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Post by Copperfields on Feb 16, 2004 10:49:16 GMT -5
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Post by stones on Feb 16, 2004 17:49:44 GMT -5
This trade is bad for baseball. Nuff said! Well, on second thought, not enough said, cuz it really bothers me.
Its sort of like if one of us has a major Magazine's budget to buy free agents in an open market playing in this league with a bunch of middle income guys and a few unemployeed guys. No offense to anyne employeed by a magazine, its just an example.
Steinbrenner seems to abuse the system everytime he makes a move. I makes you want to cheer against the Yankees whenever possible. Oh yeah, I already hate them even more than the Northsiders!!!
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Post by Copperfields on Feb 16, 2004 20:13:43 GMT -5
Steinbrenner seems to abuse the system everytime he makes a move. I agree that the trade is bad for baseball (from a competitive balance standpoint), but I'd stop short of ragging on Steinbrenner. I wouldn't say he's abusing the system - heck, he's the one owner to embrace the salary cap or luxury tax or whatever it is. Sure, he blows right by it, but he pays his penalty and moves on. Isn't it refreshing to have an owner with a single-minded focus on winning and giving his team's fans the best possible? You can say that he's doing it the easy way; that he's "buying" the World Championship. But regardless of how he goes about it, he wants to win, bottom line be damned. What's worse, an owner who blindly spends to bring home the trophy, or an owner who's got money to burn, but cries poor? Now for all I know, Steinbrenner is completely focussed on the bottom line and the only reason he's brining on A-Rod is because it will mean increased revenue for him (via more attendance and, I'm sure, higher ticket prices). But even then, he's trying to increase revenue by winning, not be firing his scouting staff or something like that. Don't get me wrong - it's unfair and bad for the game and all that, but you've got to appreciate Steinbrenner's obssession with winning. David |
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Post by Nick's Picts (archived) on Feb 17, 2004 13:04:10 GMT -5
I wonder if George would have been as eager to pick up A-Rod if the Red Sox hadn't botched the deal earlier. We all know that Steinbrenner is not at all above rubbing one's nose in the do do. What will be telling to me (and here is where I prognosticate) is that he'll pay the luxury tax on this incredible collection of contracts and these millions will trickle down to the masses, and yet for many of the 'poorer' teams this money will not go into the development of the club but into lining pockets. I'm not saying there isn't disparity in budgetary means in baseball, but some teams are less interested in profits than in wins. IIRC, the Brewers were one of a few teams to even admit to making money (2001)*, have one of the best stadiums for generating revenue, and yet cannot be arsed to upgrade their roster above AAAA level. /me steps out of closet I mean, I like the Brewers. They were my favorite AL team, so rooting for them in the NL comes relatively painlessly. OTOH, Selig has got to be the whiniest, 'cry wolf', panty-waisted owner-commissioners of all time. He shouts 'Poverty' from the top of his lungs yet his marionettes put out the lamest excuse for a major league roster this side of Detroit. So, getting back to the actual topic  I can be a Yankee hater because that is just the way I am. I can also appreciate that competing against ol' Fat Pockets himself can be daunting. On the other hand, I really do appreciate an owner who is so competitive that he is willing to leverage every advantage he has, even going so far as to accept whatever sanctions may be imposed against him, in the pursuit of a winning team. That's what the Brewers, Pirates, et al need to bring to the field. Heck (and I'll stop in a moment), look at Billy Beane fer cry'n out loud. Small budget does not preclude quality product. He consistently games the system, leveraging every advantage he has, and it pays off for him. So. A-Rod to the Yankees sucks because I'm a Yankee hater. OTOH, all the other owners need to quit belly-aching and work on the things they can control. Also, quit with the drama queen, wounded sparrow act and deal with the fact that Steinbrenner has more money than Jehovah** and is willing to spend it. He can afford to make frequent mistakes which does not mean that you should be allotted the same margin of error. There is a lot of room for improvement in baseball management (again with the MoneyBall thing). Oh, and don't get me wrong. The players are just as guilty. Holding the fans hostage to grab ever-diminishing returns on additional millions of dollars. Shame shame shame shame shame. Crikey, pay me three years at league minimum and I guarantee I would not have to work another day for the rest of my life. And so ends my rant. Bring on Spring Training! * www.nytimes.com/2004/01/17/sports/baseball/17BREW.html?ex=1077166800&en=86aa4a2326361d6e&ei=5070** www.geocities.com/pythoninsanity/LifeofBrian.html Scene 4 |
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I can be a Yankee hater because that is just the way I am. I can also appreciate that competing against ol' Fat Pockets himself can be daunting. On the other hand, I really do appreciate an owner who is so competitive that he is willing to leverage every advantage he has, even going so far as to accept whatever sanctions may be imposed against him, in the pursuit of a winning team. That's what the Brewers, Pirates, et al need to bring to the field.