David Price

[lew]

I don't watch many sports and actually find baseball about as exciting as watching grass grow, but when I read about a guy getting an absolutely stupid salary like 31 million a year for throwing a ball around I just have to shake my head and wonder where the priorities are in this world.

 

A year ago a cancer surgeon used his skills & saved my wife's life and although I have no idea how much a surgeon like him earns, he probably makes less in a year than this pitcher makes in a week to throw a ball.

 

I know it's apples and oranges but it sure doesn't make any sense to me, but of course that's only my opinion.

Edited December 7, 2015 by lew

[Headhunter]

Lew, I fully agree with your point, that amount of money just seems ludicrous.

But, for a moment, let's just look at this with an open mind. 31 mill per year is a lot of money, no doubt, but someone has to be making that money, in order to pay him that.

So, if the team is generating that much money through ticket sales, TV rights and merchandising, than it seems to me that either the team and it's ownership is going to pocket the money or they can spend it on their "employees".

No one goes to a ball game or watches it on tv to see the teams owners sitting in the owners box, they spend their hard earned cash to see players play and win.

The money is there or they simply wouldn't pay it.

From the players point of view, their "talents" are generating huge amounts of money for the league and their owners. Rightfully or wrongly, the players are asking and getting "their piece of the pie".

Gottta be a really big pie!

HH

[lew]

I know what your saying Joe, I was just commenting on how insane salaries are becoming for athletes compared to the salaries of folks who actually make a difference in this world....like the surgeon that saved my wife's life.

 

The imbalance is just ridiculous.

[FrankTheRabbit]

Indeed, the money they make is pretty unreal, compared to the majority of us. But the lucrative sports contracts will always be that way. NBA players, NFL players, professional race car drivers (Michael Schumacher raked in nearly $100mil per season during his World Champion days, which included salary and endorsement money...Tiger Woods made that amount as well), etc all make crazy amounts of money. HH is spot on...all those endorsements, ticket sales, etc...there's a big piece of pie to be had that many entities are involved in.

 

But despite all of the huge money contracts, they've also set time aside for their own charities. David Price has his Project 14 (community support programs for youths) and Jose Bautista has his Bautista Family Education Fund (assist and support young amateur athletes). They may not be life saving surgeons, but at least they've shown that they still have a human side.

[Headhunter]

And don't forget the tax implications that these athletes enjoy by setting up charitable foundations.

HH

[John Bacon]

And don't forget the tax implications that these athletes enjoy by setting up charitable foundations.

HH

 

Wouldn't they get the same tax benefits that anyone else gets when they donate to charity? I.e. income taxes would be reduced by a portion of what you donate.

 

The taxible benefit for charitable donations will always be less than the donation itself.

[Headhunter]

Yes they would John, but as you know, they don't have to set up charities, they choose to...

Slightly off-topic, but I heard an interview with Josh Donaldson and he mentioned that he played 3 or 4 years of baseball as a pro, before he saw a comma in his pay cheque!

HH

[woodenboater]

This all falls on Ed Rogers' doorstep. He didn't have the stones to stick up for AA when it came down to the brass tacks, which he should have. I think Toronto Life did a profile of Eddy and his wife and it wasn't the most flattering piece but probably was close to the truth from what I know and have heard.

[fishing n autograph]

Yes they would John, but as you know, they don't have to set up charities, they choose to...

Slightly off-topic, but I heard an interview with Josh Donaldson and he mentioned that he played 3 or 4 years of baseball as a pro, before he saw a comma in his pay cheque!

HH

ball players in low A ball make on average $300 a month and get $20 a day for food unless they are a bonus baby.

[FrankTheRabbit]

So I found out through a source close to AA why he quit.

 

Before Shapiro got control of the team AA had all the negotiations and contract ready to be signed by price and they had agreed on terms. Which in AAs and the fans eyes they may have sold the farm to get him but at least he resigned. When Shapiro came in, he said no to Price. Price wanted to stay in Toronto.

Totally shaking my head still...It's been two months, but the more we hear what happened behind closed doors, the more I don't like what Ed Rogers and Shapiro are doing to the team. They're really not trying their best to build a contender and instead, they're building something on the cheap. Cheap doesn't get you to the playoffs and this probably will resonate into the locker room.

[jimmer]

Fans need to stay away if they are unhappy with the changes. Unfortunately, that will probably result in losing a couple of other players in the near future. It's all about the bottom line for business people.