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Volume CXXXIII, Number 15 |
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A-Rod trade: No hype, no drama--just dollar bills and smiles
NICK LAROCQUE
STAFF WRITER
I would like to preface this rant by saying that I am a lifelong Red Sox fan. Like most of you who are reading this, I have spent every summer of my life watching every game and telling myself "This is the year," only to be left feeling frustrated and betrayed in the end.
However, there is one problem: I can't stand my own kind. I hate Red Sox fans. They might be the single most obnoxious and delusional group ever united towards a common goal. No wonder we have fallen short of this goal 85 times in a row.
So, in case you've been living underwater for the past week, let's all get on the same page here. Remember how the Red Sox spent a month in the national spotlight negotiating with the Texas Rangers and Bud Selig, severely damaging their team chemistry and not getting Alex Rodriguez? Well, last Saturday, the Yankees came out of nowhere and had Rodriguez wearing pinstripes by Monday. No hype, no drama, no disappointment, just dollar bills and smiles.
Wait, it gets better. Remember all the drama that ensued over our situation with our all-star shortstop, and undisputed leader, when we "were going to get A-Rod?" Well, the Yankees didn't have this problem. In fact, they are keeping Derek Jeter right where he has always played. In fact, Rodriguez (remember, the best player in baseball) decided that he will just switch positions, because he doesn't want to step on anyone's toes. Like clockwork, the Yankees get it done again. And now all the Red Sox fans complain, hailing the Yankees as the "Evil Empire." They will complain about how it's not fair because the Yankees spend so much more money than anyone. Well shut up, I don't want to hear about it anymore.
There is a serious problem nowadays in Major League Baseball, and the Red Sox are just as big a part of it as the Yankees. According to ESPN, the Yankees' payroll this year is expected to be about $185 million. However, that number may drop to about $180 million depending on what happens with the Aaron Boone situation. The Red Sox are expected to have the second-highest payroll with $125 million. Last year, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays had a payroll of less than $20 million. The Milwaukee Brewers spent $40.63 million. The San Diego Padres had a payroll of only $47.93 million. The Kansas City Royals, who were alive in the playoff hunt for a large part of the season, only spent $40.5 million.
To expect teams like these to be legitimate post-season contenders is to expect the impossible, and sometimes we get it. The A's have consistently performed at a high level over the past few seasons despite having a payroll that is insignificant when compared to that of upper-tier teams. Despite losing high-profile players like Jason Giambi and Johnny Damon to big market powers like New York and Boston, the A's have managed to stay successful. But one has to wonder how long this can last, especially once the "Big Three" are no longer together in Oakland.
In an effort to recreate the energy of last postseason, Commissioner Bud Selig has concentrated a tremendous amount of effort on building up the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, and in doing so has made the inequity of the situation in Major League Baseball worse than it has ever been. With the possible exception of the Angels, I don't see any teams in the American League who should be able to hang with these two powers come postseason.
So while the fans in the Northeast spend another fall on the edge of their seats, fans around the rest of the country will watch in dismay and wonder why their teams never had a shot. And why? Because Major League Baseball is afraid to put its foot down. The only solution to this problem is a salary cap and revenue sharing. The playing field needs to be leveled. A strike may be the immediate result of this action, but it is the only effective long-term solution. And don't even try to say that you won't watch if they strike again, because you will. Especially if for the first time in your life, your team has the same resources as the Red Sox and Yankees do.
But, until then, get off George Steinbrenner's back. This is not his problem. It is Major League Baseball's problem, and until it's fixed, he can spend as much money as he pleases. In fact, as much as it pains me to say this, I would say that he is the best owner in sports. He spends as much as is necessary to win, and the talent he brings in always seems to pan out. He wins. We don't. So we immediately throw stones at Steinbrenner because he spends the most money. We gave Manny Ramirez a $63 million contract. We are paying Pedro Martinez $75 million over six years. We just signed Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke.
So, lose this stupid idea that the Yankees are the "Evil Empire" and the Red Sox are the poor blue-collar kid who is being held down. The Red Sox have the money. They just don't spend it right, and they don't get it done when it counts. Maybe you should think about that the next time you start yelling "Yankees Suck" at a basketball game.
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