Fair Ball This book was based off of Bob Costas opinion on baseball. I recommend reading this book because he was full of great ideas for the Major Leagues. Any real baseball fan needs to read a copy of Bob Costas' "Fair Ball." Costas addresses the issues pressing Major League Baseball, its owners, its players, and its fans. Everything that caused the 1994 work stoppage could happen again after next season. However, Costas very thoughtfully lays out a plan primarily for the owners, since they should be able to master what they own. Revenue sharing, Costas' plan calls for revenue to be shared among the teams currently with the most money would still have more than the others, but the disparity would not be as great. Salary limits, teams would all have a salary cap and a salary floor. The lowest paid major leaguers would get a raise, and the highest paid would get a ceiling. Realignment - Under the "Fair Ball" plan, only the Houston Asters would be moved. They would go from the NL Central to the AL West. Read the book for his reasoning. He wants to keep the two three-division leagues. Wild Card Playoff - Costas says kill the wild-card and give the best record in each league a first-round bye. His argument revolves around the importance of pennant races to the game of baseball. The wild-card spot negates any pennant races, since second place wins a post-season spot, too. He says that the end of the season is more exciting without the wild-card. Here's some of the rest of his ideas: Lose the DH. No longer needed. Expand All-Star rosters. Have an international draft. Force umpires to enforce a true strike zone. Utilize instant replay. Bring in more front-office minorities. Keep Pete Rose out of baseball but in the Hall of Fame.
The commissioner is in favor of abolishing the DH, but there is one problem. “The problem is that the all-mighty players’ union loves the DH because it creates an extra roster spot and enables good hitters to hang on for several years after their prime.” If the players want the DH rule then we should keep it. Why get rid of something that the players don’t want to get rid of. Japan and the National League are the only two places not using the DH.
However, if the current rules remain in place and baseball continues without a salary cap, the only hope a small market team may have is to fend for themselves on the big market with financially superior teams. This becomes an exceedingly harder task when one team can afford the salary of two top players while those contracts are equal to the entire payroll of another team’s entire roster. Therefore, the question remains should baseball implement a salary cap, and if they do, how would it come into play. When asking the question regarding the salary cap, four supporting ideas arise for either the implementation of a salary cap or keeping it nonexistent.
Under the protection of Major League Baseball’s (“MLB”) longtime antitrust exemption, Minor League Baseball (“MiLB”) has continuously redefined and reshaped itself according to Baseball’s overall needs. But while MLB salaries have increased dramatically since the MLB reserve clause was broken in 1975, the salaries of minor league players have not followed suit.
Nemec, David, and Saul Wisnia. 100 Years of Baseball. Lincolonwood, Ill.: Publications International, 2002, Print.
This novella begins with a group of noblemen getting together for dinner. They notice that one man, Manetto the woodworker,
Grendel, as a character, has a much more complex identity than just a monster and a human. Some, such as Ruud, classify him as a mixture of three different characteristics, but alone, they tend to conflict with each other. By making the connection that Grendel represents immorality, the previous idea makes more sense, while simultaneously incorporating more aspects of the character into the analysis. In either case, Grendel represents much more than meets the eye, and provides a fascinating insight into
Grendel is born a neutral being, perhaps even good, but nevertheless, without hate. The transition which he undergoes to become evil is due to misunderstandings between himself and humans and also meeting with a dragon who is questionably evil. As a young “monster”, Grendel knew nothing other than the cave he lived in and his mother who could not speak any distinguishable language. He was a playful creature who seemed to be like a “bla...
Example one is that it would be different for each sports to fit the needs of the number of players like golf cap would be different from football. Secondly put salary caps so one collage can't pay one player more than another collage so players are not influenced by the amount of money. Lastly "minimum salary could be $25,000 per player in each sport. This would obviously not make the athletes rich, but it would give them enough to live like typical college students." (Nocera). So everybody would get paid fair.
Grendel exhibits human feelings and characteristics in many ways. Although Grendel is a monster “forced into isolation by his bestial appearance and limited imagination” (Butts) he yearns to be a part of society; he craves companionship while he is isolated. With his “ear pressed tight against the timbers [of Hart]” (43), he watches and listens to the humans and what goes on in Hart, the meadhall of King Hrothgar, to feel like he is a part of civilization. He also has feelings in relation to specific humans. Just like the citizens of Denmark, he is extremely affected by the Shaper and his songs that are “aswim in ringing phrases, magnificent, golden, all of them, incredibly, lies” (43). Grendel is profoundly “moved by the power of the Shaper’s poetry” (Butts). Queen Wealtheow shows Grendel the feminine, sweet, and kind side of life. “She had secret wells of joy that overflowed to them all” and her peaceful effect on those around her is a main cause of Grendel’s almost obsessive fascination with her and in turn, drives Grendel to feelings of rage. Grendel’s humanlike feelings show that his personality is similar to that of a human, helping those who read his story to relate to him.
Unfortunately, baseball has become more concerned about profit and less about winning percentage pennants won. It's good there is still fans in the country that ignore all the economics about baseball and just love to watch the game being played. Media has played the biggest part in exposing baseball and making it more of a business then it should be. Baseball is a growing business in the 21st century and it can only expand. The economics of baseball is not that noticeable, if it is ignored and there is more focus on winning and losing. Hopefully, people realize this and won't help Major League Baseball go down the tubes.
Grendel feels like an outcast in the society he lives in causing him to have a hard time finding himself in the chaotic world. He struggles because the lack of communication between he and his mother. The lack of communication puts Grendel in a state of depression. However, Grendel comes in contact with several characters with different philosophical beliefs, which allows his to see his significance in life. Their views on life influence Grendel to see the world in a meaningful way.
In Chapter 8, Grendel exclaims, “I’m a machine. Like all of you. Blood-lust and rage are my character,” (Gardner 123). This profound statement establishes a connection between Grendel and the ambiguous “you,” the reader. The monster, though he confesses to his wrongdoing, asserts that readers are no better than he. Countless bible verses reiterate this concept: “For all have sinned,” (Romans 3:23) “[Humans] are all. .impure with sin,” (Isaiah 64:6). Gardner’s reminder to readers of mankind’s predisposition to sin earns pity for the monster. He expands on these sympathies by describing the nature of Grendel’s lonely existence. “But there was one thing worse,” Grendel states after discovering the dragon’s charm, “no weapon could cut me,” (Gardner 75). In this moment, nihilism overcomes Grendel; if fighting poses no danger, it has no purpose, and neither does he. Any reader who has had an experience which challenged his or her values cannot help but feel empathetic towards the purposeless creature. Perhaps more piteous, however, is the suggestion that Grendel has no choice in being “the dark side. . the terrible race God cursed,” (Gardner 51). The dragon condemns Grendel as “the brute existent by which [humans] learn to define themselves,” telling him that it is worthless to better his character (Gardner 72). It is not until after
When the A’s came into town, the GM of baseball’s richest team, the New York Yankees, stated, “It’s like Coke and their secret formula – you don’t let the secret formula out” . Sabermetrics have become such a normal part of the baseball scouting process that now ex-Phillies GM Ruben Amaro was fired in part because of his refusal to adapt to this new reality. Michael Lewis himself has admitted, “the book probably cost the A’s an opportunity or two” . While this poses as a problem, Billy Beane continues to demonstrate another leadership skill he has up his sleeve: addressing change. Despite the fact that the A’s have lost those two MVPs, and many other All-Star quality players; despite the fact that everyone around the league is doing what the Athletics have been doing somehow Oakland finds a way to succeed with their relatively empty wallets. Oakland has catapulted itself back into the playoffs each of the last three years. Understandably, Billy Beane has kept his cards closer to his chest, and exactly what he has done to promote this new era of success is less transparent. One could point to the hiring of Bob Melvin, who won the 2012 AL Manager of the Year with the A’s, as Billy Beane once again brilliantly noticing a diamond in the rough. However if you take a closer look, you
...life. In not seeking the connection between heart, mind, and soul, Grendel lives a disjointed life, fulfilling the prophecy of the dragon; all is meaningless, because it is meaningless to and through him. "Nihil ex nihilo, I always say."
Grendel is the embodiment of all that is evil and dark. He is a descendant of Cain and like Cain is an outcast of society. He is doomed to roam in the shadows. He is always outside looking inside. He is an outside threat to the order of society and all that is good. His whole existence is grounded solely in the moral perversion to hate good simply because it is good.