The Texas Rangers packed up their belongings in the clubhouse, expecting the worst. Cincinnati Reds pitcher Jose Rijo bought a ticket to fly to Miami despite a scheduled home game.

And many fans across the country vented their frustration at ballparks with signs like, "You strike, we hike.''

As the sport headed toward a possible work stoppage, players and fans were left wondering whether Thursday's games would be the last ones of the season.

"It doesn't sound real good,'' said Rangers shortstop Alex Rodriguez, who would lose the most of any player, $114,754 a day. "You just have to prepare yourself for the very worst.''

Fans and players at the 10 games could only hope baseball averts its ninth work stoppage in 30 years.

"After the last strike, I stayed away for 4½ years,'' said Lou Ann Walden of Cincinnati, referring to the walkout of 1994-95. "It wasn't until the middle of the '99 season that I came back. This time, I don't know. I love baseball too much.''

In Pittsburgh, one sign said, "Fix It or We Don't Come Back.'' In Houston, another said, "If You Strike, I'll Have to Work All Day.'' A sign in Philadelphia warned about fans walking out on baseball.

And outside the B.U.S. bar near Houston's ballpark, a message on a marker board said: "Monkey see, Monkey do -- The players strike, The fans will too.''

"It's unfortunate that this is what it's come to,'' said Colorado Rockies fan Scott Goettelman, who recreated a "Field of Greed'' sign he made for the last strike. "In '94 they said there isn't going to be another work stoppage, we're right on the brink of that today.''

A fan at SkyDome held up a sign with a message to Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and baseball officials on how to solve the sport's problems: "Save Baseball. Contract the Yanks. Sell George the Expos.''

At the Metrodome, Twins fans hoped their season wouldn't be cut short before a probable postseason berth for a team that was almost eliminated before the season began.

"The Twins are doing so well and they don't deserve to get their season cut short,'' said Ben Neibaur, a high school baseball player. "I don't want my season cut short either. I'm hoping to get playoff tickets. That would be huge.''

The players understood the fans' frustration and hoped any bitterness won't linger.

"People assume that we're heartless,'' Cubs player representative Joe Girardi said. "We know how important baseball is to our country. The fans are huge to our game. If there's no fans, there's no games. The players understand what the fans are going through.''

Rijo added: "I think this is the only time that if you're a patient person, you lose your patience.''

Angels rep Scott Schoeneweis said players seem to be getting all of the blame for a possible work stoppage.

"It seems like the front page of every paper in America has some fan holding some type of sign, saying that they're upset about the strike situation,'' he said. "I don't think it's fair all the time that the onus is put on us as much as it is.''

Rodriguez, in the second year of a $252 million, 10-year contract, was supposed to meet players who don't play the game for money. A team from Fort Worth, Texas, that made it to the Little League World Series earlier this month was honored before the Rangers' game against Baltimore.

Rodriguez didn't know how to explain a possible work stoppage to the kids. "I won't say anything about that,'' he said.

Atlanta, Boston, the Chicago White Sox, Colorado and Milwaukee pushed back their charters from Thursday to Friday to see what happens at the talks. The first game affected would be St. Louis at the Chicago Cubs, scheduled to begin at 3:20 p.m. ET.

Braves outfielder Chipper Jones was keeping up with the developments from a hotel in Pittsburgh, hoping he wouldn't be going home Friday.

"From everything I've heard, we should remain optimistic,'' Jones said. "A lot of guys say it will be a last-hour thing. I just hope we're on that flight to Montreal tomorrow.''

Rangers reliever Jay Powell had different travel plans.

"I think I will be on I-20 heading to Jackson, Miss.,'' to go hunting, he said. "I'm a realist. I'm going on past experience.''

In Cincinnati, the Reds treated their game like it could be the last at Cinergy Field, scheduled to be torn down after this season to make room for a new ballpark.

Ushers punched holes in fans' tickets instead of tearing them, leaving them intact as a souvenir.

"It's a nice souvenir, just in case it's the last one,'' said Bill Klein, 82, a ticket taker and usher for 22 years. "I hope it's not.''