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Naturally, baseball fans would be the most affected by a strike. Sixty-four percent of them would miss baseball, but it still doesn't rise to a crisis level for most. Only a third of those most loyal to the game would miss it "a lot."

Support Dropping Faster Than in Last Strike

The erosion of baseball's fan base is happening quicker this time than during the 1994-95 strike.

So far this year the number calling themselves fans has dropped to 28 percent from 44 percent in March. During the last strike it took eight months before it bottomed out at 28 percent.

The last strike also pushed baseball to a 35-year low in public popularity. An ABCNEWS poll in April 1995 found baseball, for the first time, trailing both football and basketball in viewing preference. Polls over the last couple of years have continued to find baseball stuck in third place.

Little Sympathy for Owners or Players

When it comes to choosing sides in baseball's contract dispute, it's the players who come up short. Thirty-four percent say they're on the owners' side, while fewer, 23 percent, pick the players.

But more, 36 percent, sympathize with neither of them. That's up from 19 percent during the last strike, another sign that the public is losing patience in the face of what could be baseball's ninth work stoppage in 30 years.

Baseball fans side with the owners over the players by about the same margin as the general public, 38 percent to 26 percent, with 30 percent picking neither.

Northeast Would Miss the Game the Most

Men, Northeasterners and those in the highest-income group are the most likely to say they'd miss baseball if there's a strike. These groups are also the most likely to call themselves fans.

Attitudes Toward the Game
Group	Would You Miss Baseball?	Are You a Fan?
Men	29 percent	36 percent
Women	20 percent	21 percent
Earn Under $25K	21 percent	22 percent
Earn Over $100K	38 percent	38 percent
Northeast	30 percent	41 percent
Midwest	20 percent	28 percent
South	27 percent	33 percent
West	20 percent	29 percent

Methodology

This ABCNEWS poll was conducted by telephone Aug. 21-25 among a random national sample of 1,036 adults. The results have a three-point error margin. Sampling, data collection and tabulation were done by TNS Intersearch of Horsham, Pa.

Previous ABCNEWS polls can be found at ABCNEWS.com at the Poll Vault.