Obscene

I have been, and continue to be, a lifelong NY Yankee fan. I am one of those people who bleed pinstripes. From April to October, most of my evenings are spent watching and wondering where my Boys of Summer are headed. Today, I learned that the Yankees had signed a free agent pitcher,CC Sabathia, to a 7 year contract worth $161 million. I am disgusted.

We have just paraded the heads of the Big 3 before the cameras in an attempt to humiliate them, and humble an industry too long full of hubris. Corporate jets, and all signs of excess were to be abandoned. We are in a time of crisis, the automakers helped drive us there, and they were to act contrite. One of the lessons being learned was now was not a good time for a show of wealth.

I understand that the Yankees are not the engine for our doom In fact, we can all use a little escape from reality. We are told things are bad and will get worse before they get better. In these times, let the sports world entertain us, but do your business in quiet.

There is talk of the team offering AJ Burnett, another sometime wonder on the mound, $85 million over 5 years. Andy Pettite, a pitcher on the tail end of a glorious career, is seeking $16 million to play one more year. The Record (my local newspaper) reports today that "the Yankees will zoom past the $200 million (payroll) threshold in the coming weeks without guilt or shame".

When I see hundreds of billions dollars being pumped into our economy to try to save it from collapse; when millions are unemployed; when mortgage foreclosures are epidemic; when we all live in fear that we are headed into the possibility of a depression, don't tell us that 25 baseball players are going to make probably close to $10 million per person this season.

Ticket prices already reflect the Steinbrenner muscle flexing. The closest an average family of 4 will get to a good seat to watch a Yankee game this season is from their living room. When I am sitting with my son or daughter watching the game on televsion, I would rather be discussing the math involving the pitches thrown by CC Sabathia then trying to figure out how much he is being paid every time he steps foot on the mound.

Now is the time for quiet to be the new loud. Tone it down boys and do your business behind closed doors. I want to be able to look forward to April with a pure heart. I want to yell at the players for their misdeeds on the field, not the money in their pockets. Let us have that, in a time when we have little else.