2008 Hall Of Fame Game Will Be The Last One

[Swimmy]

I'm a baseball fan, but I agree with that Judges brought up.

Sue me, I dare ya!

[frankcor]

I'm a baseball fan. I love watching baseball. I will pull off the road to watch a pickup softball game. Legion ball on a hot August night at DeLutis field in Rome is like heaven to me. I still follow major league baseball and make the pilgrimage to the Bronx at least once a year. I don't know how many more player-strikes it will take before I just give up and just watch amateur baseball. There's something about caring for the game more than the players do that makes it harder and harder for me to do.

losjibaros, I have no expectation for the players to participate if the game doesn't mean anything. My gripe above was based on the premise that MLB doesn't seem to be any way inclined to throw the fans a bone and schedule a regular-season game at the Hall of Fame. It's just another finger in the eye to wave off.

[losjibaros]

I agree with you Francor, but the bottom line really is the location of cooperstown and the logistics involved with getting two MLB teams there...

[jduges]

You'd have better luck getting a Major League team to play a HOF game in little Falls at the old Mets stadium or in syracuse...

I kills me that because players make exorbitant salaries that the assumption is they don't care about the game. Does it become a business? Sure but don't think for one second that the prospects in the minors aren't only playing to make it to the bigs to make a nice contract.

In fact I could make the arguement that the "cheaters" who used Performance Enhancers did it for two reasons. 1.) to make more money 2.) to improve performance......hmmm who is the performance for?

MLB didn't have it's highest grossing year (over 6 billion in revenues) for no reason. Fans are loving it. For every selfish player (albert Belle, Gary Sheffield, etc....) there are 10 guys who love the game more than any fan ever will (Craig Biggio, , David Wright, Cal Ripken, Jeter, Matt holiday, etc.....etc......

Players care, most anyway. But it's the Delmon Youngs and the Lastings Miledges of the world who give players a bad name.

Players going on strike doesn't indicate that they don't care. It's their profession, they should be looking out for their best interests. I've said it before. If the pie is 6 billion how much do the players deserve? I don't think player salaries equated to even 750 million last year....so someone else is eating more than their fair share of the pie.

If you helped generate 6 billion for your company, wouldn't you expect at least your fair share?

I'd rather ballplayers get rich than filthy owners who've got more money than God. Unfortunately its the fans who are hurt when the two sides bicker but such is life.

It's amazing how most people call the players "greedy" yet they never acknowledge the owners greed (unless it comes to moving a team, new stadium, etc). Part of the trouble is all ballplayers salaries are made public. If you had all 31 owners salaries or take what would you think then?

When you see how a David Glass (former CEO of Wal Mart and owner of the Kansas City Royals) spent pennies on his ML club yet pocketed millions in revenue sharing and millions pocketed from a luxury tax which George Steinbrenner contributed 74 million to last year.

Or a Carl Pohlad, owner of the minnesota twins and one of the richest owners in the game, hell one of the richest men in the world. Won't retain the best SP in the game, wouldn't lock up his gold glove center fielder, let David Ortiz go, etc....made the state of Minnesota finance the new stadium opening in 2011. What about him? So when Justin Morneau, scratches and claws for an 80 million dollar contract, we scoff at him and think it's ridiculous but we fail to acknowledge all the revenue he'll generate as fans of minnesota flood to the new stadium to watch him and others take aim at the stands so that some young kid can get a HR ball.

Do I wish players were more accessible? Sure, minor leaguers are only because they have to be, not because they care more. I'd prefer something more akin to NASCAR where all the players are in booths (or tractor trailers) for autograph signings, merchandising, etc....

I'm I slightly jealous that I can't make 4 million a year by being a solid utility infielder? A little but I understand why that guy makes that much. He has more talent in his left ass cheek than most people have at anything they do in life.

Do I wish Owners refunded some of that profit to fans in the form of cheaper concessions, cheaper seating, better investments in their stadiums, players, fan clubs, minor league systems, etc? You bet your ass I do.

Funny no one complains that Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise make 20 million a film. We don't because we say "Well the film made 500 million. But when Alex Rodriguez gets 27 million and helps to generate 6 billion we call players selfish, greedy, and uncaring.

No way man......It's just like any other profession. You have your slackers, your people who show up just to do their job and go home, the go getters, and the top dogs. I'd bet MLB has more players who care about their jobs than in whatever profession you're in.

[frankcor]

I'm not making myself clear. I don't begrudge anyone for making what they do. I am a free-market-Adam-Smith-capitalist if there ever was one. Not the players who draw the crowds. Not the owners who put up the capital.

It is MLB's actions that demonstrates to me they care more about their personal wealth than the game itself or the fans. Am I the only one who was insulted by the strike in 1994 that eliminated the world series that year? (I was also a little crushed because the Yanks were in 1st place at the time ). If I'm a player with a shot at going to the series, there's no way I'm walking.

So you don't need to justify their salaries to me. God bless them for it. But just once, I'd like to see them put the game first.