Posted on 09/01/2002 10:19:16 PM PDT by BluesDuke
MONG the homemade signs exhibited by fans at some of the ballparks recently in which the major-league players threatened to strike, the one in PNC Park in Pittsburgh, where the Pirates play, was particularly eye-catching: "Play 4 the Love of the Game."
This is part of the fairy tale that some fans like to believe — that players ought to play simply for the love of the game.
The fact is, they are professionals, and from the time professional baseball began, in 1869, with the Red Stockings of Cincinnati, the most accomplished baseball players played for money. That is literally the name of the game. It is axiomatic, however, that if you don't love something to begin with, you are not going to work to the degree it takes to excel, unless you are on a chain gang.
Some fans simply leave their sense of reality behind when they go to a ballpark, giving little truck to the notion that these players are wage-earners, breadwinners, adults. Want simply love of the sport? Go to a high school game.
What these fans project to a great extent is jealousy.
I got into a conversation the other day with a guy who sold stationery for a living. He resented the players. Why?
"They make too much money," he said.
"What's too much?" I asked.
"They make more in one time at bat than I do in a week."
"Would you trade places with them?"
"Absolutely."
"And if someone told you you were making too much money, what would you tell them?"
"I'd tell 'em it was none of their damn business."
But some fans believe they have a proprietary interest in the players' business. It is their toy. And if there is a threat that it may be taken from them, for however long, they grow petulant. After all, the players should be happy with whatever they get, forget that this is America and we are living in a free-market system, the same system that they live in.
But fans never seem to resent the money that owners make. No one hangs a sign for George Steinbrenner: "Own 4 the Love of the Game."
Ballplayers are businessmen like Steinbrenner and Murdoch of the Dodgers and Eisner of the Angels and whoever is running the AOL-Braves and the Tribune-Cubs, etc.
I love it when some fans said that if the "greedy" players struck that they wouldn't come back to baseball anymore. Why not? If you enjoy going out to a game on a nice summer's evening with your family and friends, and watching skilled athletes ply their craft in dramatic fashion, who are you hurting by staying away? What is this thing called revenge? What is this thing called shooting yourself in the foot?
Some fans are also suckers for the owners' whinings. The owners have the audacity to bad-mouth their product, which takes the form of players. And then they want fans to continue to love and cherish and idolize the players and come out to the ballpark. That's a terrific method of advertising the game.
It was like Steinbrenner a few years ago trying to strong-arm New York City to build him a new ballpark in Manhattan and him saying that the Bronx is such a dangerous place people are afraid to come to Yankee Stadium. So many didn't. His threats died down, he built a strong team, and the Yankees are setting attendance records in of all places, the Bronx. Incredible.
About 30 years ago, the fare in New York City taxicabs went up a little. A guy I knew was appalled. Never taking another taxi, he said. At the first drop of rain, he was running around trying to hail a cab.
Some fans say, "The ballplayers are making so much money and it's terrible because school teachers and garbage collectors and firemen and policemen don't make anywhere near as much and they are more deserving because they teach and protect and maintain sanitation, if not sanity" (maybe psychiatrists are underpaid in this regard, too).
This nation obviously puts a greater premium on entertainment than we do on almost anything else. But you never hear a complaint that Tom Cruise, for example, is making $20 million for a film and it's disgraceful. And Cruise has it made in comparison to a ballplayer. He never has to deal with a fastball under his chin, or a runner barreling in to break up a double play. All he has to do is memorize some lines and kiss beautiful women.
Most fans played baseball as children. Some still see it as a children's game. And except for some excuse or other, they'd be in uniform out there. I grew up in Chicago with a fellow named Jimmy Nelson. He was an outstanding high school player and a shortstop at Northwestern, batting .333 in the Big Ten in 1961. Jimmy signed with the Twins, but never made it past Class AA (like Michael Jordan).
I asked Jimmy what happened. "You can't imagine how good a major-league player is," he said, "even the last guy on the bench is a great ballplayer."
I generally respect the professional ballplayer, respect his skills and determination — and, necessarily, his passion. I respect what it took for him to reach the heights he has. I root for him if I like him as a player, not for how much money he earns or thinks he ought to earn. From where I sit, it's the tooth fairy that does it solely for the love of the game.
From the article.......
I got into a conversation the other day with a guy who sold stationery for a living. He resented the players. Why?
"They make too much money," he said.
"What's too much?" I asked.
"They make more in one time at bat than I do in a week."
"Would you trade places with them?"
"Absolutely."
"And if someone told you you were making too much money,
what would you tell them?"
"I'd tell 'em it was none of their damn business."
The answer to your question is no.
As entertainment, they're bad actors, so I'm saving my money for something other than these prima donnas.
One could write their college thesis in a myriad of majors based on that singular 4 hour event.
My favorite pre-strike sign was,
"Don't strike! Where else can I get 6 beers for $35?
LOL!.......precisley!
Why is it that hardly anyone gets upset about limited-talent actors and actresses signing $50 million multi-film deals or NO talent "musicians" (like Britney Spears) raking in tons of cash but get completely up in arms about extremely talented athletes doing the same? I'd rather watch Barry Bonds launch a baseball into The Bay or Randy Johnson mow down 17 great hitters in 9 innings or Roberto Alomar turn a beautiful double play or Ichiro gun down a guy tagging from 3rd base from the warning track rather than the latest bad Sly Stallone flick any day of the week. If A-Rod signs a $250 million contract, good for him. ...(although I must say that the Rangers' money would be better spent on a decent pitching staff).
But I understand that part of the appeal of following a team is indentifying with the individuals on the team, and that's a very difficult thing to do when A) the benchwarmers make more in one game than the average American wage earner earns in a year, and B) the majority of players have absolutely no loyalty to either the team or the city they play for. Fans hardly get to know the players these days before they're either traded or picked up in free agency by another club. As a result, the game isn't as personal as it once was. The fans' loyalty is to a team logo rather than to the individual players, and I find that a shame. ....although I don't pretend to have a solution.
Absolutely incredible!
I had L.A. Raider season tickets between '84 and '92, and I witnessed at least one mini riot per game. The worst was one day when the Steelers were in town, and tens of people were injured, one within an inch of his life. Needless to say, the atmosphere was quite different than Chavez Ravine. ...But at least most people stayed to watch the end of the game.
I couldn't find a spot on any of the nearby streets, but, there were all kinds of people selling "spots" on their property.
I forget how much I paid this little black kid to park on his lawn.
When I returned, there was a parking ticket on my car.......it turns out that it wasn't that kids lawn after all.
LOL!
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