20
2009
Confessions Of A Baseball Fanatic
An article by Former Writers
I am a die hard Mets fan, and maybe more importantly a baseball fanatic.
I’ve always been a Mets fan. But over the last 11 years my passion has turned due north. I pray to the Baseball Gods three times a day. On weeknights, the hours of seven to ten are sacred. When the Mets win it’s like a delicious plate of food which you savor every last bite and is easy to digest. Heartache and heartburn if the Mets lose. Every game has the anxiety of a World Series game. Twenty four hours later I need another fix. My wife wants me to check in to rehab.
As a baseball fanatic I care about all baseball, not just the Mets baseball. Did you know that there are 30 major league teams? There are still teams in Baltimore, Cleveland and Houston.
I am a believer in parity. We need an equal rights amendment – a salary cap. Then you could quantitatively measure, rate and compare baseball organizations. Imagine the Pittsburgh Pirates as “Americas Team”? In the NFL where two small market teams like the Indianapolis Colts and the New Orleans Saints would be a huge prime time match up, so could the MLB’s Oakland A’s and the K.C. Royals. New York fans might not appreciate the competition brought on by the salary cap so be careful what you wish for.
The greatest thing about baseball, and what sets it apart and makes it unique from other sports is that there is a game every day. Not only is there baseball every night but there is “Baseball Tonight” and “MLB Tonight”, thus extending the passion and obsession of baseball deep into the night.
Baseball really strains a marriage, relationships, social life, and career advancement. You must know the scores. When away from the home base TV; whether at a restaurant, party, or business meeting, technology has made it too easy to follow pitch by pitch of every MLB game.
It doesn’t matter who is playing in the World Series. Just one more game, please. Game seven is anti-climactic. Either way there is no baseball tomorrow.
The World Series has ended and the “winter me” comes out of hibernation. I read, go out to movies, and watch some football on Sundays. My heart isn’t in them. I’m emotionally spent.
My present degree of obsession with baseball cannot be rationally explained. Baseball, not religion is my opiate. Why is it fun to watch athletes run around the bases or to hit a spherical object with a cylindrical one. Why should an seemingly purposeless, meaningless action be so satisfying and addicting.
If your wife can understand, don’t let her go. She’s a “keeper”.
About the Author: Former Writers
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This was a nice piece. I can relate to some extent. I’m just waiting for next season eagerly. I think about baseball obsessively and there is not a day The Mets do not cross my mind.
Dear god man! A salary cap? Are you insane? A team as historically incompetent as the Mets would NEVER be able to compete with a salary cap!
On the contrary, it would force both New York teams to restructure and would put more value on the farm system.
Yeah, this team has done a bang up job evaluating, recruiting, and keeping good talent. Sorry, but I just cant see how
I think both NY teams do that because they feel they can always buy their problems away with one big signing.
Given basball’s history and current system of rev sharing and luxury taxes and, forthe most part, the egregious mis-use of most of such funds to the small market teams (to line the pockets of the owners) NOT plowed back in to the business, i am totally AGAINST ANY SALARY CAP STRUCTURE for baseball: Pirates, Royals, Padres, Oakland, Diamondbacks, Marlins, Blue Jays, Rays, Reds, Indians, Nats, et all, should be PENALIZED for this mis-use, LIKE the incompetent Mets should be picking #1 since they , at least, spend money on players. Y should the Nats, Pirates, Orioles, Royals, Indians, Diamondbacks pick in front of the Mets when they hav NOT spent on their teams?! Of course our GM said he doesn’t like to pick so high!!
It’s a JOKE! A salary cap only rewards these teams BIG TIME. Against it.
Bob L. – How about asalary cap and a salary floor?
Then we’d better be prepared to fold half the teams in baseball.
Not a bad idea. My point or gripe (!) is that these teams that either do not spend on the players and/or have huge salary dumps during the year (like the Indians last year, and the A’s and Pirates in most years)should not be rewarded with high draft picks the following season. The small market teams, for the most part (Twins an exception; Brewers okay lately) have abused the current system.
So in a salary cap system, a floor would be a good approach.
Bob, perhaps, u should consider, the simple restriction imposed upon Omar by ownership commanding him to strictly follow the Commissioner’s Slotting Guidelines as it regards the size of offerred ‘signing bonuses’. Translated, that means if the Mets found themselves with a top draft pick, the liklihood of signing him is minescule, unless he either has an idiot for representation or desperatly always wanted to be a Met. Under those circumstances, why would u want that sort of pick, just to be skewered by nypress who conveniently refuse to report the NYM’s restrictions, the slotting one & the one against incurring luxury taxes as stated by Fed Wilpon immediately after tax passage by owners.