94 posts tagged “opinion”
The sport of baseball has never been more popular or widely-marketed, and yet, the baseball card industry suffers more and more each day. Old timers will tell you how baseball cards were a staple of their childhood; the same cannot be said for today's youth. I have always been an avid baseball card collector, but in today's world, this places me in the minority.
The baseball card industry is struggling to regain relevance in the world of 21st century technology. Why is this? Alan Narz, owner of Big League Cards, offers an explanation: "Everything got too complicated. There was just too much of everything. No one could keep up with it and there was no commonality for collectors. It needs to be simple again so people will want to build (complete) sets and stay excited about it."
Sports cards revenues peaked in 1991 at $1.2 billion. Since then, it has dropped to under $300 million. Many claim the reason to be the arrival of Upper Deck in 1989, which started selling packs for an unprecedented rate of $1. The cards featured improved photography and graphics, but without the gum.
Other new companies followed in Upper Deck's footsteps, targeting their product to nostalgic baby-boomers instead of children. Then, as the 1994 strike approached, the bubble burst. "A proliferation of card purveyors, combined with the 1994 baseball strike and surging popularity of video games, depressed sales," says Erik Spanberg, who has done extensive research on the subject.
Evan Kaplan, the category director of trading cards and collectibles at the Major League Baseball Players Association, is trying to reverse this trend. "There were a number of issues that plagued us during the past 10 years and now the intent is to market and promote the card better and attract kids. We are looking to work very closely with Topps and Upper Deck to improve in those areas."
How will Kaplan go about this? He envisions lower-priced cards and better distribution. He wants more drugstores, convenience stores, and delis selling cards. He also wants to improve display areas at bigger retailers (Wal-Mart, Target).
In my opinion, the biggest thing the baseball card industry needs to improve on is the extensive inserts that have become a nuisance to collectors. It seems that in every pack of five cards, there is at least one card that is either an advertisement, a checklist, or a filler that has nothing to do with an actual player. This has made it harder (and much more expensive) to complete sets in recent years.
There is hope, however. Michael Eisner purchased Topps a few years ago and has promised improvements to his product. There has also been an increase in baseball card blogs and sites - there are literally hundreds of them now. If the industry decreases prices, increases awareness, and makes less inserts, I am confident that baseball card collecting will become a more popular past-time for kids.
(Quotes and information can be credited to csmonitor.com)
I will turn 18 this April, so I can't say that I've had a lot of experience in life, baseball, or anything for that matter. Sure, I've read myriad books and watched hundreds of Yankees games, but I never experienced the golden days of Yankee baseball that many older fans have.
But I am smart enough to know that stuff like this didn't happen in Spring Training sixty years ago.
If you're too lazy to click on the link, it's the story about the Yankees playing pool today. Look at some of these quotes:
"Hopefully we can start some relationships here. Nothing bad can come out of this." -- Jorge Posada
"Everyone started laughing. We're going to have a little pool tournament, and have fun. That's the main thing." -- Jorge Posada
"I think everybody had a great time. We got to see who's spending too much time at the pool hall and we know the ones that don't spend enough free time in there. For Joe to let us take a day off from practice like that, it makes you want to work even harder for him." -- Johnny Damon
"This was the most fun I've had in my whole career at spring training, and I think a lot of guys would say the same thing." -- Mark Teixeira
Oh, give me a break (for the record, this story was the #1 news story for the Yankees on Yahoo).
Do you think something like this would have happened in the 1950's with Casey Stengel at the helm? Or with Billy Martin in the '70's and '80's? Granted, it's fine if the players want to relax and blow off some steam. But why make a whole rigamaroar about it?
And talk about cheesy - did you see those quotes?
Maybe I'm overreacting here, but it seems like the Yankees have gotten too soft. And maybe that's the reason they have failed under pressure in the past few seasons. If they want to win, it's time to toughen up, grind it out, and play hard.
The Yankees did what they were supposed to do this offseason: sign two top-of-the-line starters and fill the void at first base. But here's the thing: Teixeira and Sabathia, more so than Burnett, are typically slow starters. And New York is a city where the fans are always asking, "What have you done for me lately?"
With that in mind, I'm concerned that a lot of people will be calling for the heads of Teixeira and Sabathia by June. Check out these stats: as of June 5th of last year, Sabathia had a 3-8 record and a 4.81 ERA. And as of May 28th, Teixeira had a .268 average and five home runs (at that point, Melky Cabrera had hit more home runs).
Granted, these two players went on to have awesome years: Teixeira finished with a .300+ average and 33 home runs, while Sabathia seemed to dominate every start from July on. However, in 2009, there will be more pressure to perform early on, and if Tex and CC start off sluggish, it's going to get ugly very quickly in these parts.
One year ago today, we Yankee fans took a tough blow to the face. The Mets had officially traded for Johan Santana.
This is what I had to say about it last year:
"Most people say that Cashman was hesitant to sign Santana because the deal would most definitely ensure a hefty, $100 million dollar-plus extension. Well, yes. But it's not my money. Well, maybe a $50 parking fee and a $15 beer would hurt, but a World Series win would soften the blow."
"We had a shot and it flew by. If Santana continues his success while with the Mets, Cashman will never hear the end of it. And maybe that's a good thing."
"The Yankees had to give up virtually nothing in order to obtain Santana. I love Melky and Kennedy, and their potential is sky-high. But Melky hasn't exactly been the anchor of our offense in recent years, and his bat and glove have not exactly been vital to the team compared with other players."
One year later, my view on the Johan Santana deal has wavered only slightly. I still think he is one of the two or three best pitchers in baseball. And I have no doubt in my mind that we would have made the playoffs if we had Johan last year. However, with the signing of CC Sabathia (at the expense of no prospects), Cashman has (somewhat) made up for his error in judgment. Still, I'm not so sure I would pick the tandem of Sabathia, Hughes, and Melky Cabrera over Johan Santana.
Who knew then that one year later, in January 2009, the hot topic would be controversy surrounding Joe Torre? You just can't predict baseball (and that goes for the offseason too).
Tom Verducci had this to say about his upcoming book, The Yankee Years.
Via YanksBlog --
"I think it's important to understand context here. The book is not a first-person book by Joe Torre, it's a third-person narrative based on 12 years of knowing the Yankees and it's about the changes in the game in that period. Seems to me the New York Post assigned this third-person book entirely to Joe Torre and that's not the case. In fact, if people saw that Post story they probably noticed there are no quotes from Joe Torre in it. Joe Torre does not rip anybody in the book. The book really needs to be read in context."
I'll buy what Verducci is saying - but only to an extent. Joe Torre is one of the smartest men in the game, and he isn't stupid enough to completely tarnish his legacy for the sake of a best-seller. However, I do believe that there were statements in the book Mr. Torre wanted to reveal to the public. Seriously, would anyone buy the book if it was all positive? I know I wouldn't.
Think about it this way: if you were to write a book about your job, would it all be positive?
My opinion of Joe Torre hasn't changed. I know a lot of people feel differently, but I am going to stick by him. Maybe it's just my optimism speaking, but this whole issue will blow over in a few weeks, and we can get back to baseball.
There has been a lot of talk recently about Andy Pettitte. Most people are saying that the Yankees should not re-sign him, especially since he declined their $10 million offer.
I wholeheartedly disagree. I don't think that Pettitte is worth more than $10 million, but I still believe the Yanks should do whatever they need to do in order to retain his services for 2009.
Let's look at his stats from last year: 14-14, 33 starts, 4.54 ERA, 1.412 WHIP. Granted, those stats aren't amazing. But they're also skewed.
If you take out five -- just five -- of Pettitte's starts, he is left with a 3.42 ERA (I took out his starts from June 7th against Kansas City, July 3rd against Boston, July 31st against Los Angeles, August 26th against Boston, and August 31st against Toronto). In other words, over 28 starts, Pettitte boasted an ERA in the low-to-mid threes. I'd take that out of my fifth starter any day.
People forget- Pettitte was the number 2 starter for most of the season last year. While other starters were going down, Pettitte was a rock throughout the entire season.
If I were Brian Cashman, I would raise the offer a few million if that's what it took to retain Pettitte. I mean, what's a few million dollars for the Yankees?
For the Yankees' sake, let's hope we're seeing Pettitte on the mound come April.
A few thoughts about the Hall of Fame:
Baseball needs to be more strict in its selection of the Hall voters. Last year, there were more than a handful of voters who didn't select Cal Ripken or Tony Gwynn on their ballot. This year, I'm afraid the same will be true of Rickey Henderson, who should be a unanimous pick.
The baseball Hall of Fame is the best Hall of Fame because it's never a sure thing. Some people look to stats, others to championships, others to the intangibles. There are so many players that are borderline, and as a result, it sparks endless debate.
A few players on the ballot this year should make the Hall of Fame at some point (hopefully): Rickey Henderson, Tim Raines, Bert Blyleven, Andre Dawson, even Jim Rice (am I forgetting anyone else?). In my opinion, Henderson and Rice should be in this year; Raines and Dawson still have many years left of eligibility. I do think Blyleven is a Hall of Famer, and if he were on better teams, he would probably have been selected by now (he fell just short of 300 wins). Also, keep in mind that he had the third most strikeouts of all time before Clemens and Johnson eclipsed his mark. This mark is a testament to his longevity, durability, and dominance.
Ultimately, the decision isn't in my hands, but I hope that the writers choose the right candidates for the class of 2009.
Last week, I purchased Fathers & Sons & Sports, which features some great writing from Mike Lupica, Buzz Bissinger, Donald Hall, and a host of others.
I'm about half way through, and I have really been impressed. I've read a lot of sports books over the years, but this one has a unique flavor that palpitates from the text. If you get the chance, I recommend purchasing the book and checking it out for yourself.
Most of the pieces in the book are about a father's relationship to a son through sports, and each piece has its own little story. It's a good read.
In my high school, I take a class called Participation in Government. At the end of this week, everyone in the class is to present a one-minute speech on something that they feel is important.
Today, one of my peers (let's call him Herbert) told me that he was going to talk about how the Yankees are bad for baseball, and in response, baseball should implement a salary cap.
So, naturally, I'll be refuting his argument after he goes.
Here are a few notes that I'll be sure to address, courtesy of foxsports.com:
Hank and Hal Steinbrenner are doing what many owners refuse to do: spend the extra money. They could be pocketing the leftover revenue stream, but instead, they are pushing the limit in order to win at all costs. Seriously, what baseball fan would want anything less?
As every Yankee fan knows, it's like watching your 401(k) disappear when you go to a Yankee game. Heck, I'm seventeen years old, and I still feel the pinch after attending a game. But at least the owners are using the money to put the best product on the field.
And, of late, there has been no correlation between teams that win in the playoffs and salary level. The Rays in '08, the Rockies in '07, the Astros in '05, the Marlins in '03 -- all these teams were very successful in the playoffs without spending even half of what the Yankees spent in those years (or in the Rays' case, a fifth). The Yankees might be loaded, but it still doesn't guarantee them a spot in October.
Herbert is of the Drayton McLane school-of-thought that states a salary cap would level the playing field. Sure, the Yankees have won at least 90 games in 11 of the last 13 years, but there have been eight different World Champions in the past nine years. How much fairer can you get?
Thoughts?
Over the last few days, reports of the Yankees' interest in Manny Ramirez have increased.
I'm not really sure where I stand on this. Let's take a look at the pro's and con's of signing Manny:
Pro's
- He will fit right into the three spot and form a solid 1-2 punch with Alex Rodriguez.
- His stats last year was as good as they ever were. He'll be guaranteed for a .300 average and 30 home runs if he avoids injury.
- With the departure of Giambi and Abreu, he will fill a necessary hole in the offense.
Con's
- It will cost the Yankees well over $20 million dollars for three seasons.
- Manny didn't hustle with Boston and was difficult with the media and ownership.
- It brings the total outfielders/DH's to six: Melky Cabrera/Mike Cameron, Brett Gardner, Hideki Matsui, Xavier Nady, Johnny Damon, and Ramirez.
- Manny is approaching his late 30's.
You get the idea. Manny will undoubtedly bring a solid bat to the Yankees lineup, but his character is suspect.
At this point, I would rather see the Yankees pass on Ramirez, but that's not to say I wouldn't be excited if they signed him.
As far as Manny compared to Mark Teixeira, I think there is no question that signing Manny would be a better investment than Teixeira. Teixeira, while younger, will cost over $100 million more, and the Yankees will be obligated to him for nearly a decade. Plus, Ramirez is a better hitter overall.
It will be interesting to see how this whole mess unfolds. My prediction: Tex re-signs with the Angels and Manny re-signs with the Dodgers.
