[2BNTV]

Back in the old days of baseball, the owners had all of the power. If a ballplayer did not sign a contract , he wasn't able to play baseball for any team.

When Ralph Kiner told the owners he wanted a raise from 20K to 27K, the owners asked him what placed the team had finished last year. He replied, last. The owner said, we can finish in last place without you.

When the owners gave the players union to right to arbitrate, the balance of power shifted to the ballpayers. Ball players that were making the minimum of 30,000 per year were able to arbitrate and make 2 million per year times 2,000. We are talking about role players, not the superstars. The salary structure of baseball was forever altered. This event threw the economics of baseball out of whack and not the few superstars, that get enormous sums of money!!!

When free agency went into effect, the salaries skyrocketed for superstars as teams bidded, to get the best free agent. I for one now love, (being scarcastic), that teams pay 50M, to get the rights to sign, a foreign born player and then another several hundred million, for him to play.

Ballplayers view themselves as entertainers and should be paid accordingly. We the fans, are suckers because the prices to see a ballgame, are absorbed, by us.