11.05.09 12:32 pm by Pat
Before the 2009 Major League playoffs officially started, I was listening to ESPN Radio and Bud Selig was being interviewed on the Mike and Mike in the Morning show about the season and the upcoming post-season action. At one point he was asked about a salary cap as well as an international draft to prevent the inevitable bidding war that takes place between Boston and New York on the top international prospects. He was all in favor of the international draft which would allow all teams a shot at those players. He, however, was still opposed to a salary cap and said that it was not necessary to keep the league competitive and pointed out that since 2000, 23 of the 30 MLB teams have made a post-season appearance. A few weeks later on ESPN Radio I heard Colin Cowherd go on a rant on how a salary cap won’t help MLB and how more money just leads to more problems. Colin lost me somewhere between comparing team spending to income levels for families and how teams (if a salary cap were put in place) would just spend the money on scouting, coaching, facilities, etc. I could go on all day on how much I disagree with the sentiments of both Bud and Colin, but that isn’t the point of this article. I have always been a believer in leveling the playing field in professional sports and think that spending limits are needed to keep “small market” teams competitive. Hearing the stat about 23 out of 30 from Bud made me think about my stance on the salary cap. I decided that I needed to do a little more investigation into the numbers behind it to help support, or perhaps debunk, my thoughts on the salary cap and MLB.
(more…)
Posted in MLB | View Comments
10.28.09 12:25 pm by Bernie
Philadelphia Phillies fans will have their say again on Halloween when Alex Rodriguez steps into the batter’s box. As they did in Game 3 against the Dodgers and Manny Ramirez, they will chant “Steroids” in that long, drawn out way that fans have started using in recent years. It started with Barry Bonds, and is now carrying onto the likes of Manny, A-Rod and David Ortiz.
While I, or anyone else for that matter, cannot stop the Phillies fans from chanting it, it does point to the growing hypocrisy amongst fans these days. Lenny Dykstra admitted to his steroid use and even talked to the Commissioner’s office about it after his playing days were over. So they are not above having a player who used performance-enhancing drugs on their roster either. I am willing to bet that every team in Major League Baseball has, at one point or another, had a steroid user on their team. It wasn’t until recently that MLB finally decided to do something about it, and that was only when the federal government stepped in.
(more…)
Posted in MLB | View Comments
10.15.09 11:00 pm by Alex, Pat and Bernie
Bernie joins Alex and Pat to discuss baseball’s league championship series’ and make their picks for the ALCS, NLCS and World Series. Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/thesportsgeeks. Also, send us your questions/comments/feedback: podcast@thesportsgeeks.com. We’re listed on iTunes so click here and subscribe. Thanks for listening!
NLCS: Bernie (Dodgers in 7), Pat (Dodgers in 6), Alex (Phillies in 7)
ALCS: Bernie (Yankees in 7), Pat (Angels in 7), Alex (Yankees in 6)
WS: Bernie (Yankees in 7), Pat (Angels in 6), Alex (Yankees in 6)
(more…)
Posted in Podcast | View Comments
7.15.09 1:40 pm by Matt
I got to visit the Phillies this past Wednesday for their amazing comeback victory against the Reds. How did the night measure up?
+405 ft Home Run
It’s not a complete visit to Citizens Bank Park without watching a Phillie smash a home run. Jayson Werth’s game-tying blast came in the bottom of the sixth.
-3371.4 millimeters/hr Schuylkill Expressway
An accident held us up from getting in to the game on time, but we didn’t miss anything.
+$78/month SEPTA
One thing Philly’s public transit gets right is the post-game return trip. A subway whisks you from the Sports Complex in South Philadelphia all the way to Center City in just minutes; from there you can get where you need to without having sat in a stadium parking lot for an hour. Also, taking SEPTA allows you to save the $12 parking charge.
(more…)
Posted in Lists, MLB | View Comments
