Growing up as a kid on Long Island, baseball was everything to me. Playing games until dark with the neighborhood kids filled my summer days. I've attended countless Yankee games and collected scores of baseball cards. The Yankees' success of my childhood was what really gained my interest.
The championship teams of 1996 and 1998-'00 consisted of hardworking players like Paul O'Neill, Scott Brosius, Derek Jeter, Tino Martinez, Bernie Williams, and countless others.
These players played the game with class and a passion for the game. But as baseball has come to be in recent years, it seems that love has been ultimately swapped with money.
The acquisitions of Jason Giambi, Alex Rodriguez, Bobby Abreu, and other "big-name" players has proved that hard work and passion come with a hefty price. Most recently, the New York Yankees gave former Brewers and Indians starting pitcher CC Sabathia an unprecedented seven year, $161 million contract. To date, this is the highest contract a pitcher has ever received.
In sports, especially baseball, money equals faith. The more "faith" a team has in a player, the higher his contract will be. The Yankees seem to have a whole lot of faith for a pitcher who has five games of postseason experience. If the expectations are to win the World Series, the Yankees are certainly taking a leap here.
But aside from the overspending, high expectations, and lack of passion, there's another aspect to this concept which should really have people shaking their heads. For those who haven't noticed, our country is in a recession. The American auto industry may cease to exist, causing many to lose their jobs. And for those who aren't in the auto industry, Americans have lost a whopping 500,000 jobs this year.
While I hate to bring the economy into the world of sports, I feel that it is necessary to show how this is a slap to the face of the fans. It is saddening to see that while the grand majority of Americans are suffering financially, sports franchises continue to give bigger and bigger contracts to players. Baseball as a sport, and more specifically the Yankees, are guilty of this.
Within this past year alone, the Yankees and Mets have built brand new billion dollar stadiums. Within the past four years, both teams have brought in players like Bobby Abreu, Johan Santana, Carlos Beltran, and Alex Rodriguez and signed these players to contracts totaling over a billion dollars. And of course, the most recent example of this has been the signing of CC Sabathia.
Right in the midst of this economic turmoil, the Yankees spend nearly a fifth of a billion dollars on a baseball player. This should turn even the most avid fans' stomachs. However it will continue to happen.
Until a salary cap is at least proposed, wealthier teams such as the Yankees, Mets, and Red Sox will be free to continue spending.
However, when opening day rolls around, it shouldn't be a surprise to see an emptiness in these new stadiums. Season-ticket holders will sell many of their seats to pay their mortgages. The poorer fan will hope to go to even one game in row Z of the bleachers. Then maybe, just maybe, the world of sports will re-think their spending.
3 comments Last one added 6 months ago — Leave a Comment
Bob Miles 6 months ago
I agree that this is ridiculous but before we go overboard let's remember that athletes, regardless of their chosen sport, are entertainers and in the grand scheme of the entertainment world this would rank right around what a talentless Miley Cyrus made for God's sake. Hell, Oprah pulled in 275 million last year and I am yet to hear anyone complaining abou that!!!
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Matthew Paskoff 6 months ago
Oprah is also very generous with her money. Although she does have a huge house and probably many other glorious things, she also helps many people out. Im pretty sure CC Sabathia wont be giving away too much of his money and Miley Cyrus is gonna be short lived just like all other teen superstars are.
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Edward Hoyt 6 months ago
From CC's biography:
Source: Armchair GM (http://armchairgm.wikia.com/C.C._Sabathia)
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