I’m happy for Juan Soto—he deserves that $750M. But it’s a stark reminder of a rigged system: billionaires can spend outrageous money on baseball players while regular folks get screwed. Meanwhile, Trump stacks his cabinet w/ rich guys who’ll only help themselves. No wonder people are so pissed. - ThreadSky

mikenellis.bsky.social • 84 days ago

I’m happy for Juan Soto—he deserves that $750M. But it’s a stark reminder of a rigged system: billionaires can spend outrageous money on baseball players while regular folks get screwed. Meanwhile, Trump stacks his cabinet w/ rich guys who’ll only help themselves. No wonder people are so pissed.

Comments

ih8politics.bsky.social•84 days ago

It's outrageous!! He's a money whore. He's no Shohei Otani believe me. And how stupid are the Mets. MLB needs to Stop this insane money grabbing assholes.

baudi.bsky.social•84 days ago

Soto has an extremely rare skill set and a bunch of billionaire owners valued it was worth $700+ million to them. Why do you care? I'm sure you never turned down a raise or a bonus, right?

ih8politics.bsky.social•84 days ago

He is not, is not worth the money.

baudi.bsky.social•84 days ago

He’s worth whatever team owners are willing to pay him.

moderatewill.bsky.social•83 days ago

He's a very good hitter and a mediocre fielder. His .285 career average is hardly a rare skill set.

baudi.bsky.social•83 days ago

Batting average? That's your argument? @slangsonsports.bsky.social has posted some great comparisons of Soto's skills. For example:

Most seasons with 30+ HR & 100+ walks before turning 26:

Juan Soto: 3
Ted Williams: 3
Mickey Mantle: 3

baudi.bsky.social•83 days ago

Most career seasons with 25+ HR & 125+ walks:

Barry Bonds: 10
Babe Ruth: 10
Ted Williams: 8
Juan Soto: 4

moderatewill.bsky.social•83 days ago

Soto's skill set is that he is a very good hitter. He'll be a DH-only before long. We'll see in 10 years if he can hold a staristical candle to any of these guys, or if he's another Albert Puljos who gets the big contract and goes south. Now, Mays, *that* was a guy with an extremely rare skill set.

baudi.bsky.social•83 days ago

Or how about:

Fewest career games to 200+ HR & 700+ walks:

Frank Thomas: 849
Ted Williams: 900
Babe Ruth: 907
Juan Soto: 926

mikenellis.bsky.social•84 days ago

I don't blame Soto, tbh. Good for him for getting paid. It's the broader issue with the system that allows this for to happen that bugs me.

cocodensmore.bsky.social•84 days ago

Not pissed enough. And the right people, the people who swung the election, aren't pissed at all.

brooksbannister.bsky.social•84 days ago

There are two kinds of owners in baseball: those who throw money around like it’s candy and get every good player and those who spend like they’re Mr. Krabs and produce a bottom-feeding team.

its-just-logical.bsky.social•84 days ago

To see a pro game is crazy costly. To watch my local proteams on TV costs subscription.

F that !

I have found great teams to watch for free …. They are in Europe & Mexico - a team is a team a game is a game. Youtube works !

More people like me means costs will come down here!

#DontBlameMe

phil-stokoe.bsky.social•84 days ago

He plays a fucking game. He absolutely does not deserve $750 million. No one does. It should be taxed at marginal rates so high as to make it not worth paying anyone that kind of money in the first place.

franklinsouze.bsky.social•84 days ago

No athlete / entertainer deserves $750 M.......period.
That being said, good for Soto, bad for baseball & those non gambling fans who support MLB by attending, watching & listening to their favorite MLB games.

lildonnyb.bsky.social•84 days ago

No one deserves $750,000,000. I mean it’s better than the owner just keeping it, but still.

mikenellis.bsky.social•84 days ago

I mean, I tend to agree but in the context of the system I applaud him for getting his own. What I hate is the system itself because that money is largely coming from exploited workers—but that's not Soto's fault or responsibility.

lildonnyb.bsky.social•84 days ago

Well, he is profiting off of those exploited workers. It’s sort of like John Elway bitching about people needing to earn it like he did when he played his entire career in publicly funded stadiums that drove the popularity of the game he profited from. Without those venues elway is nothing.

lavendesic.bsky.social•84 days ago

People pay $15 a beer at Yankee stadium to see Juan Soto, not some scrub.

mikenellis.bsky.social•84 days ago

Well now they can pay them at Citi Field

lioness1222.bsky.social•84 days ago

I don't begrudge anyone getting paid. It does however remind me of how poor a lot of school districts are, how we under pay teachers and how children are suffering because of lack of funding for critical needs like food, housing, medical care, etc.

mikenellis.bsky.social•84 days ago

Soto was good about giving back when he was in Washington, so I hope he continues that.

peterdragon.bsky.social•84 days ago

I hope you aren't implying Yankees (Steinbrenner) or Nationals (Lerner family ) are "regular folks "

greyghost11.bsky.social•84 days ago

Beers at Citifield just went up to $25

mikenellis.bsky.social•84 days ago

Still cheap compared to Yankee Stadium tho lol

copah.bsky.social•84 days ago

Amen.

rcz.bsky.social•84 days ago

I agree with you about trump but only half the country is pissed. The other half are all in and if they aren't then I've got no sympathy.

moderatewill.bsky.social•83 days ago

Only half of the "voters" are pissed, but they only represent about a 3rd of the country. A third voted for each candidate, and the other third doesn't care and didn't vote.

cardgrrl.bsky.social•84 days ago

Nobody meaningfully "deserves" three quarters of a billion dollars.

lizonline011.bsky.social•84 days ago

I wouldn’t be so pissed if Trump’s nominees had at least an idea of what their jobs would entail!

pasteresq.bsky.social•84 days ago

I spent the weekend in Idaho and eastern Washington. People there are happy as larks.

martin7466.bsky.social•84 days ago

Professional athletes are the product on the field. Fans should stop watching and going to games or just STFU.

peacockbruin.bsky.social•84 days ago

It’s also evidence that if billionaires really wanted to solve serious problems, they have the means to do so. But they believe they will have less power if those beneath them rise, so…

mikenellis.bsky.social•84 days ago

Yep—they're hoarders

mapekala.bsky.social•84 days ago

Meanwhile, half-way decent tickets for a family of four cost $320, and that’s before food, drinks, and parking.

mikenellis.bsky.social•84 days ago

Ticket prices are insane (although if you'll permit me a brag, I showed up at the last minute to the NLDS game at Citifield and got amazing tickets down the third base line for $110 five minutes before the first pitch)

mapekala.bsky.social•84 days ago

Way way way too expensive for a fan who isn’t well-off. These salaries are criminally out of whack.

laynedarlin.bsky.social•83 days ago

Hey Mike, I don’t know you, but you’re probably a pretty reasonable guy. I don’t get the whole hero worship of sports figures thing, or really any worship. But I can tell you without any showdown of doubt that no one in the history of the world is worth 750m. That is the root of all problems.

chrissyhoran.bsky.social•84 days ago

I'm just pissed he left the Washington Nationals years ago 🙁

mikenellis.bsky.social•84 days ago

They let him go! He wanted to stay

Huge mistake

gigismile.bsky.social•84 days ago

I'm a die hard Mets fan but I'm still disgusted by this.

robdodger1.bsky.social•83 days ago

I'm glad the Mutts signed Soto! I'm also glad that my Dodgers didn't sign Soto! Mutts still don't have enough to win it all. As for Trump? Eat your hearts out, Libs! Trump is surrounding himself with people he can trust, and who can do the jobs!

harry-lewiston.bsky.social•84 days ago

soon baseball will only exist in New York, Los Angeles, and Texas

mikenellis.bsky.social•84 days ago

Nah, I think we'll continue to get scrappy teams that figure it out. Baseball is such a high variance game—it can lead to fun outcomes (Cubs run in 2016, Nationals victory in 2019)

harry-lewiston.bsky.social•84 days ago

I agree with that, but it will be few and far between. In the East, I don't see how my #Nationals can compete with the Mets, Philly, and Atlanta.

I guess a better statement would have been, the superstars go to the rich teams only.

moderatewill.bsky.social•83 days ago

Those "fun outcomes" are going to be fewer and farther between now. The Dodgers broke baseball.

cabbageridge.bsky.social•84 days ago

And they expect tax breaks to build new stadiums

imperiledreader.bsky.social•83 days ago

I agree with your broader point. It would also be a good idea for the next Democratic trifecta to just end baseball's anti-trust exemption. No more shielding the owners from the angry public.

Also, at least Cohen is spending on the team this time, not on electing Eric Adams.

tyeeraven.bsky.social•83 days ago

Rich guys who detest UNIONS

displacedhawk.bsky.social•84 days ago

I will always support the players who often grew up poor and are now millionaires over the billionaires who often inherited a bunch of money from mom & dad.

mikenellis.bsky.social•84 days ago

Same! Rarely do I have any anger at the players—they deserve it (and Soto is amazing)

vegasdude83.bsky.social•84 days ago

They are pissed at the wrong people much of the time

mikenellis.bsky.social•84 days ago

Sometimes...

brynodc.bsky.social•84 days ago

I can barely spend $35 for a baseball player this month.

moderatewill.bsky.social•83 days ago

I'm happy enough for Juan Soto, but come on, he doesn't *deserve* any such thing.

synthaholic.bsky.social•84 days ago

No he doesn't. 😂

modifiedcub.bsky.social•84 days ago

I love sports but nobody deserves that much money for anything. Ridiculous. I understand how it works but it's nauseating to me. Outside of the Braves I rarely watch pro sports because they're all overpaid.

mtatro.bsky.social•84 days ago

Many of my fellow citizens appear to have the critical thinking abilities of a toddler. Easily enraptured by some bright shiny object, until some other bright shiny object grabs their attention. I don't know exactly what can be done about this when MSM is complicit in all this.

twolostsouls.bsky.social•83 days ago

Disagree overpaying pro athletes is inflationary and made as well be tariffs on sports fans. We pay to watch them on tv and it cost a family a fortune to see a baseball game. Soto a great player of course..but come on

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