Friday, September 26, 2008

Friday 9-26

Some short takes on sports today:

Eric Gagne is making it very difficult to boo him nowadays. The whipping boy of the Brewers porous bullpen has been public enemy number one after blowing several games early in the season--while making a team-record ten-million dollars this year. But yesterday, Gagne won over many fans by purchasing five-thousand tickets for last night's game--then giving them away to fans for free. While the 50-thousand dollars it probably cost him to buy all of those tickets is pocket change for someone making ten-million dollars--it's still a very laudable act. Then Gagne goes out and pitches a scoreless inning of relief (after entering the game to a standing ovation). How are you supposed to boo a guy that comes through for the fans like that? We may actually miss his ten-million dollar butt next year.

CC Sabathia may not make ten-million dollars, but he is earning every single penny the Brewers are paying him this season. CC is in the final year of a contract the Crew acquired from Cleveland in his mid-season trade--and will likely get somewhere around 20-million a season on the free agent market this winter. But the Big Guy is putting all of that cash at risk by buying into Dale Sveum's "Desperation Rotation" strategy and agreeing to pitch on only three day's rest the last two weeks of the season. CC's agent has reportedly told the team to stop treating his star client like a rented mule--but Sabathia has told him to shut up, because he wants to make the playoffs with the Brewers. I think the Brewers should demand a federal bailout program to keep CC in the fold for another few years. It would do us here in Wisconsin more good than bailing out AIG.

Finally, it's unfortunate the Brewers won't be able to play at "home" for the final three games of their playoff push. A trip to "Wrigley Field North" this weekend to take on the Cubs will probably keep them from making the post-season. I hope the Brewer fans who sold their tickets to the Northside Numbskulls can sleep okay knowing they gave up their team's home field advantage for a bag full of gold coins. Maybe Eric Gagne can buy back all of those tickets and give them away to real fans.

1 comment:

  1. I was so glad I stayed up for the end of last night's game. Braun's grand slam was awesome! Maybe the Cubbies will give us the next 3 games to help us get into the playoffs??? :)

    ReplyDelete