Bud & Baseball Owners come off as heads of Crime Syndicate--NY Post

Instead of building and repairing baseball fields--which used to exist in the United States--these men are going to the farthest reaches of the globe no matter the breathless air (thank-you, Jim McKay), the poisonous food and water, dangerous equipment, enormous stress of traveling, being away from one's family and fans. Why?

• Why not rebuild the game in the US? Or even Puerto Rico? Ha!

Answer: Corporate sponsors such as the Oil Company owned by the Venezuelan government--not a weepy human being, a government--the Citgo Oil Company. Among many others. How is this any different from crooks trafficking in human beings? For huge dollars. Which go to team owners like the Tampa Bay Rays and the Florida Marlins.

• Don't forget your role model--the Cleveland Indians' Mark Shapiro--BOSS OF THE BIGGEST CHEATER IN BASEBALL, PAUL BYRD--JUST NAMED EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR BY THE BOSTON CHAPTER OF THE BBWAA--BASEBALL WRITERS (posted here). (To all who seek jobs at ESPN/MLB, sorry for all the proof and evidence).

Phil Mushnick points out in the NY Post:

• (NY Post): "Last week, when MLB owners granted Bud Selig a three-year extension to remain Commissioner, we didn't receive nearly as many missives decrying that decision. Perhaps, though, the extension spoke for itself.

That Selig had been big league baseball's top cop from 1992 until last year, when MLB was fully and finally revealed to have immersed itself in what had become obvious - a drug epidemic and a drugs-for-profit conspiracy - actually seems to have sustained his “Our Guy" status among team owners.

• Thus team owners come off as regional heads of a crime syndicate.

Under Selig, after all, MLB's revenues dramatically rose. What else matters? That The Game fell into national disrepute under his stewardship is not something, as we saw last week, that would cost him his position.

• Quite the contrary.

Who among us could have survived on our jobs, let alone have been rewarded, had we provided such leadership?

• Just as (Bill) Belichick met the terms of his win-at-all-cost agreement, Selig met the terms of his engagement - profit at all cost.

And yet, for some reason, we continue to call this stuff sports."

• From NY Post column by Phil Mushnick, "THREE MORE YEARS FOR BUD THE BUFFOON," 1/21/08

(Most who read or write baseball blogs would give anything to work at ESPN/MLB. Including those who appear to be Yankee fans. That is why this situation will only get worse. Most of the 500+ BBWAA HOF voters would love to have their own name listed on one of the HOF steering or nominating committees intertwined with Jack O'Connell and his group. 'Bud' Selig has been on the Board of Directors of the HOF since the 1970's. The point is, it's all one). sm

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