"I believe baseball is a beautiful and exciting game, loved by millions--I among them--and I believe baseball an important, enduring American institution. It must assert and aspire to the highest principles--of integrity, of professionalism of performance, of fair play within its rules. It will come as no surprise that like any institution composed of human beings, this institution will not always fulfill its highest aspirations. I know of no worldly institution that does but this one, because it is so much a part of our history as a people, and because it has such a penchant on our national soul, has an obligation to the people for whom it is played to, its fans, and well-wishers to strive for excellence in all things to promote the highest ideals. I am told that I am an idealist. I hope so. I will continue to locate ideals I hold for myself and my country in the national game as well as in others of our national institutions." -- former Commissioner of MLB Bartlett Giamatti.
I accept it, even if I cannot prove it.
I accept that my relentless pursuit of the truth by the reporting of facts combined with literary perceptions has made me a man on an island to many. I accept the fact that I am as brutally honest about myself as I am about others because I am not a hypocrite. I accept that others believe that a person must earn an air of credibility in order to speak their mind, because they think that acceptance of their opinion is the only thing that separates them from the crazy among us.
Although, I would definitely like to get a call from ESPN (I need a job), does Around the Horn take bloggers? They most likely won't after I suggested major changes to be made to that show.
I believe that what drives a person crazy is the relentless pursuit to have their will accepted by others (e.g. cult leaders). I may speak my mind, and I articulate it the best I can via sarcasm, satire, abstractions, literary perceptions, and stone-cold facts. However, by no means do I expect that you must agree.
All I can be is a witness.
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What Would Billy Do? / You Break It, You Buy It
Unfortunately, "facts" do not always tell the whole truth. I hope that I at least serve as a catalyst for your own thought process rather than rely on drugs and alcohol to lower your inhibitions, and thus not care about the acceptance of your will.
For instance, George Steinbrenner was a convicted felon because he gave illegal contributions to Richard Nixon during the Watergate period. Thanks, however, to Ronald Reagan and a pardon in January of 1989, Steinbrenner was absolved of those crimes. However, the truth is, the behavior of Steinbrenner has led him to act illegally, and so it might not be a "fact" that Steinbrenner is a felon, but for informal purposes—it is the truth.
Just ask Billy Martin.
A true leader is supposed to shoulder the onus of responsibility and accountability for all the problems in their organization, regardless of culpability rather than point-fingers or regale us with ret-con tails of how you tried or thought about trying. If you cannot do that, then everything else is irrelevant because you failed.
If you benefited in any way while failing to fulfill your job description as leader, then you should be the target for derision just as much as anyone else, and you should be expected to take the extraordinary action in order to fix the erosion of your organization.
In other words, “You break it, you own it.” As a leader, it's yours to break.
After all, it was you, Bud Selig, along with other owners like George Steinbrenner, that deposed former Commissioner Fay Vincent with an 18-9 no-confidence vote. This was a vote based mostly on Vincent's support of the players after the owners had colluded against the players between 1985 and 1987, while having to pay an excess of 250 million dollars (that's A-Rod money). Clearly, the owners wanted no part of giving players their fair share, so they usurped Vincent for ridiculous reasons.
They then replaced Vincent and implanted Bud Selig (the first owner to become commissioner) as acting commissioner. And oh, one of Selig's first acts as acting commissioner would be to reverse the life-time ban against owner George Steinbrenner that was levied by Fay Vincent. It is now often referred to as a "suspension" when the reality is, Steinbrenner would still be out of baseball if not for Bud Selig's decision to overturn the act by Vincent.
People then wonder why the players' union had been resistant in negotiations with the owners back in 1994. But oh, point the finger at the players and it all goes away, right? The players are the only "Million Dollar Babies" among us, right? Well, not to me, Bud.
You wanted it that badly Bud, it's yours. You broke it, you fix it. What goes around comes around.
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The So-Called Good Life
I also accept that the same people, who relativize the difference between good and evil, are generally the same people that claim to live "the good life." Just ask Jose Canseco.
I may not know how those people can say they do not know the difference between good and evil, yet begin to know the definition of "good" because I can just as easily call their life the "evil life."
I accept that some would rather pursue evil than to do the right thing, and that some who object to it are just as soon willing to immerse themselves in the same destructive behavior of drugs and alcohol.
Drugs are merely a form of control, in which the user is oblivious to whom is in control. After all, the British took over Hong Kong and other parts of China by forcing opium onto their populace. The line between good and evil might be hard to see, but I certainly know the difference between constructive and destructive.
Just ask David Crosby. The counter-culture of the 1960's was right about civil rights and gender equality—but was wrong about the drugs. I am inclined to agree.
Nevertheless, I accept that some people define their youth by what they think they can get away with while young, only to grow old and want to relive their youth. I, though, had decided to act like an adult when I was thirteen by reading the newspaper, which is why I supported Ron Paul at the age of 14 in 1997 (primarily on the issue of currency).
I guess I am just reliving my youth today (and so is the Dow Jones) without the destruction of drugs because I wrote in for Ron Paul; even though, many young people supported Barack Obama and Ron Paul.
Obama said what people wanted to hear, but his actions so far have driven a schism between those words and his actions.
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"What on Earth are you talking about?"
Fay Vincent Ousted by Owners Bush on Palmeiro, the deception of the MLB that has been the Selig Era (a.k.a., Steroids Era). My belief has been that while the players have been unethical in their pursuit of more money from teams by way of steroids (rhymes with Robin Hood)—it was the Owners (e.g. Bud Selig, George Steinbrenner) that drove the players to such unethical means.
The collusion against free agents took place between 1985-1987 (Bush took control of the Rangers in 1989) from which the owners had to pay over $250 million in damages to the players.
Only for the players to be once again colluded against in 2005, only this time, with the US Senate as a front for the owners and former owners Bud Selig and George W. Bush in order to help their buddies settle private contract disputes.
Moreover, the owners facilitated steroids in baseball, as they continued to increase the profitability of baseball by fan attendance and television contracts under Commissioner Ueberroth.
After all, who wants to see strikeouts on TV? As Crash Davis in Bull Durham said, "strikeouts are boring." Bud Selig now claims that he tried to push "testing" on the players' union in 1995.
My problem with that statement is, for starters, Selig had yet to see the home run race of 1998 and its effect on baseball's popularity. Furthermore, Selig says "testing", but for all I know, that could have referred to anything: Steroids, alcohol, other drugs, prescription medication (have you read Ball Four?).
It is too vague, and that is probably why the union rejected it, especially after the owners' collusion of 1985-1987. My gut says that the union was merely worried that the owners and former owner Bud Selig were trying to create mechanisms of fishing for anything to use against the players (can you say Dave Winfield?).
But now, the owners and former owner Bud Selig, point the finger at the players that they colluded against time and again.
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Why the Yankees Can Be Bad for Baseball
The owners would change their minds on steroids when the price of the players went so high that it forced the "rich" teams (e.g. the Yankees) to bankroll the small market teams like Oakland and Minnesota with revenue sharing from the luxury tax.
That allowed those teams to stay in the black with low payrolls but also spoil the successes of the "rich" teams (e.g. the Yankees). So the MLB tried to contract (or eliminate) those teams from their midst in 2001 (and might be at it again) but were impeded by then U.S. Senator from Minnesota, Paul Wellstone, and House Rep John Conyers from Michigan with the FANS Act of 2001.
It also begged the question: Why should historical teams—or with World Series titles—like the Athletics, Marlins, and Twins be under the microscope for contraction?
Consider that Bud Selig's team, the Milwaukee Brewers, has been in existence only since 1970 and has produced only three postseason appearances.
Hey, Bud: It's your inept Brewers that cannot compete, so if you wanna eliminate a team, then eliminate your own. Otherwise, develop another solution.
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Yankees Core No More / The House that A-Rod Built
And if the Yankees would rather not share-revenue with fellow franchises—then leave the MLB; be a floating franchise outside of the American League and Major League.
Alternatively, deal with it; or perhaps, do not buy the snake oil on players like Carl Pavano. If you need a lesson on why being a rich organization that spends like drunken sailors can be a bad thing for everyone—just look to Wall Street and AIG.
The Yankees have merely been the rich spoiler, as their small-market foes had been poor spoilers; ever since the mad spending began after the 2001 World Series, in which the Yankees signed 2000 AL MVP Jason Giambi for $120 million, and have since thrown money for snake oil.
Since then, the "Yankee Core" has quickly declined. Bernie Williams is semi-retired; Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, and Andy Pettitte have crept toward retirement; and Derek Jeter has lived under the shadow of Alex Rodriguez.
And now the Yankees have "burned" down the "House that Ruth Built" in order to make more money to pay players like Alex Rodriguez. Yet, the same people claim to care about the legacies of baseball.
No one fears the Yankees. No one is hallowed by their presence. The Yankees now are nothing more than a bloated payroll and a declining legacy.
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When "The Say Hey Kid" says hey to you (as a kid) / Elephants Never Forget
As critical as I have been of Bud Selig and the other owners, I like the WBC. Baseball needs a new direction, in light of a now meaningless stat-book, and I think the inclusiveness of the WBC is the right direction.
In my mind, the greatness of baseball was the human element of it, not the Human Growth Hormone element of it. Just ask my dad, who as a kid would ride his bike to a bus in Santa Clara, and for five dollars, got a ride and a ticket to Candlestick Park.
He would sit in the stands out in center field so close to the park that Willie "The Say Hey Kid" was close enough to see him and would often say "hey kid." As my dad said, it was like he was playing just for him.
In another event, my dad would also be able to stay home from Vietnam after Nixon ended the draft in the early 1970s and was to enjoy the first of three World Series titles by the Oakland Athletics between 1972-1974.
As my dad often said, regardless of what Richard Nixon did as president, he ended the draft. If not for that act, his lottery number had been near and had he gone to Vietnam, I probably would not be alive because that act by Nixon altered the course of his life.
In those dualist years, where the opposite could have just as easily been true, the truth was, he stayed home and was able to watch the Oakland Athletics and that is one reason that I continue to be a fan of the A's.
The funny thing is, George Steinbrenner illegally gave money to Nixon in his reelection of 1972, thus Steinbrenner helped reelect the man responsible for allowing my dad to stay home and watch the the Yankees rival win the World Series three times in a row.
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Show Me Your Expenses when You Demand More Money /
You Might as Well Face It, You're Addicted to 'Roids
It's hard to find the spiritual mean between good and bad. Sometimes bad things lead to things that are good for you, while good things can sometimes lead to bad things for others. If you think I'm just some high-horse malcontent, you should reconsider.
I'm unforgiving in my assessment of the league under the 'roid because I believe that the MLB has collectively stolen money from innocent patrons and now squabble over that money. So for me to impugn them all and let the reader sort it out, is only a pittance in what the MLB has taken over the years. You know, in the MLB, $390,000 is around the minimum salary.
In order to eviscerate the incongruity of $390,000 and "minimum" consider this; millions of people have lost their jobs, including me. I particularly am underwater as they say because of medical bills that are equal in totality to that of a small fine in pro sports. By small, I mean roughly $10k. To some, that's nothing because their debts are assets, whereas my debts are for medical reasons and living expenses.
The next time a player says that they cannot live on less than $1 million a year, I hope the reporter reacts like Simon Cowell. I, as a consumer of the sport, DO NOT WANT TO HEAR THAT B-S.
With that, I put the onus on the leader who clearly wanted the job for an unfair advantage against the players union, thus, the players were more than willing to take the unfair advantage of steroids. Meanwhile, the other owners were more than happy to profit from that, even if their lip-service said otherwise.
If you, Bud Selig, knew more than the public did, prove it with extraordinary action. However, my gut says that you're in line with the John Fogerty song "Mr. Greed" from Centerfield in that, "the bones you hoard, can only bring you shame." If not—prove it.
You wanted it Bud, you got it. It's on you. No one else.
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FAIRNESS IN ANTITRUST IN NATIONAL SPORTS (FANS) ACT OF 2001
79 years ago, Major League Baseball consisted of 16 teams clustered in the Northeast and Midwest. Players were paid what was generously described as a pittance. Ballparks were privately owned, and genuine fan loyalty was built upon stars playing with the same team for most of their careers.
Today, 30 teams play in major cities throughout the country except one, the Nation's Capital. Players receive astronomical salaries, the newer parks were largely built with taxpayers' money, and free agency sends the stars from one team to another almost before they can warm their places in the dugout.
The major argument for using taxpayers' funds to build new stadiums has been the economic boom brought to a community by having a Major League Baseball team.
At this hearing, we will receive testimony that baseball is in dire financial straits and that the antitrust exemption should remain.
One of the many questions which baseball must answer is why so many teams are in financial peril with the protection of special legal status when major league football, basketball, and hockey teams are not?
Perhaps the help given to baseball by the Supreme Court in 1922 really has not been so helpful after all.
And another question to be answered by baseball is how a sport, which grosses over $3 billion a year, is still not a business when the presence of a team obviously stimulates business throughout the lucky communities.
For years, baseball has told Congress that it can heal itself, and it obviously has not done so, even though this year baseball has had record attendance and the best World Series in history.
The numbers do not add up. Success on the field and at the box office should bring success to the bottom line. So maybe the Supreme Court's help in 1922 has outlived its usefulness, and the market should be allowed to work in baseball like it has in other major sports.
I guess there may be somebody in America that really believes that baseball is not a business, but it is just a sport. And you may recall that in 1994, Congressman Mike Synar had thought this through and thought that the time had come to forget the partial exemptions, and every time the people in baseball screw up, that we take away a little piece of their exemption.
So I come here very interested in what I have heard to be some tremendous accounting theories that the Commissioner will put forward about how tough things are. And, God knows, I support the underdog, economically or on the field.
I mean, that is the American way of doing business.
Let's root for the little guys in baseball, like the owners that are hemorrhaging. I mean, this is a tough situation that brings us here.
We are still reacting to the Curt Flood episode in baseball history, and we remember that the owners got together—some say collusion, but I don't use those kind of legal terms—among themselves to reduce free-agent salaries and were forced to pay a record $280 million in damages.
The record in minority hiring makes me wonder if the term ''affirmative action'' has ever entered into the considerations of these meetings. No minority owners, just one single minority general manager.
And we remember what happened to your predecessor, Mr. Commissioner, when he thought that he could dare put the public interests ahead of anybody else's: Eight work stoppages in the last 30 years, more than any other professional sport combined, including the longest work stoppage in professional sports history in 1994.
And there is the Minnesota Twins episode, which we won't go into now. This is going to be pretty interesting. One of my colleagues from Pennsylvania was asking me about the fate of Eric Gregg. We have got some letters for you to consider what is happening to him.
And then finally, I wanted to just close by reminding the commissioner of the determination of the Commissioner's Blue Ribbon Panel on Baseball Economics. You recall that one; it examined the question of whether the league's current system has created a problem of competitive imbalance in the game.
Independent panel. Former Senate leader George Mitchell, former Reserve Board Chairman Paul Volker, Yale president Richard Levin, and, of course, our old friend George Will.
And after a year and a half, the commission issued a report, and they recommended that the teams significantly increase revenue-sharing among its teams with new national broadcasting licensing and Internet revenue distributed to assist low-revenue clubs.
Okay.
Last sentence. The contraction should not be the first option taken by the Major League Baseball owners, and the Commission's panel stated that if the recommendations outlined in the report are implemented, there should be no immediate need for contraction. That was on page 44 of the report.
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