Congrats to my friend over at Short Porch in Right Field for knowing that Zip Zabel pitched 18.1 innings of relief on June 17, 1915. Today’s question is below.

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Dear, Mr. Bud Selig and MLB

I am sure by now you have seen the effect that the economy has had on baseball. Ticket prices are being frozen, fans can not afford to go to games, and even some families can not afford to sign their kids up for little league.

So I am calling MLB out right now. MLB you have to much money. While hundreds of thousands of people lose their jobs and their homes players like A-Rod, Manny, and Big Papi get paid by the millions. So while it is not baseball’s fault I want you to do something! Out of the top paid players in the three major sport leagues (MLB, NBA, NFL) Alex Rodirguez ($22,708,525) beat out Kevin Garnett ($20,000,000) and Peyton Manning ($18,700,000) for the most money that one athlete gets paid in one season.

This offseason though do to the terrible economy players like Adam Dunn, Bobby Abreu, and Ivan Rodriguez who are established veterans settled for contracts that would pay ten, five, and one and a half million a season. Some say that Dunn and Abreu took pay cuts because of their defense but then explain Pudge and I will not take the excuse that he is old. 

Now I am not saying that what the economy is doing to baseball is good. I am just saying that baseball needs a pay cut. I love baseball like the many people here at MLBlogs but I mean teachers, police officers, construction workers, authors, and doctors get paid a lot less then athletes. At the end of the day A.) half of the people who play baseball play for the money and B.) those people I mentioned earlier are a lot more important then baseball players.

I say lets see who plays baseball for the money by paying athletes the amount of money a teacher or a doctor would get for one season and whoever leaves baseball for money kick them out. These are players kids like me love to see play. If A-Rod leaves kick him out. If Big Papi leaves kick him out. If Lance Berkman leaves kick him out. Maybe with some of the extra money teams can put more money for the fans.

Some teams care about their fans. Other teams just care if their fans buy a ticket, a hot dog, and a foam finger.  Luckily I am a fan of the Boston Red Sox who treat their fans world class. I mean everyone from hotdog vendors to players to coaches to executives care about their fans. To some executives baseball is a business. To others it is a monopoly. Then to others it is a gift to be an executive and if they do not do their job and have their fans like them they will get fired. 

Now the big question comes up. Will the Red Sox continue their sellout streak? There are many tickets left right now and most of them are not bad seats because many people can not afford them. Either the Red Sox need to make more seats lowing the supply and demand or need to lower ticket prices. The only game that I am aware of right now that is sold out is opening night, Red Sox versus Yankee games, and a few Red Sox versus Rays games. I think the streak will continue though. It might have a few rough spots this season but I believe that the streak will continue this season.

Another thing that I imagine as very stressful would be owning a team that is building a new ballpark. Sure right now the only teams building one are the Mets and the Yankees, two huge market teams but still. The Marlins, Rays, and Athletics are all looking and or planing to build a new home in the next few years. Every thing is going to cost more and when your a small market team every penny matters unlike the Yankees who just throw millions out the windows.

So Mr. Selig I have one solution that will solve the baseball money problem and help horrible economy. Option A is to have a salary cap. Now what might you do with the big market teams money? Well first you could either give it to the teams that do not have enough money. Then if there is any left over (and I am sure there will be) give it to charity and to people that have lost their job are are losing their house.

Now I know Mr. Selig that I am just a kid who can not spell, does not get paid at all, and only owns about seven jersey’s but we are the next generations of fans. If you do not care about us then you might lose even more fans. The steroid era has already left its mark on baseball I do not want the economy to do the same. A few of my friends have already left baseball for the NBA, the NFL, the NHL and one even has “switched” to MMA and many are about to. I though will stay a fan for now unless you annoy us kids and do not do something. So Mr. Selig please fix this problem.

From Bob, a sixth grade Red Sox fan

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Also I plan on mailing this letter to Bud Selig. So I am doing what Julia sort of did. If you want to sign it please fell free to. If you want to comment on this entry though you can but I will not include the comment in my letter unless you ask me to. If you want to just comment but you do not want to sign you can do that also. Just tell me.

Also I would like to thank all of you very much! You guys recently voted me on to the next round of Max Madness! It was really close and I think the final vote was 52% to 48%. Elizabeth you did very well and I was hoping that it would tie at 50 to 50. Facing a friend sounds easy till you actually have to do it.

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