MLB: Meet the next newest New York Yankee
Posted: November 2nd, 2006 | Author: Zim | Filed under: Babble, MLB, TV | No Comments »“Me want 30-Mir-yon Da-ra.” said Matsuzaka, the Japanese pitcher who will more than likely land on the Yankees All-Star laden roster sooner than later.
Baseball’s rediculously flawed system will have Japanese phenom pitcher wearing either pin stripes or having to put up with Bean town minutia.
by Mike Zimmer, Braves honk
Major League Baseball has a hot new free-agent in the pool of players awaiting a huge pay day. The player is Japanese phenom Matsuzaka–a nasty herky-jerky fireballing pitcher who was lights out in the World Baseball Classic over the spring and dominant in the Japanese league. Matsuzaka played for the Seibu Lions of the Japanese Pacific League and the country’s national team that won the WBC.
However, Matsuzaka has a small bargaining condition. He’s gonna need at least $30-million in an offer from a team just to negotiate. So, Matsuzaka should be arriving in the Bronx in no time to sign with the New York Yankees. If that doesn’t pan out, he’ll more than likely skip on up to Bean town to sign with the Red Sox. Isn’t that great? I am surprised that ESPN hasn’t started Matsuzaka Watch 2006 right now in their Hot Stove League talk now that the World Series is over. In all seriousness, MLB has a problem considering that Matsuzaka basically is going to be headed to one of only a very few teams–starting with the Yanks and Red Sox and then perhaps as a long shot the Los Angeles teams. After that, there are very few teams that will even get some consideration due to the economic climate in the league.
Recently, MLB and the players union reached a new contract agreement to keep the current labor peace intact for years to come. This is the first time in recent memory that the negotiations for a new contract hasn’t lead to at the very least sabre rattling about a work stoppage or a full scale strike/lock-out. The reason for the relative calm? The league and it’s players are awash in cash and the system although flawed is working just fine for them right now. It’s not so great for the fans, but when the hell has that mattered to MLB?
The league and it’s players are rich and despite plummeting TV ratings, lack of national interest once football season starts and the fact that only a hand full of teams have a realistic chance of competing for a World Series title every season. In fact, unless you are one of the top spending teams you are not going to even get close to the play-offs. Six of the top 10 spending teams were in the play-offs and amazingly enough those that didn’t spend alot of cash weren’t able to compete. This seasons World Series was the lowest rated series ever on TV and for the most part–no one cared outside of St. Louis and Detroit. Mostly because the culture is all about the big market teams and outlets such as ESPN ram Yankees and Red Sox down fans throats.
Major League Baseball is waining in interest especially in younger fans, but it’s alright with baseballs idiot owners and spoiled players. With a TV deal that will move even more games to cable and pay-per view outlets in the future they have almost conceded that they aren’t that big any more and are a specialty sport to cities where teams are competing. Baseball has become all Yankees, all Red Sox–all the time and MLB is OK with this. What the hell is wrong with the retards that run the league?
With no salary cap, no fair competition when it comes to how teams are put together and a system that favors only the teams that play in “big markets”–you are going to get more of the same crap that has made the game rather irrelevent over the past few years. The system is also set up to form a kind of wellfare program for the weakest teams–so that the likes of the Kansas City Royals still make a healthy profit despite being an absolute dog crap product on the field. The owners of the Royals and Pirates get luxury tax money from the big clubs to ”get by” and then serve as their minor league within a major league setting for the big clubs to pick and choose from when it comes play-off time. And, with it, the owners of both rich and poor teams don’t seem to really care if the system changes as long as they are getting their fair share. I for one, feel somewhat ripped off by this.
Look, I get it–leagues are driven by big market teams. You need great teams, you need big stars and people are interested in the Yankees and Red Sox even if I am not. However, baseball is on the verge of being just a city-by-city sport where it’s no longer important to outside regions once teams are eliminated. I feel that way now considering I had no team I follow in the hunt this season. Think about it–what makes you interested in a World Series once your favorite team in eliminated? Well, once upon a time it was because it was a national story and no matter the teams involved you knew about them, heard about them and had seen them during the season because it was pertinant. Not any more. It’s hard to think that teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers who once were a huge national draw are no more than another team from Southern California. Come on, without looking it up, name the Dodgers starting 8 fielders. Go on–you can’t. Even somewhat passive National League fans could have made a valient effort even as recently as 5-years ago. ESPN and MLB have made the league into Yankees, Red Sox and (insert your team here) and then nothing else. And I think it sucks. And this coming from a Braves fan–a team that has a ton of advantages over a great multitude of teams.
The Yankees pay roll with Matsuzaka on their pitching staff along with other free agents to be would balloon to over $200-million while the Florida Marlins will push just over $20-million if they decide to actually give out a few pay raises. That seems fair and interesting. OK, not really.
Leave a Reply