By Diane Stanley
January 20 2018

It seems as if baseball has gone dollar crazy. No longer do players play for the love of the game. It’s the love of the almighty dollar that keeps them in the game. First it was pitcher Kevin Brown, then catcher Mike Piazza with the huge multi million contracts.

[Originally published February 8, 2001]

Then last season the Dodgers made ex Jay, Shawn Green the highest paid position player in the game with a $84 million deal, that averaged to $14 million a season over six years.

Just a few weeks ago our own Carlos Delgado signed a contract that gives him an average of $17 million a season, pushing him for now to the highest paid player in the game. That is sure to change within the next few weeks at most.

Of course we should also remember the mega deals of Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson, Chipper Jones and several others in between.

Now we have Manny Ramirez who yes he can hit, but all other aspects of his game are a little suspect turning down a $119 million deal from Cleveland because it’s not enough. This is all before anyone has even came close to offering a cent to Alex Rodriguez who is a complete player. If you can demand $200 million plus for each dimension of your game A-Rod must surely be worth at least a billion seeing as he’s a five tool player.

Ramirez, who shares Shawn Green’s agent, Jeff Moorad, turned down the offer that was made on November 3. Moorad tried to explain what it would mean if they turned it down. Ramirez said no.

Now it looks like Ramirez will be with a different team next season. Moorad has meetings next week with two un-named teams.

Just how far can players go with their demands? It seems like the sky’s the limit. It is rumored that. A-Rod and his agent Scott Boras apparently want not only $250 million, but his own jet, an office and the right to put up stands outside Shea (they are talking with the Mets) selling A-Rod merchandise. I guess that $250 million alone would be hard to get by on.

What happened to the love of the game?

Shawn Green’s own mother, Judy Green was quoted as saying, “I think our society is out of whack.” “When you think about what policemen, school teachers, firemen and paramedics do and what they are making, it’s crazy what we pay our athletes and entertainers. But I know the money won’t change Shawn. I know he’ll do the right thing with it.”

At least Green has stuck to that side of the bargain and done the right thing with it. He has given large amounts to many charities including the Dodgers Dream Foundation.

Whatever they use the money for is any person really worth the sort of money being handed to these players? Of course not.

I know what they do with the money is not our business, but it is our business how much they are paid. After all we, the fans, indirectly pay these huge salaries every time we attend a game buy a t-shirt or whatever. It has to be stopped, or is it too late for that already?

I have been lucky enough to see the other side of the game. I know it’s much more than the three hours a day six months a year playing on the field, but it’s not worth $200 million. Just think in a few years even the benchwarmers will be demanding $10 million a season.

Sadly the grand game of baseball has gone money crazy. It seems as if it’s too late for a salary cap now. If MLB did impose one now with the players that are already signed the cap would have to be close to $150 million a season.

In just a few years several teams will no longer exist the way things are going. Lucky for the Blue Jays Rogers seem willing to spend up close to the highest paid teams, but for teams like the Expos and Twins though time must be running out.

Babe Ruth once commented that he was earning more than the President of the United States was. Now earning more than Bill Clinton just isn’t enough. Some of these players want to rival Bill Gates. All for the love of the game of course!