classics.

From the New York Times:

Rodriguez was the only player who visited so visibly with his children, the only player who had at least one crisis manager trolling the back fields of Roger Dean Stadium, and the only player who had to answer questions about meeting with major league officials on Sunday.

The officials quizzed Rodriguez about his relationship with Yuri Sucart, the cousin who Rodriguez said secured steroids for him from the Dominican Republic.

“It’s really good to get yesterday behind me, another one of the big steps,” said Rodriguez, who declined to discuss specifics of the meeting.

Another personality in the steroids case is Angel Presinal, former trainer of the Dominican Republic Team. He has been banned from working with the team because he allegedly supplied steroids to the players.

The Dominicans did not make a big deal about the issues surrounding Rodriguez’s involvement with steroids. Alex commented that he felt more comfortable playing on the field where he could concentrate on the game and not on the drugs. The team’s goal now goal is to win in the WBC.

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