It was April 1995 when I was already slated to go to the NY Mets vs. The Florida Marlins opening home season. See the picture to get a glimpse of the opening day ticket that never was. The MLB empire had endured one of the biggest black eye it has ever gotten. But thanks to the enhanced performance scandals that keep on surfacing, with the latest from Miami in which the names of Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez and many more are listed in some form or fashion.

No World Series in 1994

MLB was just fresh off of the first World Series cancellation in over 100 years. The world, sports fans, and baseball players aficionados world-wide were stunned. I don’t think that anything prior to that time was painful to watch in sports. But we have become a nation that endures, and although any tragedy in a sport will never compare to a tragedy in life, being a society that pretty much revolves around sports, it was a shock nonetheless. It’s after shock was felt for a very long time.

As a baseball fan, I was looking towards the start of the 1995 season, but I must admit I can remember an empty feeling, but it was not necessarily pointed towards the players, not like the substance abuse is.

1994 MLB All- Star Game

All we had that year from baseball was a partial season, and an All-Star game, one of which I have little memory from. In fact if it wasn’t for the All-Star numbered bat from that year with the autograph of Alex Rodriguez, which I acquired at an event just before the game, and my 1994 World Series MLB ball, which were sold because they were never used, that whole 1994-1995 sports year would be a blur to me.

Dan Marino – Miami Dolphins

That was also the year that I met Dan Marino, see the picture with the autograph. Thank goodness that for every set back we endure, there is always a seasonal sport to lift us up. Football was the sport that year that made us forget the 1994 MLB debacle and endure the reception, cold reception, that we gave baseball in 95.