Posted on 08/01/2002 1:50:48 PM PDT by GeneD
Simon & Schuster editor Jeff Neuman says that Fay Vincent's new book really isn't about the strike or labor politics. "It has one chapter in it about the business of baseball, but this is really a book about his love for the game," he says. Neuman didn't want to reveal too much about that thirsted-for section--it's the subject of a Sports Illustrated first serial--but alluded to a "radical plan for baseball."
Early indications are that Neuman isn’t kidding. In the book, Vincent reportedly argues that Major League Baseball can solve many of its problems if every owner took a percentage of their team and combined it to form a separate company. Players, owners and the public would all hold shares in the company, which would trade on one of the major exchanges. (He reportedly even suggests that players could be given stock options as a way to reward loyalty, as has become voguish--and, with some of the executive debacles in other industries, dangerous--in recent years.) The plan would fight the scourge of free-agency and the resulting disease of player-hopping, and fans and players would both feel more invested in their teams.
Most important, he reportedly says, by linking players' and owners' financial interest, it would give both an investment in the future of the game--and not just in next year's paycheck or gate receipts. And, in a more philosophical vein, it would stop pitting owners against players and instead make them partners, a pet goal of Vincent's.
The former commissioner's other radical plan is likely to set off even more bells. He reportedly argues in the book that baseball should allow and even encourage media conglomerates to own more than one team in one (broadly defined) market, as a way to level the disparity in TV revenue deals. A major cable company, say, could own both the Giants and the A's, and presumably be motivated to revenue-share on its own, instead of the league forcing owners to spread the wealth (though it doesn’t seem clear what would stop an owner from investing disproportionately in one of his teams, a la Mike Ilitch, who pours money into hockey's Detroit Red Wings but not the Detroit Tigers). Finally, Vincent reportedly has some suggestions for a possible commissioner. They include Rudy, Condy Rice and Mario Cuomo.
Oh yes, there are other chapters in the book, which covers the 1989 Bay Area earthquake, the Pete Rose scandal and plenty of shots at Bud Selig and George Steinbrenner, none of whom, needless to say, make Vincent's commissioner shortlist. He's being radical, not sniffing pine tar.
Pros: 1,000,000x as interesting as slow, boring, overpaid, lame-ass baseball.
Cons:
He wouldn't stand a chance against a pro boxer like ButterBean.
Also, public ownership of baseball teams is a non-starter unless there is an absolute (and enforceable) prohibition on active players and managers owning shares in other teams. I'm not sure I'd want to see Derek Jeter coming up to the plate in the World Series with the winning run on third base, knowing that he's "hedged his bets" by purchasing 10,000 shares of the team he's facing.
Now, that's diversity: a RINO, a conservative and a bleeding-heart liberal!
Nevertheless, I'm still pushing for Bob Costas.
Butterbean would last 20 seconds against that wild assed kid from Seattle. Maybe.
I hope you are kidding about that. Royce Gracie, in his prime, would have Butterbean crying for mercy in 7 seconds flat. A kick boxer like Silva would kick Butterbeans leg like a demon form hell, then he'd break stuff mid level. Willie ... these guys can box, kickbox, use jujitsu and they employ a really nasty and bone breaking array of submission holds. Now, Lennox Lewis ... well he can outbox ANYBODY in the world. Cael Samuellson? He can outwrestle anybody in the world 190 or so. Tito Ortiz could never beat Cael in a collegiate or mat wrestling match. Ortiz would be competent ... but no way. Cael could never beat Tito in the Octagon. It's about training. The rules. Michael Johnson trained to run the 400. The 200 was his gifted talent. He couldn't beat the best 100 meter specialists, and they SURE AS HELL couldn't beat him at the 400. The 200 ... ahh, the best race IMO
Same with wrestiling, MMA and Boxing. The best boxers in the world will beat every MMA champion with boxing rules. THe MMA champ will beat the best iboxers and wrestlers in the world in his weight class with HIS rules. Kurt Angle would pin every MMA heavyweight in less than 1 minute with Olympic or collegiate wrestling rules. That's how good he is. He kicks Brock Lesnar's ass in shoot matches outside the lights - he won the gold medal with a broken neck! Angle's a freak. Bring over those Japanese guys from Pride to go nose to nose with Angle, Lesnar, Couture, etc ... that'd be interesting. My money would be on Angle, he's the toughest mofo in the world.
Butterbean? Ain't on the radar.
Great, the Yankees get $100 million a year for LOCAL TV rights. The Twins get $4 million. So, the Yanks pick up Raul Mondesei and Weaver from Detroit just to put the frosting on the cake. They have a $130 million payroll. The Detroit Red Wings had a $98 million payroll, and the Colorado Rockies had a $85 million tab. Calgary spent $25 million, Edmonton $30 million and Vancouver $30 million? Totonto spent $70 million, and the Rangers spent $90 million. DOH!!! Philly and Boston - $80 million each. OOOOF. Carolina ... mid 40s? Good results. The top 6 guys on Detroit make more than the entire Tampa Bay or Columbus roster. OK, we're gonna see Colorado, Toronto, Philly, Dallas, Detroit and the Rangers the rest of our lives. AC, there is NO chance that Atlanta, Islanders, Nashville, Columbus, Tampa Bay, Florida, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Calgary, Edmonton, Phoenix, Anaheim, Minnesota or Vancouver will win a Stanley Cup in the next 10 years. None. That's a dismal league ... compare it to the NFL. It's up for grabs every damn year.
Baseball? Blah. Boston pays their guys $110 million, Atlanta pays theirs $100 million. Texas ... BWAHAAAHAAA ...well it doesn't always compute. You do need to spend SOME money on pitching!
But ... the Yanks and Braves will be in the World Series this year. There's a scoop!
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