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I Hardly Know Where to Start

Posted By Brian B.

I agree that the unions objective is to get more money for the players; that's the job of all unions everywhere.

"The majority of baseball fans, I think, are becoming increasingly tired of guys making 1-5 million dollars (and more) a year whining and complaining about salaries."

I don't hear a lot of people complaining about salaries, especially hte 1-5 million range guys. I also don't hear a lot of MLB players bitching about money. They try to get the most they can and they play hard to make more. Me too. LaTrell Sprewell asked why he should play hard this year for 14.7 million when they weren't going to extend him and give him 3 more years at that price. I haven't heard that from MLB guys.

"Instead of salaries tied to individual performance awards, owners should start doling out financial incentives for TEAM performance (i.e. wild card, LCS, etc.). After all, baseball is about winning games and not padding your stats. This way, players would worry not only about how they are doing but also the guy next to them."

Makes zero sense. Baseball is NOT a team sport. It is an individual endeavor wrapped in a team frame. Batter versus pitcher. Fielder versus ball. There are pieces of the game where team play makes a difference, mostly defensive, but for the most part it's about the compilation of individual efforts.


"Give out huge bonuses for passing drug tests. To steer people in a direction, you need a carrot and to ML players the carrot is money."

Insanity. They're supposed to stay clean, no reward necessary. Develop a clear drug policy and enforce it. They can't punish Giambi because the stuff he used wasn't even illegal at the time. Define what's illegal, hammer out a testing regime with the union and enforce it consistently.


"There are a whole LOT of players willing to take a ML players place. Stop treating these guys like Prima Donnas!"

But would people pay that much to see the next tier of players ? Minor league baseball gets minor league prices. People who are great in any endeavor get treated special, not just ballplayers. Get over it and enjoy watching them display their skills. They get paid a lot because people are willing to pay a lot to watch them. That's life. If the players made less money ticket prices wouldn't come down a penny anyway.