Debate: Did Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire Really "Save" Baseball in 1998?

Myth: Baseball was dying in 1998. The home run chase of Roger Maris's record of 61 home runs in a single season by Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa prevented baseball's demise. Lots of bloggers, journalists, and analysts say that these two "sluggers" saved the game of baseball by bringing back excitement to the game. And that baseball was in a dire situation due to a strike that occurred three years earlier. I call shenanigans. Baseball was doing just fine and these two did not "save" it. In fact, they arguably ruined baseball. Ten years later, we learned that that magical year was an illusion....like magic. But I digress. The home run chase did not save baseball: 1. Attendance was on the rise already. In 1998, there was no huge increase and there was actually a decrease in 1999. Here's a chart of the average attendance from 1995-1999: Year Avg Attd % Difference 1995 25,257 ------ 1996 26,891 +6.5% 1997 28,218 +4.9% 1998 29,393 +4.2% 1999 28,8...