It's like clockwork, seriously ... recently, every year around the Baseball Hall of Fame inductions there is news that A) Bud Selig is or isn't considering lifting the lifetime ban against Pete Rose and B) names from the list of players who tested positive in 2003 are leaked.

As for option A, Pete belongs in the Hall of Fame -- but not in baseball. I mean seriously, he has the most memorabilia in the Hall of Fame, so induction is theoretically academic. Enough of that though, I want to take a look at the steroid list and the potential economic impact on baseball.

I have never been the world's biggest soccer (football for my European readers) fan. I have attended a Columbus Crew game, that is an American Major League Soccer (MLS) team, in the past. I watch soccer sometimes when it is on ESPN, it is often the Champions League finals, and I will root for the USA during the World Cup. However, that is where my soccer fandom ends -- as far as I am concerned, "football" is the game played with the oblong, pigskin ball featuring two heavily armored teams battling on the gridiron for the ultimate supremacy in either the NFL or NCAA.

As of last Sunday, Major League Baseball's regular-season attendance is down nearly 4.5% this year -- including both New York clubs, according to Reuters.

Why is the inclusion of the New York Yankees and Mets important? Because the two teams opened brand new palaces this year, both of which are smaller than the parks they played in a year ago.

Before the season, baseball officials predicted that attendance could drop as much as 10% from last year's 78.6 million -- with league revenue coming in flat compared to last year's record $6.5 billion.

Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) has said that it generates $10 in revenue for every $1 it invests in sports marketing, and nets $3 of that amount in income. In theory, taxpayers as shareholders should support these deals if they will enhance the company's ability to generate income.

But still: The company has broken off its talks for a long-term endorsement deal with the New York Yankees amid fallout from the market collapse and the government's bailout of the firm. Many Americans and politicians feel that it's hypocritical for companies like Bank of America and Citigroup (NYSE: C) to take billions in taxpayer cash and then spend hundreds of millions on naming rights for stadiums.

Are your stocks and other investments underperforming? Well, consider buying a piece of Yankee Stadium as an investment.

Yankee Stadium, the cathedral of baseball, and "The House That Ruth Built," closes today.

In 2009, the City of New York will auction-off seats, signs, lockers, and other valuable parts of Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium, both of which are owned by the city and which will be replaced in April 2009 by two new stadiums, a new Yankee Stadium in The Bronx for the New York Yankees, and CitiField in Queens for the New York Mets.

Artifacts from both ballparks will have value, but Yankee Stadium's will far exceed most items from Shea Stadium, collectors say.

That's because, among sports venues, in human history Yankee Stadium ranks second only to the Roman Coliseum in cultural and social significance.

We know what occurred in the Coliseum: its activities symbolized life during humanity's descent. We also know what has taken place in Yankee Stadium, and the games played and events held there help tell the story of humanity's ascent.

In 2001, Alex Rodriguez, perhaps the finest slugger to ever play the game, inked an unprecendented 10-year, $252 million contract to jump from the Seattle Mariners to the Texas Rangers. Three years later, when the Texas management regained its sanity and realized the ruinous terms of the deal, they dealt A-Rod to the only team with the money to support such a contract, the New York Yankees.

With A-Rod and another future Hall-of-Famer at shortstop, Derek Jeter, the Yankees had the foundation to return to its status as perennial World Series champion. Unfortunately for the club, it hasn't turned out that way. For A-Rod, however, things continue to improve.

His 2007 season was a monster; 54 home runs, 156 RBIs, slugging percentage of .645, American League MVP. Unfortunately, he continued what has become a maddening tendency to disappear in the playoffs, hitting like a bantamweight in the team's loss to the Cleveland Indians.

Such a wipeout might diminish most people's bargaining value, but A-Rod took an early-out option in his contract and went back out on the free agent market. After much bluster and posturing, the Yankees awarded him a new 10-year, $275 million contract. At 32, he should be set for the rest of his career, one in which he will almost certainly eclipse the home run record of Barry "better hitting through chemistry" Bonds.

When it comes to baseball contracts, in 2007 A-Rod hit one out of the park.

Be sure to check out more Money Winners of 2007.

Seeking advice on his contract negotiation with the New York Yankees, Alex Rodriguez went to the number one source for business wisdom, Warren Buffett, and a pair of Goldman Sachs executives.

After opting out of his contract at the urging of super-agent Scott Boras, Rodriguez found limited interest in his services at the price he was seeking. Now, he's back negotiating with the Yankees, after alienating the team badly by refusing to meet with them.

Buffett's advice to Rodriguez was this: If you want to stay in New York, go talk to the Yankees yourself and leave Boras out of it -- there's too much bad blood between him and the Yankees.

There are lot of athletes who could use Buffett's wisdom: Mike Lowell has professed his desire to stay in Boston, but may leave the team if he can secure a four-year deal from another team -- Boston is only offering him three. Buffett would probably tell him that it's silly to leave a great situation for more money when you're already rich. Mr. Lowell: Please stay in Boston. You had the best year of your career and the fans love you.

Buffett would probably tell Barry Bonds ... Well, Buffett would actually probably beat the crap out of Barry Bonds, because Warren Buffett is a person of integrity -- he doesn't like people who cheat and lie.

Full Disclosure: Zac Bissonnette is long the Boston Red Sox and has a large naked short position in the New York Yankees.