I’m getting so tired of major league baseball players accusing the owners of collusion. It seems that every year when a player isn’t rewarded with a $200 million-dollar contract, platers come out of the woodwork and complain about the inequalities of the system.
Don’t get me wrong. I think that the owners are 100% to blame for player contracts getting way out of control. I guess I can’t help but compare it to the private sector. Each industry has its own pay structure and owners of businesses will set the pay for the employees of said businesses. When you hire on with a company you agree to show up for work for a specific amount. We all understand how this works.
Why are professional sports any different? Players will sign a contract and then have a good year and then not show up for work as they demand more money. Owners will cave in to their demands and give the increase and all is well.
I work at a retirement community in Lawrence and I believe that tomorrow I will call my boss and demand a lot more money because I had a very good year in 2018. I will hold out until I am given an increase. However, I won’t be satisfied with just any raise. No, I need to be one of the top three highest paid activity directors in the state and if my demands are not met, I’m fully prepared to sit out the rest of 2019.
Sounds crazy, huh? Please wave to me as you drive past the unemployment line. I know that’s a little far fetched and the dynamics are a lot different, but that’s just bringing it to the average person’s level. Maybe we just don’t understand the logistics of making that much money. But it’s not just the $200-300 million-dollar contracts that hurt the game.
When contracts like that are given, then the average salary of all players will go up. Don’t tell me that Alex Gordon deserves $15 million a year. Players that would have earned 2-3 million a few years ago are now demanding 8-9 million. The problem is, they’re getting those amounts because the market has changed over the years.
Manny Machado signed with the San Diego Padres for $300 million over 10 years. Bryce Harper will soon sign a contract that will probably be bigger than Machado’s. I don’t understand why the collusion argument is still being made. Most owners are trying to stay away from those huge long-term contracts. Of course, if the owners are willing to pay that much, wouldn’t the players be fools for not taking it? We can criticize the players all we want, but if your boss offered you a huge payday, I’m sure you’d take it.
– Rob Mooney, Metro Voice sports writer
