Don't blame A-Rod for MLB's woes

By Jeff Daniels Sports Central Columnist

Ten years, $252 million. Wow! That's what everyone was saying when that contract was announced for Alex Rodriguez. Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks forked over $252 million for the rights to A-Rod's services for the next decade.

A-Rod's contract has come under attack with yet another work stoppage schedule just four days from now. Players and fans alike consistently bring up A-Rod's contract when discussing baseball's financial problems.

Curt Schilling, one of the top-paid players in baseball, making more than $10 million per season, was especially critical of Hicks and A-Rod's agent Scott Boras in a recent interview with ESPN radio.

Schilling called the contract a mistake. "I have a ton of respect for A-Rod. I think he's the best player in baseball. If I'm starting a franchise, he's the guy I start with. Tom Hicks felt that A-Rod deserved $252 million, which is a lot more money than anybody else was going to pay him. He's the owner. That's his right. But he was wrong. He made a mistake. It's unfortunate when owners make a mistake these days because the fans have to suffer."

It's sad to see Curt Schilling take the easy way out by blaming A-Rod's contract. A-Rod's contract is not why baseball is supposedly struggling financially. Rodriguez is without doubt the best player in baseball. At press time, he was batting .317 with 45 homers 113 runs batted in as well as eight stolen bases. Oh yeah, his fielding percentage was .991 and he has only committed five errors all year long.

A-Rod's resume also contains a 40-40 season and you can count on one hand the number of players that have accomplished that feat. And by the way, A-Rod was only 23 when he accomplished the feat in '98. I'm still not finished; he has hit more than 40 homers for five straight years. In a nutshell, it's just as Schilling said, he is, "simply the best," and that's why his contract is not the problem in baseball.

Baseball has problems because there are too many mediocre players being paid like superstars. Below is a short list of some of baseball's most overpaid players.

Mo Vaughn, $12,166,667 Darren Dreifort, $9,400,000 Andy Ashby, $8,000,000 Darrin Oliver, $7,000,000 David Segui, $6,762,895 Jose Offerman, $6,750,000 Todd Hundley, $6,500,000 Jeff Cirillo, $6,375,000 Tony Clark, $5,000,000 Alex Gonzalez, $4,250,000

Not one of the above mentioned players have made the all-star team over the past two seasons, but they average more than seven-million dollars in salary per season.

Let's be totally honest about A-Rod's deal. If Derek Jeter is worth $189 million over ten years, then A-Rod is worth every penny of his $252 million. Hicks did not make a mistake by paying A-Rod that salary; he simply went out and secured the services of baseball's best player. The owners need to use A-Rods contract as a positive!

I know what you're saying, "How can it be a positive?" Easy, because he is indeed the best player in baseball, and no one, I mean no one, should be paid more than that $25.2 million per year. A-Rod's deal should be used as a measuring stick.

There is only one A-Rod, but there are a ton of Tony Clark's and Alex S. Gonzalez's. I hate singling out Gonzalez, but he makes over four-million dollars a year yet has never batted over .300. His lifetime batting average is a paltry .245.

The best player in baseball should be paid like the best player in baseball, period. Michael Jordan made over $30 million dollars a year his last two seasons in Chicago, and he deserved every penny.

The stars should be paid like stars, but unfortunately for baseball and its fans, the mediocre players are also paid like stars. Baseball's top salaries are listed below. Please take a good look at the list. Now can you seriously blame A-Rod's deal when you compare it to the other top deals in baseball?

Alex Rodriguez, $25,200,000 Manny Ramirez, $20,000,000 Derek Jeter, $18,900,000 Sammy Sosa, $18,000,000 Barry Bonds, $18,000,000 Jason Giambi, $17,142,857 Jeff Bagwell, $17,000,000 Carlos Delgado, $17,000,000 Todd Helton, $15,722,222 Roger Clemens, $15,450,000 Mike Hampton, $15,125,000 Kevin Brown, $15,000,000 Chipper Jones, $15,000,000 Mike Mussina, $14,750,000 Shawn Green, $14,000,000

Article courtesy of Sports Central.