KissaBoo

Hmmm...such a flurry of posts. For the longest time (as in since August) I've been meaning to write up a review of truly one of my passions in life right now, Final Fantasy XI, but have been alternately busy, lazy, or playing too much FFXI to take the time to do it. Hopefully, however, a review will be forthcoming in anticipation of the March PS2 HDD release.

Without any scholarly overtones, this trade was absolutely horrible for baseball. Leave it to John Hart to screw the Indians over once again (and, really, every other team in the league). Small market teams continue to get the shaft, and, although I really haven't looked into it, I doubt the luxury tax and revenue sharing mechanisms even come close to making up for the distortion that this trade causes. How can *any* team even hope to remain competitive and why would any small market fan persist in rooting for their home team in a practically hopeless situation? While my interest in baseball certainly waned this past season, it's definitely going to hit all time lows this season. This may very well be the beginning of the end for Major League Baseball; the commissioner should have invoked his powers to reject the trade as not in the "best interests of baseball."

The only thing that will possibly save the league now is the imposition of a salary cap. The NBA and, especially, the NFL show how a cap can create team parity and generate fan interest. I mean, how else could the Panthers have made it to the Super Bowl?

I could ramble on for hours.

- Maggette

I don't have any specific memories of Mr. Sparkle playing baseball, but I wouldn't bet on him keeping his errors under 2 a game in a 13 and under whiffle ball league, much less the MLB. However, if he would be willing to lean in on every pitch and never swing the bat, he could set the all-time runs scored record if put in the lead-off spot with the hitters behind him.

I actually was a big fan of both Soriano (500/500) and Boone, if he wasn't dead, but there is no doubting the allure of A-Rod. Even though he is the superior short stop, even I whole-heartedly agree with his move to third since it should be easier for him as the superior athlete. If he can get the all-time home run record as a right-handed hitter in Yankee Stadium, he will be the greatest player in baseball history.

I really think this lineup should destroy the Red Sox records from last year, which would be fun. However, success will only be possible if Brown stays healthy, Vazquez handles the big city, and a lefty is found from a corn field somewhere.

Yankees suck and yankees fans are stupid.

Looking back, here's another answer to the question of whether this is good for baseball. The Yankees over the last 4 days have already sold enough additional tickets to pay for the suprisingly small extra cost of bringing A-Rod to the Big Apple. To bastardize Nash equilibrium, by working in one's own interest the interest of the group is best served, so therefore this deal is in the best interest of baseball.

The NBA is dying because of it's flexible hard cap (and its surprising lack of fundamentals), so they are not the model for MLB to live up to. The beast which is the NFL fits the average fans short attention span, gamblin', lack of commitment lifestyle so well by its nature that MLB just should not even try to compare itself to it.

Most agree that the golden age of baseball was in the late 40's when Dimaggio's Yankees were battling William's Soxes, What could be better than to see if the moderm equivalent is whether the pitching of Martinez and Schilling can overcome the hittng of A-Rod, Jeter, and company?

More evidence that baseball is doing fine. I don't remember any action by the Reds that would inspire this onslaught of sales. This excitement was probably sparked by A-Rod winding up in the Big Apple and Maddux joining your 2004 NL Champion Cubs.