The Sports Bizzo

By Toph…

This is my expose. I’ve touched on it in the podcast, and now I’m going all out.

I began playing baseball as a kid, and I’d like to think that it was during the heyday of baseball in America. We’re talking about the early 90’s here, so it was that long ago. Of course, this was pre-strike. A lot of things happened as a result of the baseball strike, but you’ve already heard about it. As a kid, “Baseball was Life, the Rest was Just Details” (“No Fear”). I’m even typing to you as a kid who grew up in Dallas, Texas. As much as football was branded into my life, baseball was always right there. I grew up idolizing guys like Don Mattingly, Ken Griffey Jr. Bobby Bonilla, Greg Maddux, Pudge, Nolan Ryan – the list can go on and on. These guys were heroes to me. Posters on wall, cards in books, bats and balls with autographs. My family took me to Arlington Stadium (later Ballpark in Arlington) every time the Yankees came to town. As I’ve mentioned, I was raised a Yankee. In an obscure bandwagon tale, I was raised to be like Donnie Baseball on 1st, and “The Kid” Junior Griffey in Center. I wore my #21 in pinstripes proudly, and truly believed baseball could save the world.

Baseball seemed like the most pure form of sport in the world. Good verses Evil (I later learned I was on the side of Evil). I thought that baseball players were people who played a game, and played it with all of their hearts. Then, I learned that pre-crazy Jose Canseco flipped off my friend Dusty when he asked for an autograph. This might have been the 6th grade. This might have been when baseball started losing its hold on American youth. A couple of years later, and I can’t remember the player (which pisses me off, because I hate saying things that I can’t backup), charged to get his autograph. This is a guy who gets to play baseball for a living, making thousands, if not millions, of dollars a year charging children for the opportunity to meet and get a signed baseball. Look, I get it. I understand that there are people out there who get these autographs for free, then turn around and sell it for $200, but to ask a kid to buy your signature is sad.

Here’s where I jump into the present, before going back into the past. Does that make sense?

Diabla and I went to Oakland to watch the Yankees play the A’s. I decided to do the math, and I’d like to share it with you. Maybe this is the next Mastercard commercial – 2 $40 tickets 3rd base, 22 rows back = $80.00. Parking in the General Admittance = $15. Beers were $7.50 a piece and we both had 2 = $30. Luckily, it was dollar dog night, and we ate 2 each =$4. Split some nachos for $5. Grand total of $134.00 (without talking about taxes and ticket service charge).

This was for 2 people. OK, $134 is not that bad, but we don’t have kids. Therefore, we don’t have to buy cotton candy, ice cream, foam fingers, stuffed animals and everything else the ballpark throws at us.

Basically, and I’m sorry about this, but fuck you MLB. A Wednesday night game, where Kyle Farnsworth makes an appearance should never cost this much. All of this goes back to the “Strike-Shortened Season”. See, I told you I’d find a way to bring it back. As you know, baseball was so desperate to get fans back into the seats, they allowed things to go on that has tarnished the game. Mostly, Sosa and McGwire. The steroids, the bat umpires, the ridiculous money and attitudes, and the major league office are what’s wrong and what will be wrong with the game. It’s kind of a double edge sword, and like I said my team is the root of the problem. Look at the Yankees, $200 million dollar payroll, and they’re sitting at .500. Are you kidding me? Meanwhile, the good guys like Mark Texeria, Josh Hamilton, Johan Santana, etc, are/were playing for teams till their contracts run out and they can sign with the big spending teams. How is this far? OK, it’s fair, because it’s like that in corporate America, but aren’t teams like the Rangers, Twins, Phillies basically like more expensive farm teams for the Yankees, Red Sox and Mets? Why are we spending $150 to watch guys that don’t give two shits about us? Why should we care about them? They’re just going to leave us at the drop of a hat, right?

When Pudge won a World Series ring, after being with the Rangers for so long, I thought, “I’m so happy for him.” Why was I happy with him? Because he left the miserable hole that is Arlington to go to a franchise that bought a World Series? It’s bullshit.

I’m actually going to commend the Yankees. When forced to part with the prized prospects of Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy for Johan Santana the Yankees passed on the deal. Of course, as of right now it’s biting them in the ass, but it’s a move that was respectful to the fans. We’re the people who want to see the guys succeed, or fail miserably. Why invest all that time if you know they’re going to leave you?

I see the other side of the coin. I mean, it’s like dating, right? Why date since there’s the chance she’s going to leave you? But, it’s totally different. It’s not like you kept dating these girls, and they leave you for the same handful of sexier gents, is it? Otherwise, you’d eventually stop dating, wouldn’t you?

Is that what’s going to happen to baseball? With the undeserving records, the ongoing steroids investigations, the half-ass game that’s played and the ridiculous salaries for guys who play .500 ball (looking at you Yankees) – aren’t we going to stop caring about the game? Shouldn’t we stop? Why keep caring about baseball, when baseball stopped caring about us a long time ago?