You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. I was always intrigued by these words that Harvey Dent uttered in the box office hit, Dark Knight, and I finally figured out a relation between this quote and sports. With Josh Hamilton signing within the division to the rival Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and former Red Sox fan favorite, Kevin Youkillis, putting on the pinstripes, it appears there is no more allegiance in the league. What killed baseball was the institution of free agency in the 1970s. Now teams like the Yankees are buying World Series championships, as the offseason has turned into a never ending auction, where only the wealthiest teams prosper, and the teams that grow talent can neither keep nor afford their stars.
The ethics of baseball players have been altered to the point where the biggest and longest contracts win out. If you look at the players leading up until the start of free agency, most are synonymous with one team. Lou Gehrig with the Yankees, Ted Williams with the Red Sox, or even the pint sized shortstop with the Dodgers, Pee Wee Reese. There are few players over the age of 30 that have been on one team for most or all of their career. Aside from Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera with the Yankees, off the top of my head, there aren't any veteran, homegrown heroes anymore. Even though he had some of the best seasons and performances in the history of Major League Baseball, I will never automatically think Texas Rangers when I hear the name Josh Hamilton, and the only reason I will picture Kevin Youkillis in a Red Sox uniform, will be because of the endless hours I spent analyzing to the point of emulating his quirky stance on YouTube.
The culture of the game has just diminished. The whole reason baseball players have a reputation of being greedy and selfish, is because of free agency. By signing players in bidding wars to 8-9 figure contracts, the term baseball is a business becomes reality. Players and owners forget the true love of the game. It's not about what the check says at the end of the season, but the joy you receive from being able to play the game you love for a living.
The ethics of baseball players have been altered to the point where the biggest and longest contracts win out. If you look at the players leading up until the start of free agency, most are synonymous with one team. Lou Gehrig with the Yankees, Ted Williams with the Red Sox, or even the pint sized shortstop with the Dodgers, Pee Wee Reese. There are few players over the age of 30 that have been on one team for most or all of their career. Aside from Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera with the Yankees, off the top of my head, there aren't any veteran, homegrown heroes anymore. Even though he had some of the best seasons and performances in the history of Major League Baseball, I will never automatically think Texas Rangers when I hear the name Josh Hamilton, and the only reason I will picture Kevin Youkillis in a Red Sox uniform, will be because of the endless hours I spent analyzing to the point of emulating his quirky stance on YouTube.The culture of the game has just diminished. The whole reason baseball players have a reputation of being greedy and selfish, is because of free agency. By signing players in bidding wars to 8-9 figure contracts, the term baseball is a business becomes reality. Players and owners forget the true love of the game. It's not about what the check says at the end of the season, but the joy you receive from being able to play the game you love for a living.
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