BURGER SCOOT

As a rule I hate billionaires. Like AOC and Bernie says, I believe they “should not exist.” But like flies and mosquitos I guess they have their place. On second thought, we definitely could live without billionaires, though professional sports would look very different. I also question the existence of certain people who do billionaires’ bidding, like the Commissioner of Major League Baseball.

The reason for a Commissioner is something I first pondered when I saw the Chicago “Black Sox” segment in Ken Burns’ Baseball documentary when Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis was elected by the team owners and as his first order was to ban the eight players from baseball for life.

Every once in a while–usually after they do or say something stupid or something that reveals how utterly tone deaf the Commish is towards the most important piece of the entire enterprise: the fans. In these times when it looks like I will be losing my favorite baseball team I can’t help, but see MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred as simply a bagman for the billionaire owners.

Since I can’t seem the get inspired to write about anything these days, I’m forwarding stuff like this video. First the Rays, then the A’s whose records over the years I chiefly blame the owners. And now the Brewers?

Manfred is doing a great job making me hate the business of Major League Baseball. Last season my wife and I attended a Sacramento City College baseball game. It was okay, but the errors and the sound of the composite bats connecting with the balls took some of the excitement and romance out of the experience, but what were we to expect? I later attended a California State University, Sacramento ball game. The play was better, but there’s still that Little League sound of the metal bats connecting with the balls.

A little further away are the Pacific Coast League’s (AAA) Sacramento River Cats. I used to go to a few games a season, but both the death of my father, who l loved attending those games with, and the A’s losing that AAA team to the San Francisco Giants took some of the fun out of it. Still, I just may start attending some of those games if the business of baseball continues to eclipse the game of baseball in my conscience.

Finally, check out one of my favorite YouTubers’ latest on what a crazy season baseball this has been. Included in this 20:35-minute video is an excellent segment on the Oakland A’s Reverse Boycott and how I am clearly not the only A’s fan that hates John Fisher.