Lohse agrees to $41 million, 4-year deal

[phightinphils]

lol

It's always been. You're just aware of it now, is all.

I know. Ignorance is bliss though. Sometimes.

When you have a house and all the other good crap that comes with being a responsible adult, you pick things to argue about. Me, I like to argue about sports.

AND YES, I AM BIASED!

I will admit that right here, right now.

[ohms_law]

About that, there's nothing wrong with being biased. It's hard to be a fan without some bias.

That being said, it's more reasonable to try to set your bias aside at least somewhat...
acknowledge it, but try not to give into it.

[phightinphils]

about that, there's nothing wrong with being biased. It's hard to be a fan without some bias.

That being said, it's more reasonable to try to set your bias aside at least somewhat...
Acknowledge it, but try not to give into it.

agreed!

[ohms_law]

Well then... uh, I'd recommend taking a bit of your own advice.

[phightinphils]

Well then... uh, I'd recommend taking a bit of your own advice.

I know. I re-read my "previous posts". Let's just say my bias really influenced my posts. It is a jagged little pill to swallow. We all have to do it every so often.

I still think Lohse is a number 4!

[ohms_law]

lol

[Jeffy25]

To anyone that has a serious problem with baseball or baseball players making the money that they do, there's a very easy solution: Stop. Stop watching games. Stop reading baseball stories. Stop going to MLB websites.

Their all making the money that they do because you keep giving them your attention. That attention is worth a ton of money.

I personally have no issues with the amount of money that they make. It's marketing, believe me I am presdient and CEO of Consultative Marketing Group in Cape Girardeau, MO. We outsource marketing for local area businesses and are rather successful. But we do just what Major League Baseball does for our clients, as well what I do daily for my business. See what the value of my service is and market it to the right individuals. There is nothing wrong with playing into supply and demand. A-Rod gets his dollars because he is highly demanded. Lohse got this deal bc the Cardinals demanded his services and wanted to secure their future a little better.

As far as it being a well above average dollar sign that the players make...well my answer to that is an argument very very few people in the world will agree with me on....It is a high risk business these guys get into. It takes a lot of sacrifice, not only are you playing a sport that requires you to stay in top shape, travel most of your time, and skip your education in college for some, but even if you are one of the few successful individuals that can lock down these huge contracts after being successful in the minor leagues and then again so in the majors you are also forced into early retirement that you are required to live on the rest of your life. It is stated that the average individual needs over 2.5 million dollars in cash assets if they desire to retire at the age of 60, double that if they are married. If you take the rule of 72, (which states that every investment requires a division of 72. Look it up if you need more information on it....) Then players retiring at 35-40 will need a hell of a lot more to retire on and continue their lifestyles. The one's that don't make blockbuster deals, which is very few of them....you'll note the majority doesn't make the league average....the one's that don't make the big deals retire with fairly little and usually need to find different work after baseball...and if you never got the education, or had to work in that sort of environment, starting a career at 40 with a family is incredibly difficult, especially if you plan to live the lifestyle you are used to...40k a year probably won't cut it.

I look at Cal Ripken for inspiration. After he retired he started a business that is currently worth over 30 million dollars...He is a true Iron Horse (no offense Gehrig).

I am just saying, so many people put so much stock into these players and they complain about their salaries without really thinking of what will happen. any 30 year old man should be able to make 41 million dollars until he is 34 and be able to retire on that. If he invests properly...However, it took a lot of very hard work, sacrifice, luck, and the huge rarity that he would make it this far. And if he had had a career ending injury up to this point all that hard work wouldn't matter.

The teams need and have the abilty to fund these contracts, I see no reason why they shouldn't. I pay my executives top dollar, and that is because they earn it with incredibly hard work, sacrifice, and they are damn good. I pay top dollar, but I expect top dollar returns...if I don't get it, then the relationship ends.

[Jeffy25]

And I guess to rant a lil more....

Tom Henke is my cousin. He played about 15 years as a closer for the Rangers, Blue Jays, and Cardinals. Retired with 311 saves.

He retired somewhat young for major league baseball, at 35. He has three children and they currently live where he and my father were born, in Taos, MO. He is a farmer currently because that is what he was raised to do. The money he made over his playing career went back to his family, his son with MS, and the family farm to keep it a float and continue to buy land so he could farm again when he retired. He has to pay his own separate insurance, which is a major hassle bc of the constant issues with his son's health, and he has no gaurentees. He actually never really got into baseball he has told me. He played high school baseketball, he was tall...and the baseball coach asked him to try out and pitch...he threw very hard...but didn't think anything of it. Was successful and eventually drafted by the Mariners, and then the Rangers....He played three or four years of minor league ball, which was difficult bc he was expected to run the family farm and take care of his family that he had already started, but he was blessed w a hard throwing slider, heat, and a solid breaking pitch which he worked hard to craft. He wasn't making much and almost called it quits many times. But he found success and overall made around 17 mil throughout 15 years. Enough to live on, but he still has to be very very careful and it was very very difficult. He told me he wouldn't do it if he had to do it over again cause it wasn't worth the stress.

I'm just saying, it's easy to overlook how difficult it is and how much the sacrifice is for people that this is their dream, let's not beat up on them when they are rewarded for being successful and can relax and play the game that we dearly love.

[Jeffy25]

I think there needs to be a cap on how much of a bonus draft picks can get and how large their contracts can be when being drafted...I think that is being a little ridiculous.

[ohms_law]

Well said.

I could nitpick a couple of points above, but since I want to support your point, I won't...
lol

[Jeffy25]

Well said.

I could nitpick a couple of points above, but since I want to support your point, I won't...
lol

Gracias, I actually reread it and turns out I have a few things I would have said differently, but you get my point. Thanks!

And nitpick away, I love this forum, it's a great way for me to vent when I am stressed out

[ohms_law]

I think there needs to be a cap on how much of a bonus draft picks can get and how large their contracts can be when being drafted...I think that is being a little ridiculous.

Well, maybe... but, again, the reason that the draftees are getting such huge bonuses is due to the fact that they have (or are seen to have) a rare talent. If team's don't compete for those players with cash, what should they compete for them with?

It's an extremely small percentage of draftees that receive the huge bonuses that they do, too. What you're talking here about isn't exactly widespread.

[Jeffy25]

And I wouldn't complain if there were salary caps on players....but that is a whole different arguement, I guess I could state why I believe in that, but I don't have the time tonight haha

[ohms_law]

Gracias, I actually reread it and turns out I have a few things I would have said differently, but you get my point. Thanks!

And nitpick away, I love this forum, it's a great way for me to vent when I am stressed out

Same here


The main thing is that I don't think anyone should be expected to be able to fully retire at 30, or even 40. I mean, I completely understand the point that you're making about the sacrifices and luck required to make it to the brass rung in professional sports, but... well, you need to take care of yourself and be realistic in your expectations when you do make it, as well.

If the players union (unions, actually. This really goes beyond just baseball) actually cared about anything other than players salaries and therefore their own bottom line, you'd think that they would themselves provide and get the league(s) to provide some sort of financial advice and counseling for them. That and some sort of education incentive or something (hell, that would be easy to do in baseball, it being a summer sport!).

[Jeffy25]

Well, maybe... but, again, the reason that the draftees are getting such huge bonuses is due to the fact that they have (or are seen to have) a rare talent. If team's don't compete for those players with cash, what should they compete for them with?

It's an extremely small percentage of draftees that receive the huge bonuses that they do, too. What you're talking here about isn't exactly widespread.

You are right, but of course