Why is Big George destroying baseball? He's simply abiding by the rules. We should all be so lucky to have our hometown team's owner by THIS dedicated to winning. You want to know who's really destroying baseball? The damned Player's Union, that's who. The economics of baseball will never change until a strong-willed commissioner is willing to attempt to reshift the power of baseball and bring it back to its rightful owners, the league executives.
I maintain it's a combination of the two (player's union and ownership). The biggest problem is revenue disparity. Only to the extent that the player's union doesn't support full revenue sharing is the player's union to blame.
"Big George", as you call him, is defintely a co-conspirator in baseball's destruction. He has plenty of company... the Player's Union and "Big Bud" being cohorts. The money "Big George" is spending on payroll is obscene. I don't care if he's "following the rules" or not. Let's face it. The "rules" blow.
I agree the rules blow. But how is George the cause of this problem? He's simply playing by the rules. I simply think everyone's hatred for the Yankees lies in deep-rooted jealousy that the owners of their hometown teams can't afford to / don't want to spend that kind of money to win. I admit it, I'm jealous as hell!
Some of you are ridiculous. THE ****IN MARLINS AND ANGELS HAVE WON IN SUCCESSIVE YEARS! This isn't like the early NBA and the Celtics winning 9 championships in a decade. Spending only gets you so far. And to top it off, Maddux is barely a #4 now.
If you really believed that, then you'd be begging for a hard cap. You're right, it's totally fair. Psh, that's like if every year the Lakers had a 40% chance of winning the number 1 draft pick, you say it's ok bc the Cavs and the Rockets got it the last 2 years.
I think going to he WS for 6 of the last 8 years speaks for itself. While they do have the highest payroll and spend it wisely they can afford to make up for the occasional mistake. It took the Marlins several years of sucking badly to build up that team last year. Once their starting pitching becomes FA's they cant afford to keep them. The Yankees dont have to worry about going through years of sucking badly to make a run. The reload with marquee players in every offseason to make another run. There isnt another team is baseball (maby Boston) than can afford to remain competative for more than a few years.
Happy returns? Maddux reportedly will sign with Cubs Pitcher expected to be with team when camp opens Wednesday Greg Maddux is going back to where it all began. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on it's web site Tuesday night that Maddux, the free agent pitcher and future Hall of Famer, was close to an agreement with the Chicago Cubs. The paper, citing a source close to the negotiations, reported that Maddux will be on hand when Cubs pitchers and catchers report to training camp in Mesa, Ariz., on Wednesday. The four-time Cy Young winner would be returning to the team he left in 1992 for the Atlanta Braves. Terms were being finalized, but the Cubs raised their early offer of two years and $10 million over the weekend, reportedly to two years, $15 million. Maddux has won 289 games in his career, the last 11 years of which he has spent in Atlanta, where he won three of his four Cy Young awards. Maddux would be bolstering an already strong rotation for the Cubs that includes Kerry Wood, Mark Prior, Matt Clement and Carlos Zambrano. The report comes on the heels of a rumors that surfaced on Monday of the New York Yankees coming close a deal with Maddux. The report, from WABC-TV in New York and a New Jersey newspaper, cited an unnamed source saying Maddux was mulling over an offer. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, and owner George Steinbrenner, have denied any interest in signing Maddux, who spurned their offer in 1992 when he left the Cubs in favor of the Braves. "We are not involved with Greg Maddux," Cashman said. The Cubs, Cardinals, Dodgers, Orioles and Giants have all been mentioned as candidates at one time or another for the pitcher's services. Maddux, who turns 38 in April, is second among active pitchers with 289 wins, 21 behind Roger Clemens. He’s 289-163 with a 2.89 ERA in his 18-year career, and has won 15 or more games in a record 16 straight seasons. He has pitched in nine division series, eight league championship series and three World Series. © 2004 NBC Sports.com
