General Sports Water Cooler

People are really being blinded by the dollar figures here. If you're current company told you how great of a job you did and how they wanted you to be a lifetime employee and then offered you a 5 year contract at X amount when other companies were willing to play you X amount (or close enough to it) for 10 years I'm sure you'd be a little insulted too.

Just because they offered 130M doesn't mean it wasn't an insult.

But, to shift analogies, this is like being offended that your parents get you a computer for your 16th instead of a car. The rich Cali family can afford a BMW for their teenager, but the midwest family can only spring for a really nice laptop.

It's immature to take offense at someone sticking to a budget.

I agree that STL didn't live up to their talk. First of all, as mentioned, they should have gotten the deal done last year. then they come out with a contract shorter than Holliday's and I could see AP being insulted. Forget midwesterners or comparisons to money teams, if you wanted him enough, you'd make the numbers work. and length of contract is as important as per year$$.

forget that his wife added emphasis by bringing God into it, that's her belief system. You remove that from the discussion and you still have grounds to be insulted if you're AP.

Then they should've been honest with Albert and with St. Louis and told him they weren't going to offer him more than X years. The truth is that they had no problems signing him to a 9 year contract in ST and they had no problem signing him to a 9 year deal a week ago since they eventually increased their offer.

St. Louis' offer was comparable to Baltimore's offer to Tex. Less years, equal money. That's not going to cut it and both St. Louis and Baltimore knew it and if they didn't then they were idiots.

The Angels just signed a 3 billion dollar TV deal to cover the next 15 or 20 years. They'll be fine.

why do the Cards need to blow it up? Team has great veteran pitching and good young hitting and plays in what should be a crappy division. Gate revenues are going to be insane again this year.

I know I'm about to get downvoted for this as well, as clearly I'm in the minority. But I completely agree with this sentiment as well.

I totally understand the counterarguments. This is his reality, etc.

But something is wrong in our world when a guy is getting offered $26 Million a YEAR to play a game. And he's complaining about it.

All of us, as well as 99.9999999% of the population will be incredibly lucky to ever see $26 Million. And this guy is getting that to play a game. I'm sorry. But at least have the decency to keep your mouth shut about it.

They certainly have enough to compete in the central and with their staff that gives them a shot in the playoffs. I think Berkman still has plenty in the tank and it should be an upgrade getting him out of RF. I think they made a mistake signing Furcal instead of Rollins but if they can get Beltran they should be fine. Shelby Miller moving up the farm system and could be in the big leagues this summer.

Of course not, haha.

I get the sentiment. I've always thought it was dumb that owners would keep that money, for example.

I think it's a complaint against sports and celebrity culture in general. Should we really care that much about some guy (who clearly doesn't actually care about any city), who can hit a ball really far with a stick?

I also think that AT SOME POINT it becomes ridiculous. What if we're allowing baseball players even more wealth and power? What if we say baseball players don't have to pay taxes? Or that they automatically get a minimum of $1 Billion/year. AT SOME POINT, it becomes ridiculous, right? I think we can all agree with that. I think getting $26 million and having the gall to complain is pretty bloody ridiculous.

I know people laugh at this and that it's a sports board. But the point is really a legitimate one. And I love sports as much as the next guy.

i guess my point is that it wasn't a bad idea to let pujols go. they certainly got an outstanding return on him while he was there.

And 99.999999% of us will never be able to do anything as well as he plays baseball

Unlike the rest of us 99%, Pujols has media asking him why he left St. Louis. I'm sure the first few times it's pretty easy to be polite but when it gets asked for the 1,000th time I bet it starts to get annoying. Probably also annoying to turn on the TV and see your jersey being burned and have to read columns on how you're a prima donna and a jackass. Most of this because you simply took a better offer and the club that everyone saying all these heinous things about you roots for lowballed you and is playing you off as the bad guy in the negotiations.

verb: to treat with insolence, indignity, or contempt : affront; also : to affect offensively or damagingly
noun: : a gross indignity

not an insult.