Juan Gonzalez eyeing return.

[HollywoodLeo]

I wouldn't care. I'm being paid 1 million dollars a year to play a game for a living.

Let the other guy have his 10 million. I'll enjoy my luxury to play baseball for a living and help my team win.

[HollywoodLeo]

Also, I know at Coors Field, you can bring in your own food. As long as you do not bring in glass bottles.

You can do that at PetCo as well. You still have to buy their $8 beers, though.

But, don't you think ticket and vending prices would be smaller if the owners didn't have to pay the players 10s of millions of dollars?

[redsrbetter]

That is definitely true. I can agree with that. And what is a baseball game for a kid growing up if he can't experience a ballpark hot dog? And what is a game for a grown man who cannot have an ice cold beer? They definitely get their money from the fans that way. But let me ask you this, what else are you going to do with your family that night because you choose to do something less expensive?

AVG Family: (Dad, Mom, 2 kids)

4 Tickets to the ballpark: $20
2 Beers: $16
4 Hot Dogs: $16
2 Sodas: $10

TOTAL: $62

Meal at favorite restaurant:
Appetizer: $7
Dad's Steak: $12
Mom's dinner: $12
Kids meal X2: $12
Dad's Beer: $6
Mom and kids drinks: $9 for all 3

TOTAL: $58

Movies:
2 adult tickets and 2 kids: $24
Large popcorn: $6
2 large sodas: $8
2 kids drinks: $6
candy for the kids: $8

TOTAL: $52

See how close that all is. Now tell me what you would rather do. Go see famous baseball players and give your kids the experience of a lifetime or go to a dinner or movie? Most people would actually do both the dinner and movie, and not complain too much about the money. Baseball game would be much cheaper than that. And a better option if you ask me.

[HollywoodLeo]

For starters, there's always the option of staying home.

Also, the movies wouldn't cost me that much.

Movies:
2 adult tickets and 2 kids: $24
Large popcorn: $5 (Large popcorn's usually closer to 5, and that's rounding up. I know this stuff, I go to the movies a lot.)
2 large sodas: $8
2 Small sodas: $5
candy I bought at the supermarket and snuck into the theater because the movies are also overpriced: $2

TOTAL: $38 if we bring in candy, 42 if we get the popcorn...because we're not doing both.

(I don't have kids, but I have had this experience bringing my nieces and nephew to the movies.)

Anyways, that's all a moot point. Things shouldn't be overpriced just because other options would cost just about as much.

[A'sDiehard]

Might not be big money but how many of them have a degree? I don't know, if someone could look it up. What if they blew all there money already and needed money. Baseball might just be all they know if they don't have a degree.

The majority of MLB players are drafted right out of high school so I'd bet that the number of players with a degree is very low (compared to the NFL or NBA). That said the A's have been drafting guys out of college for some time now as well as quite a few other teams so it may be changing.

[redsrbetter]

You get my point though Leo, just about everything you do whether it is alone or with a family will be equally as expensive. I get the whole stay at home thing, I like the idea if you are watching a game. But remember, those cable channels are paying the salaries too. And you pay the cable bill. In some fashion, we are all paying toward these players salaries and in most of those cases we enjoy it.

[HollywoodLeo]

The cable bill thing is a stretch because I watch plenty of other things on cable, not just sports. That bill would still exist if sports players recieved reasonable salaries. And by "reasonable" I don't even mean less than 1 mil per.

And I don't really understand your point because, as I stated, it's moot.

Anyways, that's all a moot point. Things shouldn't be overpriced just because other options would cost just about as much.

[redsrbetter]

It would be a moot point if baseball fans were not arguing about how much money the players make.

[HollywoodLeo]

I just can't fathom justifying paying 5 bucks for a hot dog, 8 bucks for a beer, and 50 bucks for a seat when they're that high to help the owners pay baseball players 20 mil/year to play a game for a living.

It's even more insulting on the occasions in which said baseball players imply that they need more money to "feed their family"

[realmofotalk]

It's even more insulting on the occasions in which said baseball players imply that they need more money to "feed their family"

If you take into consideration that Latinos are baby making machines and/or alimony ATMs (for example Juan Gonzalez), they may not be lying.