A FEW SURPRISES THIS YEAR

If you look at the predictions for this year and mine included, it seems like everyone was wrong in a few cases. One surprise was the Oakland A’s and the master-mind: Billy Beane!

Here is a team with a $55 million budget and it is right up there with a $154 million Los Angeles Angel budget. It proves one thing folks, that I am right about inflated contracts and the crazy contracts that don’t need to be.

Baseball is all about desire, talent and how you play the game, not money. When the owners learn this, they will all make more money and on the players terms. No owner has to pay multi-millions to keep players. When the free agent market no longer exists, then the player will be playing for a fair salary and the loyalty of the fans. Billy Beane sits as one of the smarter general managers in the game, and has proven time and time again my beliefs.

Beane did it by trading, understanding talent and doing his homework, the hard way, the most efficient. Today’s owners, especially in the large markets are lazy and think you can just throw money out there and the World Series is yours. Just contrast Miami to Oakland.

There are few players of any notoriety on Oakland, who have made a big splash, has big numbers up or are household names, yet they are doing what they do because they are out to prove team and pride come first.

That’s all I wrote, folks!