Every player in Major League Baseball should be sending Curt Flood, Dave McNally and Andy Messersmith a piece of each paycheck. And while I won’t indulge the squabbling of billionaires versus millionaires called “free agency,” I do begin to wonder if I’ll see the demise of Major League Baseball in my lifetime.

Considering MLB just completed its most financially-successful season by generating more than $6-Billion in revenue, I know the talk of demise may sound foolish. However, when will this excess stop … and how long will average Americans continue to support their home-town teams?

By the way, how many players of today even know the names Flood, McNally or Messersmith? I would bet not many … but, I bet they could tell you who’s on a $1,000, $5,000, $10,000, and $100,000 bill.

Hey, I’m a true-blue capitalist, so I really don’t care how much money players make. Good for A-Rod and his $275 million contract and Torii Hunter and his $90 million windfall. And, only God knows what the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets or Dodgers will offer Johan Santana if traded by the Twins. To billionaire owners it’s all Monopoly money, anyway. But just remember, even in the game Monopoly, there’s only one Rich Uncle Pennybags. How many “Pennybags” are in MLB? And, I hope, you do know that baseball is really playing the game with your money. How long will you keep rolling the dice?

Today’s bandwagon baseball fans could care less about the future of the game. But, for baseball’s purists, where will the game be in 10, 20, or 25-years?

God willing and with a little luck, I’ll probably only be around another 20 years anyway. I just hope baseball’s demise will wait.

FYI, in case you don’t know any MLB players, faces on those bills are Grover Cleveland, James Madison, Salmon Chase, and Woodrow Wilson, respectively