Baseball Predictions

My predictions for this year are... last year's standings. Because I don't think that much has changed, yet again. Add that to the facts that I'm pretty busy, and am unhappy with baseball's management, and I'm less excited for this years opening day since my post-strike apathy, circa 1996. The powers that be have proven again to be idiots, this time with their limp wrist handling of the steroid issue, which still doesn't have a proper solution. A ten game penalty? Are you kidding? I think it should be like the NFL's policy, where one offense means you miss a quarter of the year. A second offense should be a full year, and on a third offense should be banned for life. I don't think that's too harsh.

Baseball has shown again that it only cares about money today, and cares nothing for the long-term health of the game, or the players. This entire era will be remembered in history as the drug era, with a lot of commentary on baseball's awful response. Here was their chance to make a stand, as we now had strong proof that players were cheating, with a big level of media, and they blew it. What's worse is for the minor league players, for whom sticking a needle in their arm could mean the difference between a life of bus trips and Motel 6s versus one of chartered flights and 4-star hotels. Not to mention the million dollar salaries. I can't say for certain I'd not make the choice to get on the juice. The problem is, no owner can be trusted to have the game's interests at heart, and Bud is very much in the pockets of the owners. As always, I say Bud should go.

Not that I won't watch games this year, and not that Adam Dunn getting two HRs today isn't exciting, but it will take quite a lot for me to drive 90 minutes to pay for a baseball game.