was off on a 12-0 run.Vogel liked the play of his bench, who out

Baseball has one of the best fan experience in sports, and 20 years ago today that was taken away from the people that love it the most. Strikes and lockouts have not been a rarity in the professional sports world, but there is one that many will not forget. The 1994 Major League Baseball Players strike, which led the sport to lose its entire postseason due to a labour dispute, the first time that happened in a North American sports league. One of the main disputes that caused the Players to walk off the job was that the Owners wanted to install a salary cap, while the players opposed the idea. That disagreement plus a few others, led to a 232-day strike, cancelling not only the remainder of the regular season but also the postseason. The Montreal Expos were arguably the team that suffered the most; they had the best record in baseball, 74-40, despite having the second lowest payroll. They were six games ahead of the Atlanta Braves in the National League East Division when the season came to a halt. Success in strike years was not something new for the Expos, the only time the team punched their ticket to the playoffs was in 1981, during the last significant players strike. Following the resumption of the sport, the Expos moved a lot of their star players, which lead to an even bigger erosion of the fan base. Montreal was not the only market hit hard by the stoppage, many fans around the league decided to opt out of games when the players returned to the field. Attendance was at an all-time low, dropping 20% from the previous season. In 1994, prior to the strike, the average attendance was 31,256 in 1,600 games, while in 2,016 regular season games of the 1995 season they drew an average of 25,008 fans. Interest in the game was slow to return until the 1998 season when Chicago Cubs outfielder Sammy Sosa and St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire started hitting home runs at record paces. The two sluggers may be the reason the love for baseball returned, their chase for the all-time single season home-run record grabbed the attention of former and current die-hard fans as well as casual viewers. The two players were looking to surpass New York Yankee Roger Maris record of 61 homers which he hit during the 1961 season. Both men had a competitive drive, but their personalities and newly formed friendship also helped them grab peoples attention. Maris single season record fell that year as Mark McGwire finished with 70 home runs and Sammy Sosa ended the season with 66 round trippers and though those marks have since been cast into doubt, there is no question about the lasting effect their work that season had on restoring fans of the game. Its been 20 years since the strike, how long did it take you to forgive baseball and come back? As always its Your! Call. Nike Air Max Plus Clearance Uk .Best moustache: How can we not give this to Lanny McDonald? Check out the duster for yourself. Nike Air Max Plus Sale Uk . Cincinnati has lost back-to-back games in overtime, wasting a chance to take a commanding lead in their division. http://www.saleairmaxplusuk.com/ . 1 Caroline Wozniacki and three-time champion Serena Williams cruised into the semifinals, while last years runner-up Vera Zvonareva succumbed to Aussie Samantha Stosur in Thursdays womens quarterfinal action at the U. Air Max Plus For Sale Cheap . Yet coming off consecutive series losses at St. Louis and Pittsburgh, Los Angeles needed some sort of spark as August approaches. The Dodgers found it in the ballpark of their biggest rival, and left the Bay Area in first place following an emphatic three-game swing. Nike Air Max Plus Cheap Uk . Los Angeles announced its new deal for Kupchak late in the fourth quarter of a 145-130 loss to the Houston Rockets. Kupchak had one year left on his current contract.PHOENIX - The Phoenix double-point guard combination of Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe reminded everyone just how good they can be together.Dragic scored 34 points, Bledsoe had 27 and the Suns beat Indiana 116-99 on Tuesday night for their fourth straight victory over the Pacers.Two electrifying guards playing together. Thats a tough matchup, Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. They have incredible speed. If you dont take care of the basketball they will expose you for 38 fast-break points, which is what happened tonight.The Suns guards, who are getting more time together on the court with Isaiah Thomas out with an injury, combined for 22-for-35 shooting. Dragic matched his season high for a game with 22 first-half points, and Bledsoe scored 21 in the second half.Dragic made five of six 3-pointers, Bledsoe had seven assists.Finally, you know, weve been struggling a little bit, Bledsoe said. This game really was easy for us.Gerald Green and Markieff Morris added 15 points apiece for the Suns, who broke open the game in the final seven minutes.The Suns, after two lethargic losses, wore down the Pacers with their high-energy game.It was a big talk for us all the last two days of having that enthusiasm, Phoenix coach Jeff Hornacek said, having that energy. ... and I think these guys took it to heart.Miles scored 17 for Indiana, and Roy Hibbert had 15 points and 10 rebounds.Phoenix put together a 17-3 run spanning halftime that erased a nine-point Indiana lead and lifted the Suns to a 64-59 advantage on Dragics 13-footer with 8:01 left in the third quarter.Miles went hard to the floor with 30.7 seconds lefft in the third, and after an official review, Green was called for a flagrant-one foul, giving Indiana two free throws, plus possession, much to the displeasure of the crowd.dddddddddddd Hibbert hit two foul shots with eight seconds left to cut Phoenixs lead to 83-79 entering the fourth.Phoenix stretched it to 10 before Indiana closed to 94-88 on Donald Sloans layup with 7:24 left. But the Pacers Solomon Hill missed two free throws, Dragic hit a 3 and Bledsoe stole the ball for a breakaway dunk and Phoenix was off on a 12-0 run.Vogel liked the play of his bench, who outscored the Suns reserves 57-30. But Phoenix outscored the Indiana starters by a startling 86-42.Thats something weve got to look at, he said.TIP-INSPacers: Set a season high for points in first quarter (28) and in first half (56). ... After three days off, Indiana is playing five games in eight days. ... Indiana took a 42-33 lead on a 9-0 run. ... Indiana shot 59 per cent from the field in the first half, 37 per cent in the second.Suns: Hornacek said an MRI of Thomas injured ankle was negative and the guard might play Friday night at Dallas. Thomas has missed four games. ... Phoenix has won eight of the last 10 against Indiana and 15 of the last 19.UP NEXTPacers: At Portland on Thursday.Suns: At Dallas on Friday.NEW NAMEEarlier Tuesday, the Suns announced that naming rights to US Airways Center had been sold to the Pima-Maricopa tribal community. Starting next season, the building will be called Talking Stick Resort Arena. The tribes operate the casino-hotel-restaurant complex on the outskirts of north Scottsdale. ' ' '