There is so much player turnover that not even charter subscribers to
Baseball America can name the complete roster of the Los Angeles Dodgers,
even if they tape "Baseball Tonight" each night.
The very mention of agent Scott Boras makes owners grow weak in the knees
and reduces general managers to tears. Even mediocre players earn such a
scandalous amount of money that they can actually afford to buy a pair
of box seats to the games they play, plus be able to park near the
stadium and purchase two beers.
But make no mistake -- free agency is the best thing that has happened to
baseball since vendors started selling hot dogs.
Forget that free agency rectified the gross injustice to players who were
cheated out of both money and freedom because of the reserve clause. The
players clearly gained the most from free agency. But the game also
improved for everyone not named Alan or Randy Hendricks.
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Free agency flat out brought hope to teams. In the 18 seasons of free agency prior to the disastrous 1994 strike, 19 teams reached the World
Series and 13 different teams won it. Compare that to those nostalgia-tinted 1950s when all but one postseason was played in New York. ” |
Yes, there is a lot of player movement due to free agency. But there
always was. Whether a player was a superstar or a utility infielder,
movement has been as unfortunate a part of baseball as organ music. Even
though he retired eight years before free agency, Roger Maris played for
twice as many teams as Mark McGwire has. Frank Thomas, the old
outfielder, changed teams eight times while Frank Thomas, the White Sox
slugger, hasn't changed teams once.
Not many of the game's greats stayed with one team forever, either. While
Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio called Yankee Stadium home their entire
careers, Babe Ruth began his career with the Red Sox and ended it with
the Braves. Ty Cobb finished with Philadelphia. Willie Mays played his
final game with the Mets.
Besides, player movement is the whole point of free agency. It allows
teams the opportunity to improve their team by adding that extra player
or two who will make all the difference. Even the Twins did so. Back when
owner Carl Pohlad still tried to compete, the Twins won the 1991 World Series by signing Jack Morris and Chili Davis before the season.
Had they been required to rely on the players in their farm system, they
never would have won the AL West and fans never would have watched Morris
pitch his 10-inning shutout in Game 7.
Free agency flat out brought hope to teams. In the 18 seasons of free
agency prior to the disastrous 1994 strike, 19 teams reached the World
Series and 13 different teams won it. Compare that to those
nostalgia-tinted 1950s when all but one postseason was played in New
York.
True, the Yankees have won four of the past five World Series, crushing
interest in the postseason more than a month worth of game-delaying
network promos could. But don't blame that on free agency -- very few of
the players on this year's team came to the Yankees as free agents -- as
much as on the disparity in team revenues. What separates the Yankees
from other teams is not their ability to sign free agents, but their
financial resources to trade for players already signed to expensive
longterm contracts and keep the players once they get them. The solution
to that inequity is better revenue sharing so all teams can better afford
to sign and retain players.
Owners won't admit it, but they have benefited as well. As much as the
owners mourn the loss of control they had on players and salaries, free
agency has increased interest in the game, leading to revenues that
increase as steadily and rapidly as Jim Carrey's ego
About the only people who lose out in free agency are the baseball
writers. They used to be able to spend the winter relaxing and figuring
out their expense reports from the summer. Now they spend it sitting
between their laptop and their phone, waiting for an agent to return a
call.
Unlike salaries under free agency, it's a small price to pay.
Jim Caple is the national baseball writer for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which has a Web site at www.seattlep-i.com. | |
ALSO SEE
Stark: The decision that changed the game
The Decision: Part II
The Decision: Part III
The early days of free agency
Free agency: How it happened
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