Sorry for the vanity, but I couldn't resist. When the Cincinnati Reds took the field for their final three game series of the season with our Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, I noticed they were wearing their "Los Rojos" jerseys.
Posted on 10/02/2013 7:21:22 AM PDT by Vigilanteman
Sorry for the vanity, but I couldn't resist. When the Cincinnati Reds took the field for their final three game series of the season with our Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, I noticed they were wearing their "Los Rojos" jerseys.
"WTF is up with that?", I asked my wife. I'd never seen them before. Or at least never noticed them before.
Is this something to force Spanish on the country as a co-equal or superior national tongue? In Ohio? My wife, sweet person that she is, at first tried to ignore me. Just let me enjoy the game, she said.
But I was worked up. "No," said I, "if they are going to engage in PC histrionics, then I'm going to put an Ancient Native American curse on them, so they don't win another game."
Said she, "You realize that they've been having trouble with Cincinnati all year when they are playing there and the only game that counts in the wild card play-off on October 1."
Says I, "I'm going to go get on my gear and put a curse on them, so they don't win another ballgame this year."
Says she, "You are going to make a fool of yourself because as much as I love the Pirates, they aren't going to win three straight in Cincinnati."
Not to be discouraged, I stripped down to a breech cloth and headdress, painted my face and body, and proceeded to put on the curse as best as I could remember from my last visit to the rez.
It would sure liven up interest in the division games throughout the season, and a close race toward the end of the big 162 would make those similar to playoff games.
And when the playoffs begin, the tournament of champions from 8 divisions would have more games, because you’d get rid of that silly 1-game playoff.
Of course it is easy to be a fan of a team that buys a championship every four years.
The Yankees spent millions more than the next highest paying team this year and over $100. Million more than all but six teams.
http://deadspin.com/2013-payrolls-and-salaries-for-every-mlb-team-462765594
They spent even more in 2012. Almost $40 million more than the next highest paying team.
http://baseball.about.com/od/newsrumors/a/2012-Baseball-Team-Payrolls.htm
In 2011: Same thing but worse, ALMOST SIXTY MILLION MORE that the next club.
http://baseball.about.com/od/newsrumors/a/2011-Baseball-Team-Payrolls.htm
It would be easier to list the years that the Yankees spent less than any other team in the league because over the last 100 years IT HAS NEVER HAPPENNED!
The reason why the NFL is so popular is that every team has the chance to compete. Where as in Baseball at least forty percent of the teams could never compete on a regular basis simply because the pigs at the trough don't care about competition. The Yankees gorge themselves on the talent of the small and mid market teams. They pilfer that talent that the other teams develop. They have every ability to do so because they control the league. They dictate the terms of revenue sharing, which is basically nonexistent. They also resist any change that would make for a more competitive and more subsequently interesting and successful league.
As for Socialist, the MLB is a FRANCHISE. They are independently owned teams, but like every franchise they are supposed to work as a group to increase the entire well being of the whole. Franchises do that through revenue sharing in the form of franchise fees and centralized purchasing. This allows for a consistent product. That is why a Big Mac in New York is the same as one in Dallas.
The fact that the MLB is a franchise makes the disparagement in salaries even more egregious.
A hard salary cap along with a hard salary basement coupled with real revenue sharing would make for a much more competitive league and thereby increase the value and profits of ALL THE TEAMS. That would than make the ability of an organization to judge talent and coach that talent much more important than their ability to write a big check to those players up for new contracts.
As it stands now New York can afford to make stupid trades and give massive contract because they know that no one can compete with them.
As for Cano, they can afford him. They can afford anything. They spend ten times what the lowest payroll team spends.
Why would that ever change without pressure from the other teams in the league. I cry for their inability to find the nickels in the sofa sign Cano. I some how believe that they will spend whatever they decide they need to if they really want him.
Mike Royko may have said it best: “Hating the Yankees is as American as pizza pie, unwed mothers, and cheating on your income tax.”
I hate the Yankees and all real Americans do. The skeevy crap hole New York and the front runners can have them. They are everything that is wrong with baseball.
Competition with other forms of entertainment and sports is also far greater than at any time in history.
Regardless of why, the increase in the playoffs adds more interest and more revenue to the game. That is makes the game more popular.
Well, if nothing else, it’s obvious that you and I like baseball. LOL!
It’s still my favorite sport, by far.
I like the old fashioned listening approach. Game on the radio in the background, family playing cards around the table, grandkids running in and out the house and underfoot.
And then you hear: “It’s going...it’s going...it’s GONE!”
Love it.
Baseball Is the thinking mans game. It is best scene in person while listening to a true professional announcer over the radio or talking to a close friend or family member, especially a son or daughter.
When they won in 1996, they had the tenth highest payroll.
No, the idea that the Yankees just buy titles is a myth. Do you know how many of the current Yankees are homegrown? (A majority.) That’s doing it the old-fashioned way.
If small-market teams can never compete, how do you explain Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Tampa beings in the playoffs? How do you explain Arizona in 2011? They’re at a disadvantage, true, but they can compete if they decide to. Unfortunately, too many teams would rather lose, whine, and collect welfare from the large-market clubs.
A hard salary cap would merely inhibit creative clubs from competing. It would bring down player salaries without having much effect on the competition.
Typical Horse Crap from a Yankee throne sniffer.
They had the highest payroll in 1996 by 10% over the next highest team. They also had a median per player salary almost 30% higher than the next highest payroll.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/mlb/salaries/1996/all/team/all/
Try some facts. They sell better.
The fact is that New York ALWAYS buys it’s championships. And all major league teams are MOSTLY home grown. It is in the ability to supplement your roster with the likes of A-Rod and the ability to resign your home grown talent through outspending your competition.
The idea that the majority of the league should have to plan on competing once every decade through herculean effort of the front office while New York simply writes checks is bologna.
The fact that almost every other team is unable to financially afford to spend half what the Yankees spend every year is more than a disadvantage. It is outright stupidity for the league to allow it. It destroys competition and reduces the popularity of the game.
Back in the 1970s, there was a professional hockey team named the Toronto Toros which relocated to Alabama and became the Birmingham Bulls. Kept the same jerseys, too. The owner, named John Bassett, owned the Tampa Bay team in the old USFL which challenged the NFL and his primary opposition in that rival league’s direction was Donald Trump. He was an interesting character in terms of sports business owners.
False; it's your opinion.
And all major league teams are MOSTLY home grown.
No, they're actually not. Most teams have a significant number of players from elsewhere. I keep track of teams' maneuvers. They aren't nearly as "homegrown" as you think. The Yankees are. Of course, that's because they've had a longtime core of players they developed who have helped them win. That longtime core is diminishing, but they still field a majority of players they developed.
A-Rod has done very little for the team; getting him was a very bad trade. (Thankfully, they finally got the guy they traded back.)
Most of the non homegrown players came over in trade.
Yes, the Yankees have money. They've won one World Series title in the last 13 years. The Diamondbacks and Marlins have won as many, and the Cardinals, Giants, and Red Sox have won more. Are they buying titles?
So this statement that these teams can only compete "once every decade through herculean effort of the front office while New York simply writes checks" is garbage. It is simply not true. (BTW, this is the second year in the same period that the Yankees have missed the playoffs altogether, although given the massive injuries they suffered, the fact that they competed until game 158 is pretty amazing.)
The Dodgers are the big spenders the last couple of years. Unfortunately, the Yankees are locked in to a couple of long, bad contracts. They're likely to lose Cano.
Try actual facts, not just spewing form a jealous small-market fan.
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