While the play of the Hendersons, Cansecos, and Clemenses can generally be described as selfish, the replacements were selfless.

If the batter sacrifice bunted, he got high-fived by his teammates. Few double plays were turned because the replacements slid hard into second base.

And the players were genuinely friendly, down-to-earth guys.

Unlike major leaguers, who often pass by screaming autograph-seekers as if they are alone, the replacements not only stopped to sign, but also (mirabile dictu) conversed with the fans.

Certainly, the replacement players made their share of errors on the diamond, but these miscues didn't result from a lack of effort.

In a 4-3 L.A. win over Montreal, two errors were made that Major Leaguers would have handled easily.

And in the sixth inning of a 5-2 Dodger win over the Mets, Mets reliever Rich Turrentine uncorked two wild pitches allowing two runs to score.

But that was the beauty of replacement baseball. What the players lacked in talent, they made up for in hustle.

Not that I'm disappointed the strike ended.

It will be exciting to watch Tony Gwynn chase .400 yet again, and see Frank Thomas go after Maris' homerun record.

The higher caliber of play will make the games more exciting and naturally the fans will return.

But replacement baseball was baseball at its purest. A game without egos and without million dollar salaries.

Replacement baseball exemplified the best aspects of sports: the players had fun, played hard and played as a team.