Pay Mookie!

[notin]

The second he signs the deal, he could decide to no longer care.

 

You never know.

 

I have no idea what type of person Mookie is when he’s not talking to the press. But I do know he wants a lot of money. I don’t fault him for that; I want a lot of money, too. And of I was in his shoes, I’d want to test the market, too.

 

But it’s not unheard of for money to hurt a player’s competitive instinct. After all, when you’ve been playing your whole life to get it, what happens after you have it?

Edited February 4, 2020 by notin

[moonslav59]

You never know.

 

I have no idea what type of person Mookie is when he’s not talking to the press. But I do know he wants a lot of money. I don’t fault him for that; I want a lot of money, too. And of I was in his shoes, I’d want to test the market, too.

 

But it’s not unheard of for money to hurt a player’s competitive instinct. After all, when you’ve been playing your whole life to get it, what happens after you have it?

 

Well, he's already made millions, so we have a sample size to view with him already.

[jad]

You never know.

 

I have no idea what type of person Mookie is when he’s not talking to the press. But I do know he wants a lot of money. I don’t fault him for that; I want a lot of money, too. And of I was in his shoes, I’d want to test the market, too.

 

But it’s not unheard of for money to hurt a player’s competitive instinct. After all, when you’ve been playing your whole life to get it, what happens after you have it?

 

Any examples of that? I can't think of any, although there certainly are players who were overpaid and did not play up to their salaries. Don't most people pretty much "do what they do" regardless of what they get paid? A competitive athlete will try to win, whether he's paid, over-paid, or 'insulted' by the offer he gets, no?

[mvp 78]

Well, he's already made millions, so we have a sample size to view with him already.

 

Yup, he already has life changing money.

[TylerD]

Mookie is legit the type of player that could carry the dodgers to the promise land. Ugh

[notin]

Yup, he already has life changing money.

 

And yet he wants and will get his current net worth every year for the next decade...

[Bellhorn04]

And yet he wants and will get his current net worth every year for the next decade...

 

Is there any other job in the world where you can be guaranteed $420 million no matter how you perform or whether you can perform at all?

[mvp 78]

And yet he wants and will get his current net worth every year for the next decade...

 

He deserves it.

[mvp 78]

Is there any other job in the world where you can be guaranteed $420 million no matter how you perform or whether you can perform at all?

 

The entertainment industry. See: Adam Sandler and Netflix.

[mvp 78]

How about CEO's that get guaranteed golden parachutes?

[moonslav59]

The entertainment industry. See: Adam Sandler and Netflix.

 

Baseball is in the entertainment business.

 

Imagine a band nearly filling stadiums 162 times a year.

[Slasher9]

Is there any other job in the world where you can be guaranteed $420 million no matter how you perform or whether you can perform at all?

it would be interesting to get the thoughts on current salaries from some of the all time baseball greats that played prior to the salaries really skyrocketing.

wonder what Mays thinks?

[Slasher9]

Baseball is in the entertainment business.

 

Imagine a band nearly filling stadiums 162 times a year.

 

i know that band. they were called the Grateful Dead

[TylerD]

I will miss you Mookie. Damnit! I have something in my eye.

[OH FOY]

Lost a lot of Respect for this Ownership. Now using Ortiz, to speak for them.

Bunch of Clowns running this ship.

Now I root for Mookie.

Billionaires worried.

[Kimmi]

Any examples of that? I can't think of any, although there certainly are players who were overpaid and did not play up to their salaries. Don't most people pretty much "do what they do" regardless of what they get paid? A competitive athlete will try to win, whether he's paid, over-paid, or 'insulted' by the offer he gets, no?

 

I tend to agree with this. I think the idea that players no longer care or play hard once they have a big contract is very largely a false one. I don't think that is something that we would have to worry about with Mookie. IMO, he will play his hardest until he can't play anymore.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Bereft of bodies;

Laundry hanging in the rain…

Root for it to dry.

[Swiharts Ghost]

John could be an absolute hero if he calls Mookie in tells him we can’t let you go 12 years 400 million make him our Derek Jeter .Trade Erod Jbj Price Get on the second hand market and start inking 1 year rentals including Puig! Legendary

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Go ahead, make me write a happy haiku.

[Swiharts Ghost]

I’m really thinking John wants a Mookie here now and is trying to do just that the last couple days .I think this whole Twins injury concern may be ia ruse .

[S5Dewey]

John could be an absolute hero if he calls Mookie in tells him we can’t let you go 12 years 400 million make him our Derek Jeter .Trade Erod Jbj Price Get on the second hand market and start inking 1 year rentals including Puig! Legendary

 

I hate to say this, but NO. I've followed Mookie ever since his first AB in Spring training until his last AB in 2019 and I think he's a very special talent, someone I'd like to have on the Sox for his entire career. However, he's a prime example of what money - and a player's union that's too strong - has done to this sport.

 

This business of allowing owners to pay as much as they want for players as long as they're willing to pay the penalties should stop. I never thought I'd say this but baseball needs a cap like the NFL and the NBA. Even MLB knows this to be true. That's why MLB is now trying to penalize teams by withholding draft picks instead of along with financial penalties. Unfortunately neither the players nor the owners will support a cap because they're making too much money.

 

The current process almost guarantees that a player like Mookie will not remain with his team during his entire career. Smart owners will not pay $350M or $400M to one player over their lifetime because of the risk (See: Pedroia, Dustin) and because they KNOW that when they do that they're mortgaging their future in the quest for one WSC. They know that they will not be able to field a competitive team with the remaining money after their superstar gets paid. That's what the Red Sox, one of the highest payroll teams in baseball, are facing right now. I don't blame the players for getting what they can get. I don't blame the owners for trying to maximize their earning potential. However, I do blame both parties for allowing money to be the be-all, end-all of the game without regard to the fans.

 

So, NO. Do not pay Mookie what he's asking for. Not now, and not in the future. Spread Mookie's superstar $400M over several quality players each of whom will not be quite as good as Mookie but in the aggregate will be better for the team. After all, these superstars only get to bat once through a 9 man order and they only get a few balls hit to them each game.

 

Is Mookie really worth 3.5 times a JBJ - who is still one of the best OF'er in the game? I don't see it. I say let some other owner struggle with the ramifications of paying that much money to one player.

[S5Dewey]

I tend to agree with this. I think the idea that players no longer care or play hard once they have a big contract is very largely a false one. I don't think that is something that we would have to worry about with Mookie. IMO, he will play his hardest until he can't play anymore.

 

I agree with this post completely. IMO the success of a professional player comes from his talent and his desire to win. By the time a player reaches this level he's had numerous opportunities to rest on his laurels but none of them have done that. "They've got the fire down below". That's what got them to where the are and it's why they will keep producing regardless of the numbers on their paychecks.

[mvp 78]

Baseball players make too much..... waaaaaaaaaahhhhhh.....

[Swiharts Ghost]

Baseball players make too much..... waaaaaaaaaahhhhhh.....

 

This why do we care how much a Dr a lawyer a teacher an officer make ? It’s what the market calls for their are how many players on the planet better than Mookie? Maybe 3 ?

Edited February 8, 2020 by Swiharts Ghost

[Kman]

I would agree with that also the only player I can think of that just seemed to lose his passion for playing was Will Middlebrooks. I thought he was going to be a star and than he just fizzled out.

[Elktonnick]

I would agree with that also the only player I can think of that just seemed to lose his passion for playing was Will Middlebrooks. I thought he was going to be a star and than he just fizzled out.

Blame Jenny Dell! Kimmi don't know behind every man's success (or failure) is a woman.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

This why do we care how much a Dr a lawyer a teacher an officer make ? It’s what the market calls for their are how many players on the planet better than Mookie? Maybe 3 ?

 

I've been saying this all winter: as an employee at the top of his industry, Mookie Betts deserves a top of the market salary. The problem is that the actual numbers are too impossible for many, many fans to ever relate to...

 

It is ironic that people seldom -- if ever -- complain about stars of other entertainments, like movies or music. When did you ever hear (or say), "He's making too much to just be an actor" or "No singer ever deserves that much money"? Has anyone ever been so turned off by salaries of movie stars or musicians that they debated not watching a movie or listening to a tune?

 

Another tangent regarding Betts that I think the Red Sox have surprisingly underrated is the value of Mookie as the face of the franchise -- the best player to watch and root for, and best role model to emulate (feeding the homeless undercover, always smiling, ever-working hard to improve and sustain production), and the guy with the best name-recognition for kids and future fans to grow old with...

[Kimmi]

I agree with this post completely. IMO the success of a professional player comes from his talent and his desire to win. By the time a player reaches this level he's had numerous opportunities to rest on his laurels but none of them have done that. "They've got the fire down below". That's what got them to where the are and it's why they will keep producing regardless of the numbers on their paychecks.

 

Two S5Dewey posts in a row that I agree with. Should I be concerned?

 

Actually, we know that we are very much on the same page with almost everything non stat related.

[Kimmi]

Baseball players make too much..... waaaaaaaaaahhhhhh.....

 

Owners make too much.....waaaaaaaahhhhhh

 

[Kimmi]

I would agree with that also the only player I can think of that just seemed to lose his passion for playing was Will Middlebrooks. I thought he was going to be a star and than he just fizzled out.

 

Kman? Is that you? Hi stranger!

 

A young Will Middlebrooks, while playing for the Sox during the excitement of a pennant race, said that he lost his fire. I don't understand how that can happen to a guy who recently got called up, playing in one of the most passionate baseball cities on a team fighting for a playoff spot.