I named Chipper Jones to my all-media team earlier this year, and the starting third baseman for the National League showed why yesterday, at the player availabilities for the All-Star Game.
Chipper gets it. He understands the role he has played in the Braves-Mets rivalry, and he has embraced it. Really, if you were to rank the key figures in this rivalry, he'd have to be number one from either side, wouldn't he?
Anyhoo, with Yankee Stadium understandably getting all of the attention this week, Chipper smiled when a reporter asked him about Shea Stadium. He confirmed that he intends to speak with Mets vice president of media relations Jay Horwitz about getting a souvenir from Shea _ a seat, a sign, whatever _ and wants to bring his son Shea (born in 2004 and, yes, named after Shea Stadium) to the Mets' home before they thankfully blow it up.
"Shea is one of my favorites," Chipper said. "You just have a couple of parks that you see the ball really well in. You get pumped up to play. Obviously, being a division rival, all of our games against them are important. You're really jacked up to play there. ...I'll be sad to see Shea Stadium go. I really will."
Chipper has hit 19 regular-season homers at Shea, the most he's hit at any opposing ballpark.
Comments (39)
Ken - If you were able to keep a straight face during this entire interview you deserve a medal - and a raise. Selig’s answers about steroids, the All-Star game's intensity (since his "reforms") and just about every other topic aren't believable. Bud is a joke.
Bud is a lousy commissioner and doesn't deserve to be in the office. But, alas, I have no doubt that one day he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame by his cronies. It really will be the Hall of Shame when that day comes.
This brings me to another point: I went to the Fanfest yesterday (the $30 admission fee was ludicrous, to say the least, but that’s another story) and walked through the HOF display. Now, I have been to Cooperstown at least 15 times, but yesterday I stood and studied a wall that had listed on it the names of all the HOF members through this year’s class.
When you look at these names you understand how ridiculous it is that Bowie Kuhn, Barney Dreyfuss, Walter O'Malley, TOMMY LASORDA and even Charles Comiskey are (or will soon be) enshrined in Cooperstown and people like Gil Hodges, Jim Rice, Andre Dawson and Bert Blyleven aren't. Heck, Jim Kaat won 283 games and he is probably never going into the HOF but Tommy Lasorda and Bowie Kuhn are members? Sickening.
If you have ever read Eight Men Out you will understand how Comiskey, more than anyone, created the atmosphere that resulted in the 1919 Black Sox scandal. How he treated, and cheated his players is documented. He doesn't belong in Cooperstown.
Ken, I read an article on MLB.com about Chipper and his father. He talk about his father love for Mickey Mantle.
As I said yesterday, if I see someome else on the mound tonight besides Rivera, Yankees fans will be yelling and screaming for Francona's head.
As usually, Jim and soon Bob Tufts write anti-Selig stuff.
And Jim, Dick Williams is getting in this year. you have a problem with him getting in?
Dennis, why are you such a cheerleader for Bud Selig? Do you think he deserves a $15 million annual salary? How do you feel about him shaking down taxpayers all over the country? What do you have to say about the fact that while he was an owner he actually received more money through revenue sharing, the luxury tax, etc., than he spent on the team? Have you ever spent any time around Bud? Did you listen or read his testimony before Congress? Have you read his statements at the time of the 1994 strike, the cancellation of the World Series, he tie All-Star game? Virtually every time he opens his mouth he makes a fool of himself.
Dick Williams? He had a .520 winning percentage and won 120 more games than he lost. He won 2 WS titles. He's a little bit borderline, but why shouldn't he be in if Bowie Kuhn is in? Stump Merrill should be in before Bowie.
Ken, I am going to the game tonight. I'll try and spot you in the press box.
Ken, I found the audience for the Home Run Derby - my soon to be 5 year old son. Mostly because there's a home run derby in one of the videogames he plays. Of course it went on way too long and he had to go to bed before the first round was even over, but he was really enjoying the part he got to see.
Of course, he's a bit of a special case. Every morning before he goes to school or camp, he wants me or my wife to turn off Disney Channel and put on the episode of Baseball Tonight I recorded for him the night before.
There's an audience for this stuff, it's just not the audience baseball was counting on.
Jim, since when did I said that I'm a Bud Selig apologist? Clearly you and Bob Tufts hate Selig. A few weeks ago I sadi that I was not defending Selig. The 1994 strike happen because the owners, led by Selig. wanted to fight the players union and lost. If Fay Vincent was the commissioner in 1994, the strike still would had happen. I have seem Selig be interview on Radio and TV, so I know exactly what he is. Would any other person as commisoner have introducted the Wild Card or Interleague play to baseball?. No.
Dennis: you are wrong. I don't hate used car salesman Bud Selig. I LOATHE Bud Selig.
Vincent wouldn't have forced a strike on a salary cap WHICH THE OWNERS WANTED TO IMPOSE, THE PLAYERS WANTED NOTHING - he wasn't willing to risk the health of the game.
Ken, has anyone asked Bud if he considered other people for the steroid inquiry? Who was on the panel that selected Mitchell?
I have mixed feelings about the HOF. Somehow, I try to separate the holiness of the institution with its membership list, although it's never easy.
Generally, I agree with Jim's points (how is Gil Hodges out and Tony Perez in?), but, as much as I can't stand Selig, I remain grateful that we don't have David Stern running MLB! By the way, Bob, tell us what you really think! Don't hold back! ;-)
By the way, Dennis, one of these days I will agree with you on a topic. Today ain't one of them, though! ;-) The Wild Card set-up is flawed and Interleague has been an abomination.
Why did G-d let Josh Hamilton, who dumped his Jewish agent for a born-again one, lose the HR Derby? Stop the hero worship of those who bleat "Jesus" and apologize after they're caught (Byrd, Pettitte) ! His illness was/is self-inflicted, not an injury from game activity. I am glad he has been able to function in society...but give me a break with walking with the Lord. I wish he'd walk to force in a game winning run in the bottom of the ninth. (And scrape off those tattoos!)
And thanks to Peter "People's Republic of Brookline" Gammons for throwing in a nasty Nancy Reagan "just say no" mention last night. If you don't use an addictive substance, you'll never get addicted - seems easy!
I had never heard that stuff about Hamilton, Bob. Of course, Ryan Church has his own history on the subject of Judaism. I have nothing against most Evangelicals, just the ones that don't practice what they preach.
Moreover, it bothers me to no end that someone who overcomes cocaine consumption (note that I did not call it "abuse") is given equal footing as someone who battles through Hodgkin's Disease.
Dennis: What you say and what you do are mutually exclusive. Fay Vincent would have worked hard to head off the strike, not created the situation where it became necessay. When the players saw Vincent ousted and Selig installed they knew what was afoot. After all, Bud was one of two ringleaders in the $280 million collusion scheme, according to Vincent himself. I am very confident that not only might the strike have never happened, but the 1994 World Series never would have been cancelled. The owners followed Bud right off a cliff. They lost a ton of money when the season and post-season were cancelled, when they lost the collusion lawsuits and when the players took them to the cleaners with the new contract. Bud was a terrible owner and a worse commissioner, if that’s even possible.
Dennis: Do you support the wild card and inter-league play? Do you support MLB’s trend toward becoming the NBA, NHL and NFL? After all, Bud eviscerated the league offices, obliterating distinctions between the NL and AL except for the DH. I think if he could get away with it, Bud would implement a balanced schedule between leagues and use some smokescreen along the lines of “conserving oil” or “limiting greenhouse gasses” and, of course, “establishing exciting new rivalries.”
If you want to be an apologist for Bud, so be it. It’s a free country. But, Bud is a stiff. He certainly has done nothing to help NY baseball and in fact, has hurt us. His luxury tax has made Yankees tickets more expensive. I, for one, don’t like a substantial amount of my ticket money going to Minnesota or Florida or anywhere else. I guess I just don’t like socialism.
But, I love the game enough to shell out $200 for my ticket to tonight’s game. That’s why baseball will live on despite the Selig’s in the game today: We love it.
JE: One of the board members of the Baseball Chapel is Dave Dravecky, who has been a member of the John Birch Society. Fellow Birchers included Eric Show (who died of a drug overdose)
One of my Christian frieeds in the bullpen, Gene Pentz, laid this on me during a game in Tucson:
"Do you accept the gospel and Jesus Christ as your savior?"
"No, Gene, as a matter fo fact I am converting to Judaism."
"Then you're going to hell", he said while turning back to watch the game.
So much for saving souls as the religion mandates. And so much for saving games - he pitched poorly, I got the closer job and was in the majors in a month.
Bob, was Gene born-again or a Satmar?!? I cannot speak for Pentz, of course, but the Evangelicals who I come behave very differently. The John Birch Society is a fringe group, even in that community.
Sure, they believe that only those who accept JC as the Savior are going to Heaven, but so what? At least, they're not actively trying to send me to Hell, like some other folks.
Well Bob, that's the gospel, if you don't embrace Jesus you're not going to heaven. I don't and don't think I'm going anywhere except into a furnace to make ashes and preserve the earth. I have learned since I moved away from the northeast that values are different there than other places. I happen to live in a very religious place right now, I really never dealt with that in NY except for when the Jehovah's Witnesses knocked at the door. Most athletes come from the same type of value-tradition places (midwest and south) that I live in right now, and religion is rammed down their throats. I can't say if that is good or bad, all I know is life is easier here, people are less goal-oriented and more friendly.
Anyway I have a tremendous amount of respect for Hamilton overcoming himself no matter how he thinks he did it. He was smart enough to save his life. I have a feeling that in five years or so he will be looked at the same way Junior Griffey was when he played for Seattle, a guy to root for who loves the game (whether it was true or not.)
I will get away from the gospel as quickly as I can. Baseball Chapel is a wonderful idea, but it was peculiar to see the guys cheating on their wives and staggering back to the hotel going to chapel the next day.
As for a teammate using his most powerful insult to another teammate (and not following the religious mission to trying to save me) I prefer to put this in the hands of Hillel:
“What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; all the rest is commentary. Go and learn it.”
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Jim, if you don't like the Yanks raising ticket prices to the moon, don't buy them and watch the games on TV or listern to the games on radio.
Without the luxury tax, teams like the A's, Marlins, Twins, etc. don't exsit. Small market team swon't exsit. They don't have the TV deals that the Yanks have from the YES network.
The Wild Card brings more teams involve in the race. The NBA and NHL have 16 teams in the playoffs. THe NFL has 12 teams make the Playoffs. Baseball has 8 teams make the playoffs. The 3 division winners and the Wild card in each league. Which sport is more harder to get into the playoffs?
In this day of age, most players are getting into the Hall of Fame base on the numbers they compiled to get to milestone numbers like 3,000 hits, 500 Home Runs, 300 wins or 300 saves, not by the body of work for their entire career. There are certain players you can make a case that should not be in the HOF, but are in base on reaching milestone numbers.
Jim, I FINALLY have an opportunity to disagree with you! Woo-hoo!
Ticket prices are what they are because there are fans willing to pay to see the games, not because of the luxury tax or the amount of Jeter's contract. After all, why does it cost hundreds of dollars to attend the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day or the March Madness finals if the athletes aren't being paid a dime?
Come on, Jim, we thought that you were a capitalist!
Ken I haven't read your articles yet, but much like Chipper, I love Shea Stadium. I wish it would stay forever. I understand it may not be the most asthetically beutiful stadium out there, but its certainly easier to go to the bathroom than at Yankee Stadium.
I think a lot of Mets fans are forgetting all the great time we had in that building, and how we helped make it rock.
I remember sneaking in on a November night and just hanging out with my friend playing whiffle ball. That was so much fun.
"Ticket prices are what they are because there are fans willing to pay to see the games, not because of the luxury tax or the amount of Jeter's contract."
Its not the fans who are willing to pay to see the games, it's corporations who can write off the expense of buying the tickets and using them to entertain clients who are doing most of the buying. Most fans are priced out of the system and instead of seeing real fans at games, you see morons calling other morons on cell phones while they stand up and wave to the cameras who are showing the real fans, who are watching the games at home now for prices they used to pay to go to the ballpark, the game.
That is really why teams are grouped into small and big market teams. Those terms didn't exist when box seats cost $5, they only came ito existence with the advent of luxury boxes and box seats in triple digits.
"Without the luxury tax, teams like the A's, Marlins, Twins, etc. don't exsit. Small market team swon't exsit. They don't have the TV deals that the Yanks have from the YES network."
Dennis that is an absolute lie. Baseball wants you to believe that, but in actuality the teams that get the luxury tax revenue, don't use it on the teams. The Twins are owned by a multi-billionaire, he doesn't need the tax money. The Marlins don't use it for anything except for Loria to buy more art to sell. Their payroll is $21 million, they get more than that yearly in revenue, much more. The Royals are owned by WalMart or Target heirs, they don't need it either.
Ritchie: Leon Hess would have disagreed with you about the bathrooms at Shea.
JE--to add, the real fatcats go to the bowl games, the ones who pay for the booster groups for teams and $5,000 to sit on fifty yard line, plus other influential alumni and school bigwigs regular fans don't go.
I have been going to games at Shea since 1973 (back when the walls were dark green and they had those retro blue and orange things hanging off the outside) and while I will cherish the memories, it's the stadium equivalent of your first car. While everyone has a sentimental attachment to their 70's era Chevette, it served its purpose and an upgrade is desperately needed. The first time I sit in right field in Citifield and have an unobstructed view of play, I will no longer miss Shea.
JE, the point is that I am a capitalist, but Selig’s revenue redistribution scheme is socialism in all its glory. It keeps propped up teams that shouldn’t exist in cities that cannot support them and shouldn’t have a team. It also bails out owners that are cheap and shouldn’t own a team.
The Yankees have paid more than $100 million since 2003, and $23.88 million just last year. Obviously this has been passed through to fans buying tickets. No the games wouldn’t be free if there was no luxury tax, but to think ticket prices are merely a result of supply and demand is folly. The club got the money from somewhere – mainly corporations who now control most tickets. With the smaller capacity at the Mets’ new stadium, this situation will be worse than ever.
Let’s also not forget, we are just talking about the luxury tax, not the scheme to share revenues or the national TV contract, etc. The owners are making fistfuls of money. We’ve talked about this before. Many have turned their teams into family employment vehicles and as virtual banks for their other business interests.
No city has a God-given right to a team. If market conditions aren’t such that a team can be financially viable in a particular town, it should either move or fold. If it did fold, the other teams would be stronger financially and the talent pool wouldn’t be as diluted. I am not advocating this, merely stating the obvious.
Dennis: Selig would love to implement expanded playoffs, but not even Bud can change the weather and thus it won’t happen. It shouldn’t anyway, not with a 162 game regular season. Frankly, I don’t see the need for two rounds of playoffs now. But, it will never be changed.
Dennis: Does Bill Mazeroski and his .260 BA belong in the HOF? He was an 8-time GG winner but only batted over .275 once in 17 seasons. Don’t believe for a minute that politics doesn’t play a role in the HOF election. Bowie Kuhn? Need I say more?
Ritchie G. (Lynbrook): You should have been arrested for trespassing.
I love Shea Stadium!
Jim, its the chance I took. I've actually done it twice but the first time I was so scared I just ran between 2nd and 3rd and then went back to my car (my friend had chickened out). The 2nd time we hung out for an hour or so. It was awesome.
Dont get me wrong...I understand people want a new Stadium. But the word need rubs me the wrong way. Its not like Shea or Yankee Stadiums dont attract 3 million plus. So do we "need" it or just want it really badly?
Sandy, if not for my press pass, I would have missed two innings during the 98 Yankee playoff series vs. Cleveland. Shea is much better. But I do agree with you that fans are being priced out. Fans that spent money on great seats in 93, now would have to sit in upper deck.
Whoever is posing as Jim should grow up. (Richie, I was only kidding about being arrested.) Incidentally, I LOATHE Shea Stadium.
Hey Ken, get rid of the fake Jim. Thanks.
For all of the problems inherent in revenue-sharing and the luxury tax, Jim, at least it is not a hard salary cap.
You say that my reasoning is folly, but you never answer the question as to why spectators pay hundreds of dollars to attend college football and basketball games. I can assure you that, if Jeter was making 1/10th of his current salary, Yankee Stadium pricing would still be outrageous. The ownership does it to the fans because they can (as you said, "the owners are making fistfuls of money"), not because they have no other choice.
Sandy, I don't disagree with you that corporations are gobbling up more and more tickets, but my basic premise still holds. The tickets are being purchased for what the market will bear, however much reality may suck.
JE - I understand your basic point. But, the price of tickets is more than just supply and demand when it comes to the Yankees. Even if the Yankees attendance dropped by half, the team would still owe the luxury tax. The club would then either have to raise prices even more or reduce salary. The money has to be realized from somewhere.
College football and men's basketball supports all the other sports at every D-I institution. That's a fact. College football doesn't pay players, but the sport has something like 100 full scholarships available to players at any one time, lots of assistants, huge travel expenses, etc. If school's can get away with high ticket prices, they will. However, they can easily reduce prices, too. No luxury tax in college football.
I don't mind covering the cost of Jeter's salary or that of any other player. I just don't like a substantial portion of the ticket price going to the owner of a team in another city. Why should my money have been going to Bud Selig when he owned the Brewers? Let's not forget he still controlled the team through his daughter.
Speculators gobble up tickets because someone will buy them for even more money.
Jim I know you were joking. So was I, when I said, "It's the chance I took." I actually laughed when I read what you wrote. Tone is lost sometimes with these forums.
As for your fan...do you think maybe its possible someone else's name is also named Jim??? j/k
Jim, we actually don't disagree that much. (Damn!) Like you, I am no big fan of revenue sharing and the luxury tax, but again, compare MLB with the NFL and NBA and tell me which of the three systems you prefer?
Do you really think that Yankee management are being forced into punishing their fans, er, corporate backers by charging hefty prices for the seats? Look it another way, Jim: if the luxury tax was repealed tomorrow, those seats that you covet would not drop by one dime.
Regarding the college game, I admit not to having numbers in front of me, but I am confident that the costs associated with student scholarships pales in comparison to the uber-sweet television and marketing deals.
Here's a surprising link for you on college sports financies:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/05/16/ncaa
Thanks for the link, Bob. I had been thinking of bringing up the substance of this information, but didn't want to get bogged down with it. To summarize the pertinent point, as far as I'm concerned: College athletics, despite the huge revenues it generates, actually loses money for the overwhelming number of schools in D-I. That's why most faculty senates are against upgrading to D-I. I know at Stony Brook, where I got my undergrad and grad degrees the move to D-I was full of angry debate. The baseball team there produced Joe Nathan and has had a few others drafted, but the athletic program is an overall money loser.
JE, you are probably right in a general sense, to wit: The Yankees will never lower ticket prices, no matter what happens to salaries, luxury tax rates, etc. But, the Yankees are also well known for plowing revenues back into overal operation of the franchise and could be expected to better control ticket prices and use the loot to remain extremely competitive by continuing to go out an pay over slot, fund an extensive scouting operation, etc.
But, at the end of the day, the club has to pass along the luxury tax bill. The money doesn't materialize out of thin air. I hope the Yankees substantially reduce their payroll, if only for one year, just so they don't have to transfer tens of millions to MLB and other owners. I don't enjoy paying high ticket prices, but I don't let him prevent me from attending games. I do resent subsidizing Billy Beane.
Thanks, Bob. It was an interesting read. Still, aren't university endowments are fatter than ever, recent economic troubles notwithstanding?
Jim, I agree with some of your concerns, but I would rather have had the Yankees cut payroll a couple of years ago as opposed to trying to evade taxes by having taxpayers replace a so-called icon with a new stadium with lots and lots of luxury boxes.
Jonathan Paplebon called - he wants to write the last comment on this blog.
Let's go Mets!
I absolutely HATE Stankee Stadium!
I just watched the All Star Parade outside my office window (highlights tonight on Fox at 7p). Not surprisingly, the Yankees All Stars and Yankees Hall of Famers got the biggest cheers. Also not surprising was the Red Sox All Stars got booed.
I should have closed the parade also!
Jim, Teams in every sport raise ticket prices. Corporated companys can afford the prices.The average fan gets hurt by the rise of ticket prices. If you don't want to pay for the tickets, go watch the games on TV or listern to the games on the radio, or go on the internet and watch games there.
The writers voting for the HOF have a very tough job. They have to do research on all these players that are up in the ballot. Recently, players are being voted in by the writers into the HOF because they reach certain milestones in there career.
George was wailing 15 years ago that he couldn't compete with the Angeloses and Jacobses and the Torontos of this game because of all the revenue they generated from their new stadiums with all the luxury boxes. And he needed a new stadium to compete (and even headed into racism territory blaming the neighborhood his was located in preventing him from drawing decent crowds). That didn't turn out so bad at all. But those guys were the teams that really jacked up the salaries and overpaid more than even George did. He responded the only way he ever did--by coming back at them and outspending them--thus General George claimed victory over his adversaries once again. And he got his new stadium to boot and he probably doubles the second team in sports in total revenue brought in every year, not to mention the value of the franchise is worth well over $1billion now.
But in this day and age you really can't be playing baseball in stadiums that were built 70 years ago. They aren't made for the people of today (seats are too small, aisles too cramped etc.), are falling apart and have obstructed views. From what I've seen of the new Stadiums they both look nice and if any of you can actually afford to go, you will probably love them and they should last 50 years or more.