Think of it. The Yankees, the Mets, and the Colorado Rockies will all pay part of Denny Neagle's salary if the beleaguered left handed pitcher is traded to the more beleaguered Mets. Neagle will be a Yankee, a Met, and a Rockie simultaneously. That is quite an accomplishment.
It is now late September 2003. The Mets, who once again have been eliminated from the playoffs, now referred to as Championship Series, are playing the Rockies, who must win the game to make the playoffs---excuse me--Postseason Championship Series. Who is pitching for the team from New York? You guessed right. The same beleaguered Denny Neagle.
Isn't that wonderful? The team he must defeat is paying part of his salary. What is that referred to as in most circles? Oh, yes. It is called a conflict of interest.
Without impuning Neagle, the Rockies' ownership, or anyone else, the situation creates too many questions. Only one team can pay a player's salary, and that is the team for which he plays. What kind of relationship do Neagle and the Rockies' ownership have? Will Neagle be grateful they traded him and allow that to somehow affect his performance on the mound?
Looking at it a little differently, would the Mets be tempted NOT to have Neagle pitch against the Rockies and hold him back? That would be tampering with the game because another pitcher would have to replace Neagle, and that other pitcher might be better or worse than Neagle. A ripple effect would be created. Neagle would next pitch with extra rest, and if Neagle's replacement is a right handed hurler, the Rockies might alter their batting order for the game, since Neagle is a lefty.
Now we come to the Yankees. The Yankees play the Mets six times each season. They will probably face a pitcher both they and the Mets are paying. It is incomprehensible, but may be a reality. To put it in perspective, imagine the Brooklyn Dodgers paying part of Sal Maglie's salary or the Yankees paying part of Roger Clemens' salary. How would Carl Furillo have reacted? How would Mike Piazza react? What if the Yankees and Colorado met (notice no capital "m") in the World Series? It would really be nice to pay part of the salary of the pitcher who is out to defeat your team, isn't it, Mr. Cashman?
The Yankees want to get rid of the contracts of Rondell White and Raul Mondesi. This is a graphic illustration of the fact that writers and fans talk of trading players, while baseball owners talk of trading player's contracts, because that is what is actually done. The Yankees want to trade $12 million in contracts and assume about $3 million. They are willing to forgo the services of White and Mondesi, who are not treated as people but as things that go along with paper contracts. They are treated as property. The players are the last concern of the teams involved. The Yankees, Mets, and Rockies are working with contracts, and the players just happen to be involved in the sense that they must follow their contracts. They have no say in this case, other than to forfeit huge amounts of money owners once fought to give them.
If this were a different part of the entertainment industry, the larger corporations would absorb the smaller ones. The Yankees, Mets, Rockies, Dodgers, Braves, Cubs, Red Sox, and one or two other large market teams would take over the Twins, Royals, Indians, Reds, and the other smaller market teams and run them as a cooperative venture. But baseball is different. It is a sport. After all, the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that it is, and the court is not called "Supreme" for nothing. The richer teams cannot absorb the smaller market teams and run them as a cooperative because baseball might lose its anti trust exemption. That is why there cannot be thirty general owners of major league baseball who own the game without any specific owner owning any one specific franchise.
The integrity of the game, what little that is left, will take another hit if Neagle has his salary paid by three teams. Fans are becoming so accustomed to situations that are wrong but are claimed to be right by those who have the clout that such situations are being questioned less and less. Well, this potential situation is being questioned. If it occurs, one cannot help but wonder about games involving the Mets, Rockies, and Yankees.
But wait. All is well. Pete Rose is ineligible to be on the Hall of Fame Ballot. We can put our minds to rest. The only way Pete can get into the Hall of Fame is if he pays the admission. Gotta protect the integrity of the game, ya know.
» Harold Friend is upset that too many people use the golden rule to their own advantage.
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Posted November 26, 2002.
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