I know it’s the dead of winter and other sports are the main focus of the news. Football has the Super Bowl, basketball is almost halfway done, golf just started and racing is making its start soon.
So then why have I personally had enough of hearing about baseball? In baseball, it’s free agent season – players re-signing with the team they played for last season or going to a different team. The free agent season has usually bothered me to a degree, but not this year. This year, I have gone overboard.
If anyone has been watching the free agent season, they have noticed a few trends. The first and most obvious trend is, after not winning the World Series (again) the New York Yankees went out and got most of the best free agents money can buy.
Most players are going to either Boston or New York. Other players are going to so-so teams that can pay them the big money they’re looking for.
Finally, everyone is looking for a big payday, including players who don’t deserve it.
I’m going to hit the biggest issue I have with this free agent season, and that’s everyone thinking they are the greatest player and should be paid sums of money for it.
I’ll start with Adrian Beltre, who in late 2004 moved from the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Seattle Mariners. What’s my problem with this? Adrian has hit no more than 23 home runs in a season. Last season, he hit 48, and now he’s big time, signing a five-year, $65 million contract. $65 MILLION! No one is worth $13.8 million a year.
Then again, tell that to the Houston Astros, who on Friday signed Roger Clemens to a one-year, $18 million contract. I’ll admit that Clemens is an awesome pitcher, but is he worth $18 million?
Again, it’s a trend – one person jumps, and everyone else has to try and jump higher. Moises Alou will play with the Giants for one year. Of course, he’s worth $13.25 million. Randy Johnson will grace the Yankees with his pitching abilities, but it’ll cost them $16 million for two years.
Of course there was no bigger greed – sorry, “contract agreements” – than in New York.
The method they used was to show Martinez they were committed to him by giving him $53 million over four years; that’s about an average of $13.25 million per year. And they weren’t done. They need another “big time” player to attract the fans and get their money back. So they went out and got who many people believed to be the best free agent on the market: Carlos Beltran. More convincing was done to bring him to the Mets, in the form of a seven-year, $119 million contract.
We are in an age of baseball where being with one team is now considered either a great achievement or a joke. Cal Ripken Jr. was a true baseball player. No matter how bad or good is team was, he stuck with them all the way.
Frank Thomas has stuck with the Chicago White Sox his entire career.
Coming from Chicago, where there have only been two decent White Sox teams in 12 years, that’s an accomplishment.
Players now go to the team that is the flavor of the year. I understand that there are times when the player and team don’t see eye-to-eye on issues that don’t involve money, but nowadays that is so rare. Any issues with baseball now are about money or steroids.
How can we look at baseball and be proud? Yes, the Red Sox made the greatest comeback in history. Yes, Barry Bonds hit 70 homeruns in one season. Yes, it’s fun to laugh at the Yankees when they buy baseball and can’t win.
Baseball isn’t a team sport anymore; it’s a sport where you have to shine so you can make more money than that one guy on that one team. Baseball is a joke, period.

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