Thank You A-Rod, Damon, Jeter

[lautrec]

Thanks to A-Rod, Johnny Damon and Jeter, for playing for the US in the World Baseball Classic.

I'm sorry that you guys play for an organization so selfish, and completely absorbed in its own success that it cannot support the country that has allowed them to be a great competitor, year after year.

Personally, I root against the Yankees, every year, because of their "Evil Empire" status. I don't blame guys for signing the big contracts, because frankly, I'd probably do the same thing.

But this WBC is a true team concept. This is not the big business of Major League Baseball, where everything is about money and winning, so they can get MORE money. This is about country, pride and yes, TEAM.

So, I am ashamed to see something like the following, and I feel sorry for the players who have sold their MLB souls to Steinbrenner and his Evil Empire, but now try to redeem theirselves by participating in the WBC for the US.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Even before a pitch was thrown Saturday, the New York Yankees apologized to their fans.

The Yankees displayed a sign by the customer service booth on the main concourse, explaining it wasn't their fault Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Johnny Damon and Bernie Williams had departed for the World Baseball Classic.

"Thank you for expressing your concerns," the sign stated. "We are sorry that certain players will not be present for portions of spring training. These players have elected to participate in the World Baseball Classic. The World Baseball Classic is an event sanctioned by the commissioner of Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association. The New York Yankees did not vote to support this event. Any comments you have regarding the World Baseball Classic should be directed to the commissioner of Major League Baseball or the Major League Baseball Players Association."

[wamby]

But this WBC is a true team concept. This is not the big business of Major League Baseball, where everything is about money and winning, so they can get MORE money. This is about country, pride and yes, TEAM.

The WBC is all about money. It was created to open new international markets that MLB can sell merchandise to.

[Pghfan987]

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh

I would rather believe that they are playing for the love of the game and for their country. Actually, the players are playing for that reason. They don't see the huge profits, the commissioner/ owners do.

Watching the WBC has made me a believer. Sure, you can say that everything about Major League Baseball is about money, and perhaps a lot of it is- it is, after all, a business. However, we are fans, not accountants, and so we would prefer looking at the joy of the players rather than the pocketbooks of the owners.

Mark

[efin98]

The WBC is all about money. It was created to open new international markets that MLB can sell merchandise to.

And yet the stands are full of fans, the players are having the time of their lives, and teams that people only hear about once in a blue moon are being showcased as the talented titans that they are

But what do those people know, it's still just a moneymaking scheme

[Blackout]

who cares what the motive behind it was? we're seeing some damn good baseball out there

[pacewon]

I don't wish harm or injury on anybody, but I think a lot of people who have criticized the Yankees for having concern about their players would be singing a different tune if a key player from their team were to tear his ACL in this WBC and miss the '06 season.

A lot of people paid good money for Yankees spring training tickets to see the likes of Damon, Jeter, and A-Rod. What's the big deal if the team publicly apologizes to these fans for the absence of their players due to an event that they did not vote in favor of? This has been blown out of proportion by crybabies that need to grow up.

[jpenrod]

I don't wish harm or injury on anybody, but I think a lot of people who have criticized the Yankees for having concern about their players would be singing a different tune if a key player from their team were to tear his ACL in this WBC and miss the '06 season.

Andruw Jones Bruised his back while playing in the WBC. I realize it is not a torn ACl, but you certainly do not want your teams MVP from last season starting out the year with a bruised back. In case you are wondering what happened, he slipped on the steps in San Juan. It seems like a freak accident but if you remember when the Marlins played in San Juan the steps were actually a major issue. So whaty as Cox's response? "those [email protected] Steps!" He doesn't blame WBC or Andruw or the Netherlands or anyone else, he accepts it as part of the game.

I do understand steinbrenners concern and it is a real one, but I think there may have been a better way to handle things. In my opnion the sign was more to make a statement to MLB than to apologize to the fans, I mean lets face it when you go to a spring training game you do not expect to see a team of superstars out there playing for the same reason George says he does not like the WBC. I have been to numerous games down in FL the last 6 years and I have never seen an team start all of their regulars nor have the kept their regular starters in for the entire game.

[rockin500]

And yet the stands are full of fans, the players are having the time of their lives, and teams that people only hear about once in a blue moon are being showcased as the talented titans that they are

But what do those people know, it's still just a moneymaking scheme

oh money indeed was a major contributing factor. not that that is a bad thing or anything.

[Biggtone23]

The stands are full in Puerto Rico. They're about half empty everywhere else. No one is watching it on TV because most of us are busy sleeping at 2am on a weeknight.

No one in MLB is even trying to hide the fact that this is just to open foreign markets. Do you think Bud and Don Fehr actually care what country has the best players? They dont even care what MLB team has the best players as long as the league and union is making money nothing else matters.

Integrity (sp) of the Game? Only care about that because if the fans think the game is crooked they wont watch it or buy merch.
Rising salaries? Has long as teams can still make profit who cares?

Everyother problem in baseball? - As long as we make money who cares?

The bottom line is, was and always will be money.

[Mattingly]

George Steinbrenner likes putting his best players on the field. He was against the WBC. When Jeter, Damon, A-Rod and Bernie participated, George was upset.

George has requested that Posada not participate for Puerto Rico, and was more than happy that Hideki Matsui didn't participate, as he may have been expected to, for Japan.

Johnny Damon is sitting out his 2nd game because of some shoulder problem. Was George entirely wrong on this?

[Mike D.]

George has an old, expensive, frail team. He's against the WBC because he's afraid his big payroll once again won't buy a world championship.

I mean, he used to be a HUGE advocate for international competition, but suddenly he's against it?

I figure any time the commissioner, 29 teams, and the players association are for something, and the Yankees are against it, that it can't be all bad.

[Pghfan987]

How is the chance of injury in the WBC that much greater than getting injured in a Spring Training Game? Someone said Damon slipped on the steps- does that mean that we should not allow Big Leaguers to ever walk up and down steps? It's not like we are sending these guys to the front lines of a major world war. Wherever they go, there is always a chance for injury, and I don't see the WBC as making the risk all that much greater than if they were playing in Florida instead of Puerto Rico.

It is easy to point to some injuries in the WBC and say that they would have been prevented if it did not exist, but we can't do that, just like we can not predict how many extra injuries would have occurred had these players been playing in Spring Training games. Just take a look at a Spring Training game roster- people miss with tweaked shoulders, sore backs, etc. all the time.

[Blackout]

George has an old, expensive, frail team. He's against the WBC because he's afraid his big payroll once again won't buy a world championship.

I mean, he used to be a HUGE advocate for international competition, but suddenly he's against it?

I figure any time the commissioner, 29 teams, and the players association are for something, and the Yankees are against it, that it can't be all bad.

and if David Ortiz tears something and is out for all of 2006, whats your tune going to be then?


just throwing that out there


either way, i like the WBC

[pacewon]

George has an old, expensive, frail team. He's against the WBC because he's afraid his big payroll once again won't buy a world championship.

Yeah, look at all these old guys the Yankees have participating... Jeter is 31, A-Rod is 30, Damon is 32

[Mike D.]

and if David Ortiz tears something and is out for all of 2006, whats your tune going to be then?

just throwing that out there

either way, i like the WBC

If HE thinks that representing his country in the WBC is worth risking an injury to David Ortiz, and the man who pays his contract agrees, who am I to tell him otherwise?

I'd hate to see him hurt...but he could do it in spring training just as easily. Heck, a lot of freak accidents happen every year in spring training and the off-season.

I think the WBC does a lot for baseball internationally, and not just at the major league level, and the players are all there of their own free will.