Sez Me …
“The one constant through all the years, has been baseball.” — “Field of Dreams”
That line was carved in James Earl Jones’ well-stocked adenoidal workshop, when the sport still had a few innocent corpuscles flowing through its veins.
The one constant about baseball 36 years later is that nothing is constant.
How can it be now that the Not-So-Grand New Game has been swamped by money and greed, and ruled by nerds who wouldn’t know a diamond from their enter key and yet still have managed to mesmerize the bosses — and use silly numbers to complicate the simplest of organized team activities.
Hit. Field. Run. Throw.
In any event, we’ve been through this before. MLB’s collective bargaining agreement with the Major League Baseball Players Association expires at the end of next season. Which means there may not be a 2027 season.
I’d say, based on past performances, there’s a great chance there won’t be a 2027 season. At the very least, some of it is going to be surgically removed.
An entire season never has been totally snipped. There was the idiotic work stoppage in 1994 that wiped out the playoffs and World Series, which could be stuffed into Bud Selig’s lousy omelet.
But you must remember that the players ride the magic carpet, the most powerful union in the world. And they remain unbeaten and untied.
It all started in 1972, when union strongman Marvin Miller coaxed a strike that lasted all of 13 days before the owners caved. They always cave. And they will cave again. MLB is an organism without a spine.
This time, the bosses are asking for the impossible — a salary cap. And that precious metal bargaining chip is welded to the table. It ain’t coming off. And the owners have no one to blame but themselves.
A few teams spend relentlessly and often recklessly. The Dodgers are ladling $330 million from their enormous pot on player salary, $200-million-plus more than some others. The hat is tilted recklessly. My guess is that not every team is taking the salary cap thing seriously, but will follow along knowing it will fail, knowing they’re never going broke.
Meanwhile, a young player such as Juan Soto signs a $700 million deal and doesn’t make an All-Star team devoid of stars. Do we really expect the players to take pay cuts when they know they don’t have to, that the owners eventually will fold like old underwear?
There absolutely is no evidence or history that they won’t. Miller built a rock in this union, man. Gibraltar. It won’t budge. I’m sure it’s very happy where it is. Why give back what it has won, with par and subpar players making guaranteed millions?
If the grass starts to go brown where you’re playing, there’s always green turf elsewhere. The owners, who built this mess, now want to clean it up. Not happening.
The point of no return was reached 36 years ago. …
My understanding is that Padres brains have not been opening all of Petco’s gates to paying customers, which would seem to keep patrons waiting in line rather than spending money on Michelin-star hot dogs. Maybe they don’t want to let fans in early so they miss visiting teams scoring in the top of the first. …
At least we used to get Chris Berman calling the Home Run Derby. If you don’t like Boomer, tough, at least he sounded as though he cared. Characters. We don’t have nearly enough of them. Plenty of idiots, though. …
One of the biggest blunders in baseball history — and painful for me — was the Braves allowing Freddie Freeman to go to the Dodgers. Freddie being a good and decent human being only makes things worse. …
Ndamukong Suh is retiring? He was still playing? Had no idea. Didn’t he line up next to Gino Marchetti? …
The NFL Team That Used To Be Here will unveil its first-ever all-gold unis this fall. In this case, Judases turning their coats does not hide the yellow stripe. …
It figures that the Judases, still marketing experts, are trying to get some San Diegans back into the Love Boat by holding practices at USD. Football practice stinks, and it’s not tying the ship of fools back up to the dock in San Diego Harbor. …
Hate to see Mike Williams calling it quits, but my guess is, if he could help the J’s, he’d still be around. …
Johnny Manziel is preparing for a return to the NFL? As a co-owner? …
Can’t wait to see what kind of punishment the NFL Supreme Court will lay on Chiefs receiver Rashee Rice, K.C.’s latest blot on the police blotter. My guess? His wrists will be a bit bruised. …
Meanwhile, two Browns players have been charged with assaulting their girlfriends in the past week. But this obviously is an anomaly. For the last time. The NFL has NO PROBLEM with domestic violence. …
The Commanders have 30 players on their roster 29 years of age or older. They will lead The League in wise guys. …
Guess how many players the Dodgers drafted will become stars once they put on that forsaken uniform? It will happen. …
The Aztecs are changing their football unis once more. As with the Judases, clothes don’t make the team. Now, is any offense sewn into them? …
Florida plays football games against preseason No. 1 Texas, Georgia (2), Texas A&M (8), Miami (9), Tennessee (10), LSU (12), and Ole Miss (13). Can the Gators (18) get to the playoffs with seven losses? …
Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Saint Peter once ask Queen Elizabeth to do him and his flock of Pearly Gates Vettors a favor and not allow a Sinner to win Wimbledon? …
Grow up with a name like Sinner and you have a lot of good deeds to run through. …
It’s been 22 years since an American of the male persuasion has won a major tennis title (Andy Roddick, 2002 U.S. Open, who would have won more if not for Roger Federer). Simple but accurate reason? We haven’t been good enough. …
But I do think Taylor Fritz is going to win one before he’s finished. I interviewed him at his home when he was a teenager. Impressive kid. …
Xander Schauffele says he doesn’t keep his trophies, including the Olympic gold medal, around the house. Big deal. Neither do I. But I can’t afford to build a wing. …
Happy birthdays to Ginger Rogers and Barbara Stanwyck. The big screen hasn’t come close to replacing them. …
RIP, Papa Jake Larson, who has passed at 102. One of the last survivors of D-Day’s Omaha Beach. Our real heroes may die, but they live on forever. …
June 6 should be a national holiday. …
Rosebud, the most renowned among all snow sleds, has been auctioned off for $14.75 million. That’s $12.5 million less than Charles Foster “Citizen” Kane paid for it. …
Micah Parsons is not worth close to $46 million a year, but good for him. …
Busiest and highest-paid person in D.C.? Secretary of Distraction. Paid by the lie. …
At last, the Padres finally get a chance to bring in Stephen Colbert for late-inning relief.
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