Reason – Eric Boehm: Much has been written and many discussions have been had about Major League Baseball teams holding cities hostage with demands that they pay for a new stadium. That problem isn’t only found in MLB, but also in Minor League Baseball and independent leagues like the Atlantic League. The Atlantic League, in particular, makes stadiums paid for with tax dollars almost an unwritten requirement of a city getting a team. The results are to be expected: the promised economic boom never happens, and eventually, cities are left with unused stadiums that they are still paying off years after the team has relocated to swindle another cities taxpayers. Shouldn’t millionaire owners, at any level, be financing their own stadiums?
Deadspin – Marc Normandin: MLB free agency is broken, only the staunchest of bootlickers will argue otherwise. However, getting veteran players the free agent contracts they deserve won’t in and of itself fix free agency or MLB’s broken economic system. There are issues with arbitration, service time, and MiLB pay that need to be addressed as well. There will be a work stoppage sometime soon, and when that happens there will be a number of issues that need to be addressed and remedied, not just free agency.
CPBL Stats – Joe-Joe: I recommend watching as much professional baseball as you can. Whether that baseball is taking place in Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, Germany, or America; seek it out and watch said baseball. Sometimes watching foreign baseball means games being broadcast in a language you can neither read or understand. Take the time to try and learn the basics to better understand that language as it relates to baseball and you will enjoy the experience even more. I watch a lot of Chinese Professional Baseball League games, and this guide (the first in a series) will help myself, and any other English language watchers, to better read and understand the Mandarin used during the broadcasts.
Lead photo courtesy of Lin Cheng-kung – Taipei Times
