Stay cool
We like to think of baseball living in its own, little bubble (for better or worse), impervious to the realities of life that persist away from the game. But the hard knocks of the country’s financial concerns might be catching up to America’s pastime.
Case in point: It hasn’t just been a slow start to the hot stove season. It has been a monumentally slow start. No big name free agent, including Manny Ramirez, Mark Teixeira, Derek Lowe, and CC Sabathia has come close to inking a deal as of yet on the verge of Thanksgiving. While that might not seem abnormal, with the GM meetings but a fortnight away, history proves otherwise. The New York Times’ Ben Shpigel writes today:
A review of baseball’s transaction history since 2001 showed that the only period featuring fewer signings in the first 12 days of open bidding than this year came in the 2002-3 off-season, when Jesse Orosco was the only free agent who had signed. Each of the last five free-agent off-seasons included at least six signings by this stage, led by the 2006 bonanza when Alfonso Soriano, Juan Pierre, Nomar Garciaparra, Gary Matthews Jr., Aramis Ramírez and Frank Thomas signed before Thanksgiving.There is a similarly attractive group of free agents available this year — C. C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, Manny Ramírez and Francisco Rodríguez, for starters — but teams seem to be proceeding cautiously and dispensing fewer offers than in years past.
While the economy certainly isn’t going to play too much of a factor into the gazillions that the above, aforementioned players are expected to receive, there will undoubtedly be enormous trickle-down for the second class of free agents still looking for jobs. Guys like Rocco Baldelli, Brad Penny, Kerry Wood, and Orlando Cabrera aren’t going to be getting offers like ones they might have expected a year ago.
Fewer years – with perhaps higher annual price tags - may be the norm this offseason, with the economic future of the country up in arms, a major reason why the Dodgers have offered Ramirez just a two-year deal, a proposal that even they seem to be regretting based on comments made by Dodgers president Jamie McCourt – wife of team owner, Frank – who helped announce yesterday that the club would build 42 youth fields around Southern California.
"If you bring somebody in to play and pay them, pick a number, $30 million, does that seem a little weird to you?" McCourt asked. "That's what we're trying to figure out. We're really trying to see it through the eyes of our fans. We're really trying to understand, would they rather have the 50 fields?"
A survey on LA Times.com proposing the question shows more than 65 percent favoring a big-name free agent like Ramirez over the 50 baseball fields.
Ultimately the fields will pay much higher dividends if you advertise them as training grounds for future players.
Imagine 3 of your starting 9 coming out of your own municipal ballparks.
Brilliant!
Think about it.
You have a pool of 9million people in Los Angles to somehow develop 3 Major League ready ball players.
It could happen.
The Pirates just signed 2 pitchers they found on a T.V. show in......India. Really.
build the ballfields....they will reap many benefits....manny is a weight that the dodgers haven't felt yet....they will if they sign him long term.....manny being manny is manny being the bronx brat
It' just a matter of time before the sports world cathches up to the real world. With jobs being lost at an alarming rate,ticket sales will eventually dwindle. I would be surprised if there aren't any sports teams that declare bankruptcy this year or next. MISL soccer which has almost no attendence,NBA in some cities(New Jersey) where they average 9500 per game.
Now that they mentioned it, all the big free agents will be on a new team by tomorrow. :-)
With the exception of Sabathia, all of the big name free agents are clients of Boras. Need I say more?
build the fields
maybe if you sign Manny, he will pay for the fields. He was very generous with his money in Boston. ( just kidding)
"While the economy certainly isn’t going to play too much of a factor into the gazillions that the above, aforementioned players are expected to receive..."
Does this mean the economy will or won't factor in to these negotiations?
John Henry is no dummy, and he knows the "crash" may only be in the first inning of a 7 game series.
(Did you notice Dolphin Stadium was half empty last Sunday????)
Building the ball fields is far more worthy than throwing money at a free agent, BUT, to keep your ballpark filled you need to win. And the fans need to think you can win. So if you don't lay out money in the free agent market and your competitors do, are you doing what is necessary to keep your fans' hopes for a World Series alive?
Very tough decision. The team that does this first is going to covered in glory. It will take a team that has committed to its farm system, and the farm is producing the product required by the major league parent. Could the Sox pull off a coup like this?
Are they gonna pay to water and mow those ball parks too and for how many years?
Manny isn't worth 50 ball parks. Maybe 12?
I love to see all the excitement around Lowe... does he all of a sudden have great stuff or is he another product of the Naltional League?
I would love to see Manny playing for the Yankees, just to see if he would cut his hair according to their rules.
If you build it (a ball field) they (the people) will come. - Field of Dreams.
This blogger might want to review your comment before posting it.
by eric wilbur
browse this blog
by categoryINside Boston.com