Late, great baseball union head Marvin Miller once explained that even if the owners thought they lost badly when free agency was granted, what the union really wanted was the right of arbitration. It’s the arbitration process that has driven baseball salaries through the roof much more quickly than free agency. The legal parameters and [...]
Archive for the ‘by Doug Bird’ Category
Here’s the latest article from Doug Bird, a Sunday contributor here. _________________ The unsuccessful teams get the high draft picks, stock the farm system, and if they have chosen wisely (and with a bit of luck) eventually improve. This happened with the Atlanta Braves in the 1990s, the Oakland A’s, and more recently, the Tampa [...]
Expanding MLB Playoffs: Good Idea or Another Bad Bud Selig Move?
Posted: 5th December 2010 by Doug Bird in by Doug BirdHere’s the latest guest post from Doug Bird, a regular Sunday contributor here. _________________ Many people are aware of my opinion of the job baseball commissioner Bud Selig has done during his tenure but for this article I will put aside those opinions and take an objective look at the proposal, discussing the pros and [...]
Sometimes The Vote Is For Best Player, Sometimes Not
Posted: 28th November 2010 by Doug Bird in by Doug BirdI’m pleased to present the latest guest post from Doug Bird, a Sunday contributor here. _______________ Traditionally, the winners of baseball’s major post season awards are those who have played on winning teams. The voting for best position player, (MVP) and best pitcher, (CY Young), has usually been heavily influenced by the success, or failure, [...]
I’m pleased to present the latest guest from Doug Bird, who recently began contributing Sunday posts here. Today, Doug writes about an ever-fun offseason topic: trades and free agency. ________________ No, not the real games, or maybe they are come to think of it. It’s the offseason and that brings silly trade rumors, players crying [...]
I Need A GM, A Manager, A Right Fielder, A Catcher And An Ace Starter
Posted: 14th November 2010 by Doug Bird in by Doug BirdI’m pleased to present the latest guest post from Doug Bird, who recently volunteered to start contributing Sunday articles here. _______________ The hunt for a new manager has begun for several major league teams with some having signed their new field boss and others still going through the interview process. Those teams with a settled [...]
The Little Giants Who Could
Posted: 7th November 2010 by Doug Bird in by Doug Bird, Giants 2010 postseasonUnofficially, it’s been San Francisco Giants Week here at Baseball: Past and Present. For anyone who wants to relive the Giants’ championship one more time, I am pleased to present this guest post from Doug Bird. __________________ It was a 56-year wait for the city by the Bay-not long by Cubs standards, but a lifetime [...]
The World Series 2010 Games One and Two, Or: Can’t Anyone Here Play This Game?
Posted: 31st October 2010 by Doug Bird in by Doug Bird, Giants 2010 postseasonI’m pleased to present the latest guest post by Doug Bird, who began contributing Sunday articles last week. Today, Doug offers a recap of the first two games of the World Series, written before Texas’s 4-2 victory in Game 3 on Saturday. _________________ Game 1: Giants 11, Rangers 7 Yeah, this was the pitcher’s duel [...]
The MLB Playoffs: No Day Games Commercials Between Pitches And Four Hour Games, TBS vs. Fox
Posted: 24th October 2010 by Doug Bird in by Doug BirdI’m pleased to present a guest post from Doug Bird, who has offered to write a regular Sunday post here. ________________ TBS hasn’t forgotten that the game is the star and not the announcer, Fox still hasn’t replaced the man with the golden voice with someone who actually cares about and pays attention to the [...]