In Major League Baseball there are the haves and the have-nots. No, wait. In MLB there’s the Yankees, the haves, and the have-nots. The Yankees are Bill Gates and Warren Buffett rolled into one.

With a $201M payroll, the Yankees spend more than $50M more than the Mets, the leader of the “haves” with a payroll more than $149M. After the Mets come the other “haves” – the Cubs, Red Sox, Tigers, Angels, Phillies, Astros, and Dodgers – all spending more than $100M per year in salaries. There are a few other “haves” in the $90M-range… then the “have-nots” fall into line.

As a Red Sox fan, I’m not complaining. The team for whom I root is one of the “haves” with a shot at winning a championship each year. However, since the mid-1990s, only the Marlins and Diamondbacks have interrupted one of the major-market teams from winning it all. And, I wouldn’t exactly call south Florida or Phoenix small markets – maybe just bad baseball fans.

With the Sox winning two World Series since 2004, the Yankees winning didn’t bother me as in years past. With all that spending, it was inevitable. It will just make the hot-stove season more fun in Boston this year. But for those baseball fans of “have-nots,” how long can they keep enjoying and supporting the long baseball season knowing there isn’t a chance-in-hell that their team can win a championship? How does that make Bud and the suits at MLB feel? Major League Baseball has become a league of elitists, which is just one of the many problems facing baseball.

With championship #27 under its belt, it’s happy-days again in New York. Congratulations to them and their fans. For the “have-nots,” MLB apparently doesn’t care.

Ah, the Fall Classic. Baseball in October. As a boy, it was a special time of the year. My first memories of the World Series began in the mid 1950s when names like Ford, Larsen, Berra, Mantle, Stengel, Alston, Hodges, Snider, Campenella, Maglie and Newcombe donned the sports pages. Hell, back in those days, the World Series sometimes began in late September. You know, a time when baseball was played in weather befitting the game.

Not today. Between extending the regular season to 162-games in 1961 (1962 in the NL), and expanding into a playoff system in 1995, the MLB Fall Classic appears more like a Winter Classic. Well, at least on the east coast. Watching recent Angels-Yankees games at Yankee Stadium in 30-degree weather and rain is a travesty. To make matters worse, MLB recently scheduled an afternoon game in LA and a night game in NY on the same day. Go figure. I understand time zones, but I also know it gets much colder on the east coast at night. DUH!

This year the World Series is scheduled to begin October 28^th. If the Series goes seven games (and weather permitting) it will end on November 5^th. For MLB and warm-weather residents, here’s a bit of meteorology; the East gets markedly colder in late October than in early October.

Maybe MLB was planning on a Freeway Series between the Angles and Dodgers, but that scenario doesn’t appear likely. With the Yankees up 2-0 at the time of this writing, I see no chance for the Los Angeles California Angels of Anaheim beating the Yankees 4-times in 5 games. For the record, I also don’t see anyone in the NL beating the Yankees more than once, never mind four times.

So thanks to MLB greed, we could be watching the most important baseball games of the year in 20-degree weather and snow. It’s time for all those “brilliant minds” in MLB to figure something out. Leave the games played in cold and snow to the NFL.

It’s just another example of capitalism gone amuck.

It’s hard to believe the MLB All-Star break is upon us. With summer yet to arrive in the northeast, the weather here still feels like NBA playoff time. When do the Lakers arrive in Boston for yet another NBA Finals? Is Garnett’s balky knee good enough to play? What…you mean we have to wait another year to see that? The addition of Ron Artest and Rasheed Wallace to the Lakers and Celtics, respectively, has all but assured that rematch in 2010. But that’s for another Blog.

So, I guess it really is MLB All-Star week. For some reason the lure of the game no longer exists for me. Is it my age, or has the steroid era dampened my enthusiasm for the game and its stars? Probably a little of both.

However, for me, the game of baseball, once filled with statistics that mattered and star players who gathered yearly to put on a “show” for baseball purists, no longer exists. Oh, sure, the All-Star game now “counts,” as the winner provides its league with home field advantage for the World Series. But that, too, is a joke. Why they allow an exhibition game to carry so much weight for its historic Fall Classic is mind-boggling.

I also wonder; do the names Pujols, Utley, Beltran, Teixeira, Longoria, and Bay bring as much excitement to today’s young fans as did Mantle, Mays, Aaron, Williams, Musial and Clemente did for my generation? I hate to sound like an old fart, but I think not.

Don’t get me wrong. Players of my youth were no angels. They drank and chased women with the best (or worst) of men. We just seldom heard about it. But there was a “star power” in those days that simply doesn’t exist today. I’m sure being a kid and only getting to see baseball games on TV on weekends helped make players larger than life during those innocent years, but I think it goes beyond just that. Times have changed – and so has the game of baseball. Sadly, for the worse.

How does that song go? “Where have you gone Joe DiMaggio – a nation turns its lonely eyes to you.”

Do you think Albert Pujols and his fans know Simon and Garfunkel?

Manny Ramirez, called by many the greatest right-handed hitter of his generation (along with Albert Pujols), is the latest potential casualty to become a Hall of Famer. Hit with a recent 50-game suspension for violating the MLB drug policy, Manny joins the likes of McGwire, Bonds, Sosa, Clemens, Palmeiro, and A-Rod who will be keenly scrutinized for possible entry in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

McGwire’s fate seems to be determined, as he has already failed to gain sufficient votes. We’ll soon find out about a few others, as their five-year retirement from baseball approaches. The wait on Manny and A-Rod could be to their advantage, as they are years from retirement. Time can deter memory. However, whether any of these cheaters get into the Hall of Fame, they have already ruined the fabric of the game. And who’s to know whether others who have been inducted weren’t also guilty of steroid use? I have my suspicions.

What made baseball so different from other major sports was its stats. Numbers have always been part of the game. As kids, we all knew 714, 61, and 2,130. Today, those numbers have been shattered. However, can you instantly tell me what the new numbers representing those records are today? Personally, those old numbers, along with 755, are the one’s I’ll forever remember.

Unfortunately, baseball stats have gone the way of basketball and football statistics. No one knows … and no one cares.

Quick…what is the current MLB record for home runs? Be truthful, did you instantly know that Barry Bonds has 762?

For years, the number 714 was embedded in our baseball brains. Babe Ruth held the home run record from 1935 until April 8, 1974, when Aaron hit #715. Hammerin’ Hank ended his career with 755. Most also remember that number, but I’m not sure Bonds’ record has resonated in the same manner.

Ruth’s single season home run record of 60 lasted 34-years until Maris hit #61 in 1961. Bonds currently owns the single-season record with 73. Since the inception of major league baseball until 1998, the 60 home run plateau had only been attained twice. From 1998 through 2001, 60+ home runs were accomplished six times. Welcome to the steroid era.

Steroids raise numerous questions about the Baseball Hall of Fame and its induction process. Should Bonds, McGwire, Clemens, Sosa and –  now, Alex Rodriquez – be inducted into the hallowed halls of Cooperstown?  Rodriquez has time on his side, but McGwire has already been shunned the past two years.

We all wait for MLB to comment on the record book and if recent steroid admissions or upcoming court cases will alter its current holy grail. However, MLB does not control the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Unquestionably, the two organizations work closely to honor baseball excellence and preserve its history, but it is not the MLB Hall of Fame. MLB can dictate what its record book states, but it doesn’t control the eligibility status of Baseball Hall of Fame’s candidates. Influence, yes. Dictate, no.

So, should the Baseball Hall of Fame make a statement on the steroid era and how (or if) it will affect future induction processes? Or, should it just let it all continue to play out? Remember, loosing Bonds, Clemens, et al as Hall of Famers will be very costly, as revenue during induction week in Cooperstown, plus the marketing of inductee products, is very important.

The tag line for The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is: Preserving History; Honoring Excellence; Connecting Generations. They need to figure out how to connect the steroid generation, while preserving baseball history in a manner which does not compromise excellence.

Good luck!

Not since the mid 1930s when Charles B. Darrow presented his newly invented board game to Parker Brothers has money been thrown around so frivolously. I haven’t played Monopoly in years, but it continues to be the best selling board game in the world, with MLB apparently its leading advocate.

The Yankees recently committed nearly a half-billion dollars to three players. Even Mr. Monopoly couldn’t compete at that level. Hell, there’s only a total of $15,140 in a standard game of Monopoly. Surely a sizable piece of change in 1935, but just gas money for today’s professional athlete.

The recent New York signing of C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira has Yankees haters complaining – and baseball purists looking to castrate the all-powerful, super-agent Scott Boras. However, even though I’m no fan of Boras and his tactics, and I grew up hating the Yankees, they play within the rules of the game. The Yankees could simply “pocket” their profits but, for better or worse, they invest in the free agent market. It certainly doesn’t guarantee championships. In 2008, the top three payrolls in MLB (Yankees, Tigers, and Mets) didn’t even make the playoffs. The champion Phillies ranked 13th and AL Champs Rays 29th, respectively.

However, as MLB payrolls continue to spiral, are you not concerned about the game’s future? I curiously await 2009 attendance figures outside of New York, Boston, Chicago and LA.

Have we all been blinded by capitalism so much that we forget MLB is a league and, collectively, it is only as strong as its weakest link. This notion of teams “driving up prices” of their competitors (e.g. Red Sox-Yankees) is foolish. Eventually, that philosophy comes around to bite them all. If the Red Sox were simply driving up the Teixeira price, won’t that affect the future cost to them for the services of Kevin Youkilis?

MLB and the MLBPA need to take a long, hard look at the future of the game and stop trying to simply line their pockets with cash while the going is good. We have seen what that can do to the economy. MLB is not immune. It’s time for a salary cap.

Maybe our government should be going to MLB for loans rather than the Peoples Republic of China. I would feel more comfortable with a $1-trillion debt to them than China (which, frightfully, it will soon be). Giving my tax dollars to Mark Teixeira as apposed to a communist nation might not be an economically sound investment, but it would certainly be more entertaining.

Sarcasm aside, are MLB owners paying attention? They appear to be throwing money around with their heads in the sand. Are they not aware of the economy and the big-3 U.S. automaker problems? Don’t MLB executives see how the automakers’ Boards of Directors let their executives and the United Auto Workers dictate their demise? The game is the same, just flip the names. Replace Board of Directors with MLB. Change GM, Ford, and Chrysler to Yankees, Red Sox, and Mets. And call the UAW the MLBPA (players association). For years, auto executives couldn’t see the forest for the trees and spent their way to failure. They wouldn’t stand up to the union, thus payroll got out of control. Sound familiar?

We can talk about foolish baseball owners and the oft-used quote, “If they couldn’t afford it, they wouldn’t pay it.” That carries some truth. But when compensation to players are open books, which is precisely what unions want, contracts get out of control. If you’re not a union person, do you know exactly what the workers next to you are being paid?

Unions had their place in time, but times have changed. I’m all for buying American, however, many American products have become inferior due to the need to cut cost-of-goods to supplement payroll and hit competitive price points. However, Americans want both affordable prices and quality. Hence, they can’t buy American. They buy Toyota and Honda.

I recently read a column by a New York sports writer regarding the Yankees spending $161 million on C. C. Sabathia. He stated, “It’s a natural progression of the market.” What market is he looking at?  The only “market” I see grossly over-spending during these difficult times is MLB (and other professional sports leagues).

MLB has been riding a wave of success for a number of years. The league is more popular than ever. However, not so long ago, the real estate market was booming too.

I hope MLB and the owners have long-term fiscal planning in place, because I don’t think corporate America will be filling their wallets as in years past.

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His destiny was Cooperstown. After his first seven years in a Red Sox uniform, not many would argue that the skinny shortstop from California was on the road to enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame. How times have changed. Today, 4-1/2 years removed from his glory days in Boston, Nomar Garciaparra is relegated to the Dodgers’ bench as a utility player and pinch-hitter, with Cooperstown nowhere in his future travels.

Drafted in 1994, Nomar won American League Rookie-of-the-Year in 1997. Disregarding his injury year in 2001, Nomar averaged 27.5 home runs, 107 RBI, and a batting average of .328, including two batting titles in 1999 and 2000 when he hit .357 and .372, respectively. Since his trade to the Cubs mid-season in 2004, his yearly averages are .286, 46 RBI, and 9.6 home runs (albeit, dealing with numerous injuries).

Ironically, Nomar’s fall from super-stardom can be directly linked to his new Dodger’s teammate, Manny Ramirez. After the 2003 season, the Red Sox had a deal in place that would have sent Ramirez to the Rangers for shortstop Alex Rodriguez. If the deal had gone through, the Sox would have sent Nomar to the White Sox for Magglio Ordonez. The following season, a disgruntled Nomar quickly became a clubhouse cancer, and he was shipped to the Cubs in a blockbuster trade.

When Nomar’s baseball days are over, and we look back at his career, thoughts of what might have been will always linger.

And you thought this was all coming to an end soon. It’s now just beginning. Brett Favre is going to the media capital of the world where he’ll be playing for the New York Jets. Spare us.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never disliked Brett Favre. I’ve enjoyed watching him play. He used to be a great quarterback and will soon be making a trip to Canton and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, the constant media-hype has turned many fans into Favre-haters. Maybe he’s brought it unto himself with all the flip-flopping he’s done, but he’s not the first pro athlete who has had difficulty retiring.

With the fiasco in Green Bay finally over, the story will now get bigger than ever. How could Tampa Bay do this to us? Why didn’t they step up and give the Packers a first-round pick to spare us the New York media onslaught we’re about to experience? Trust me…if you thought the coverage has been over-the-top to date…watch it now. The New York and national media, which is redundant, could be the worst thing to happen to Brett Favre’s legacy. If you didn’t hate Favre before, you will soon.

So, who’s the happiest person in New York? A-Rod. The Yankee great can now give up the New York sports tabloids back page. But how long do you think Favre, the self-proclaimed country boy, will be able to deal with what’s about to happen in his life? He may have had much attention during his lustrous NFL career, but son, this ain’t Green Bay. This is The Big Apple. The Capital of the World. The City that Doesn’t Sleep. Empire City. Gotham. The Evil Empire.

As the late Karen Carpenter would say, “We’ve Only Just Begun.”

As the saying goes, “Be careful what you wish for.”

It appears Red Sox Nation has had enough of Manny being Manny. For the past week, Boston sports talk-radio airwaves have been inundated with callers who appear to have had enough of the savant slugger, who recently pulled himself out of the Sox lineup twice. Manny stated it was due to a cranky knee, but MRIs came up negative on both knees.

It was one thing for Ramirez to pull himself out of the lineup against the lowly Seattle Mariners, but when he sat again in the first game of the most recent Yankees series at Fenway Park, all hell broke loose in New England. More important than fans and radio talk-show hosts, it also appears the Red Sox brass has had enough of Manny’s quirkiness. What appeared to be a no-brainer two weeks ago – that the Sox would pick up the team’s $20M 2009 option for Ramirez – now seems as likely as John McCain winning Massachusetts in November.

Manny quitting on loyal Sox fans and, more importantly, his teammates is deplorable. Letting teammates down is the mortal sin of an athlete. However, let’s not kid ourselves. Pro sports are all about winning. As a reminder, until 2004, Sox fans had not seen a World Championship since 1918. They’ve now witnessed two since 2004. Would they have done so without Ramirez? Probably not. Had they not won those two championships, would fans and Sox brass still want Manny to walk? My guess is no.

Manny Ramirez is a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Does that forgive him for his recent actions? Not in real life, but this is not real life. It’s Major League Baseball. Lest we forget the indiscretions of Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Juan Marichal, Mickey Mantle, Barry Bonds, et al.

David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez are the best 3-4 hitters the game has seen since Ruth and Gehrig. So, be careful what you wish for Sox fans … and enjoy it while you can. Those days may be gone soon. And with it, championships.