How do rich people get so stupid? Or, is it, how do stupid people get so rich? Either way, we are already off on a different line of discussion. The fact remains the group of rapidly aging white men who own MLB teams and run MLB are quite a collection of Troglodytes.
Has anyone out there ever been to Mardi Gras in New Orleans? One of the rituals is the greasing of the poles. Which sounds like a good porn movie title, but, it's actually fairly ceremonious. Visitors take Vaseline and rub up the lamp posts and other poles holding signs so the revelers won't climb them. Stewards in white gloves and silver trays hold the Vaseline jar for them, as to not burden them with the hassle of holing 16 ounces of petroleum jelly. A thin layer of slippery protection and all is safe. Because lamp post bending is the real societal problem with Mardi Gras. It's not the rape, violence and thievery that take place...because that always takes place on Bourbon Street.
It's protection like that that I'm referring to. Baseball has always thought it could police itself because it had the 'elite men of sport' owning baseball teams. Meanwhile, all hell has broken loose on Bourbon Street and all they can think about is how they can make more money off of losing money.
Outside of a frat house meeting, I don't think I've ever witnessed "a more wretched hive of scum and villainy".
For what it's worth, George Steinbrenner gets what ever he wants, even if it's an opportunity to say something stupider than he said the week before:
Boss Not So Happy with Female Umpire
George Steinbrenner thought Roger Clemens had a few things going against him in his rehab stint, including female plate umpire Ria Cortesia.
''It was tough, you had a second-string catcher, which was a mistake, a kid that didn't belong catching him. Our regular catcher is hurt,'' Steinbrenner said. ''And you've got a female umpire, that's a tough thing to cover. Nothing against females, but I mean for Roger, I think she was probably as excited as anybody in the stands.''
Cortesia said she umpired Clemens' kids in Little League in Texas a few years ago.
''Is that right? Well that's good, I guess she'll go back there,'' Steinbrenner said. ''She wasn't that good, she wasn't bad, but she wasn't that good.''
Clemens had no problem with Cortesia.
''She was pretty good, she was great,'' he said. ''I told her before the last inning that this was probably it for me and that I enjoyed it, and she said, 'Thank you.' It was a great time.''-- The Associated Press
Where's Costanza and Wilhelm when you need them?
Even Clemens realizes where the discussion is headed and changes 'good' to 'great'. Why can't baseball people just keep their mouths shut? MLB has essentially taken over all of the individual team websites and hired their own people to run them. Using the internet to push their own agenda and control the net-based media. Why not hire mouthpieces for the owners and GM's and the commissioner so that they don't run into these problems? Hearing something ridiculous form a manager, coach or player every once in awhile is acceptable. In fact, it's expected. But these other men in the MLB power structure have had to be remotely successful outside of baseball in order to get the position they are now in.
The more I ponder this, the more I start to wonder if the the vast conspiracy theories about power have some validity to them. After all, the baseball diamond, Trilateral Commission. Not too far off from each other. Not to mention that the Commission was set up around Curt Flood's time and the Free Agency dispute.
I have to go, the CIA is here.
"Great is okay, but amazing would be great..." -Bender
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