Contract Complaints:

Prince Fielder, Cole Hamels, and Jonathan Papelbon are three of the youngest and brightest stars in all of baseball. Yet in the past week or so, each has complained about their respective contract, feeling as if they've done more than enough to warrant getting a bigger raise than they did (Papelbon ended up getting a raise he was happy with). In reality they were most likely talking about a couple of hundred thousand dollars, not tens of millions of dollars, so was it really necessary for them to voice their displeasure publicly, or even feel such disappointment?

Some could argue that since the money is so small in regards to baseball contracts that the teams should just reward these guys for their strong play and therefore keep them happy. While that is certainly a legitimate argument, I would make a case for the opposite.

The rule for renewing contracts for players with so few years of major league service time has been in place for quite a while. The players know they have to pay their dues, take what they're given, and then get a chance to go to arbitration. Once the arbitration years are over, that's when they become a free agent. Obviously everyone would like to make as much money as possible as quickly as possible, however, this system is in place to protect both the players and the teams.   

While it would certainly be a nice gesture on the individual teams, I'd be shocked if the players reciprocated the gesture when it's their turn to do so. Let's say for instance that the Milwaukee Brewers gave Fielder a salary of $750,000 this year. Do you really think that in 2-3 years, when Fielder is eligible for arbitration or free agency, that he's going to look back and think, "You know what? The Brewers were good to me in the past, so I'm going to give them a discount and not even test the waters." No way! So if Fielder is not going to give the team a discount in the future, why should the team pay him more now than it has to?

More Thoughts on Santana Deal

I've been reading a lot of articles in the New York papers over the past couple of weeks stating how the Yankees are going to regret not making the deal for Johan Santana. People continue to say that as good as Phil Hughes could be, he's never going to be Santana. Well, that may very well be true, but I would argue that the combination of Hughes and Melky Cabrera (who was also going to be included in the deal) playing centerfield will make the Yankees a much better team this year and for many more years to come, than if they had Santana and Johnny Damon playing centerfield. Frankly, I don't think people realize how much of a detriment Damon is to a team when he's in center. Teams can run on him all day long, and his range is not what people think it is.

Could this move cost the Yankees a chance at the playoffs this year? Possibly. But ask Theo Epstein and the Red Sox what can happen when you think long term as opposed to short term, and think with your head and knowledge as opposed to listening to talk radio and columnists, not to mention uninformed owners.

Two years ago the Sox could have signed Damon to a four year deal that everyone in Boston was screaming for them to do. When the Yankees swooped in and "stole" him, people everywhere were writing that the Yankees just sealed the deal as the best team in the East, not only improving themselves but also hurting their arch rival. Well, the Sox missed the playoffs in `06, the Yankees won the East and then lost in the first round to the Detroit Tigers. Fast forward to 2007 and look what happened. The Yankees again lost in the first round, the Red Sox won the East and then the World Series. So do you think the Red Sox really regret not re-signing Damon, and then missing the playoffs in `06?

Yankee fans, and especially Hank Steinbrenner, should keep this in mind throughout the season. Brian Cashman knows what he's doing, just make sure you trust him and give him his time. If you do that, he'll build the team into a champion again.

Brett Favre

I realize I'm a few days late in commenting on Favre's retirement, however I did want to say a few things. First things first, I want to let you know that I have never been a huge Favre fan. I think he's fantastic, and will be placed among the all-time greats, but I was never one who was enamored with him. With that said, I want to commend him on his press conference. People can speculate all they want on whether or not he will stay retired, but what I saw from him Thursday afternoon made me feel a whole lot differently about him.

You could tell that he spoke from the heart and without a script, and that to me, is one of the real reasons why he's loved by so many. Seeing him get choked up the way he did made you appreciate how much he truly loved the game, and will in turn miss it.

My favorite athlete of all time is Michael Jordan, and while I was emotional each time he retired, he never was. After seeing Favre's speech I realized that was something missing from Jordan's. As a fan, you want to see that the game means as much to the athlete as you think it does, and while I'm sure it meant that much to Jordan, you never got the sense that he was really sad to be walking away from it. Maybe that's why he kept coming back...

NCAA Basketball Prediction:

We're only moments away from the Duke-Carolina game and I just wanted to make a few predictions on the upcoming tournament. While we don't know the seedings and brackets yet, I believe that Kansas is going to be a team to watch, and if I had to pick right now, they would be my team to win it all. They have good balance, good depth, and players who can make the big shots when needed. As for Duke and Carolina, I don't see either of them reaching the Final Four. Carolina certainly has a better shot, but there's just something about the way they play that raises questions for me.

In any case, enjoy the game! It's one of the best rivalries in all of sports, and it should be a lot of fun.