How the Giants ruined baseball

[DocJJ]

I hate the Giants. They are tied for second place in my all-time most hated franchises with the Red Sox (behind the Yankees, of course).

Why do I hate the Giants?

They ruined baseball. On 3 separate and distinct occasions.

First, they stole the team from New York. In 1957, when San Francisco agreed to a deal to have the team move to San Francisco, this ushered in the era of teams moving to larger financial markets. Allegiance to a city and it's fan base had instantly become a thing of the past.

Then, in 1990, the Giants ruined baseball a second time. By signing career journeyman left-hander Bud Black and his career 83-82 record to a whopping $9 million 3 year deal. This ushered in the era of players picking the highest-bidder, and gross overpayment for mediocre players. This was the single transaction that launched the ridiculous free-agent free-for-all we now have destroying the game.

Finally, we come to the late 90's when Barry Bonds became the face of the franchise. The Giants may not have known he was a steroid abuser when he first came to San Francisco, but no doubt they learned of it at some point. They looked the other way and continued to make him the focal point of their marketing campaigns. In essence, condoning the behavior.

I hate them.

[Mad Mark]

I don't.

[bobmc]

I don't.

Yeah - don't get the hate theme for most things but I'm not perfect either. I was sad when they left in '57 but the Polo Grounds was a dump. I'm pulling for them now. I'm a bandwagoner.

[OFFNY]

I don't hate the Giants.

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[backwardsk]

Baseball is being destroyed? This is news to me.

[Too Tall]

I really thought you were going to say you hate them because:

- They proved you could get to the World Series with very good home grown pitching.

- They proved with very good pitching even a "so-so" offense could compete with the rest of each league.

- Thereby deminishing for another year the argument that the Big Markets like the Hankies can buy their way into everything - whenever.

A RING FOR HUFFSTER!!!!!!?

[sangar]

Baseball is being destroyed? This is news to me.

Baseball is not BEING destroyed, it HAS been destroyed. On three seperate occasions no less.

By definition once something has been destroyed is it possible to re-destroy it?

This doesn't mean today's game has been cancelled does it? That would be bad.

[sakata_catching]

Then, in 1990, the Giants ruined baseball a second time. By signing career journeyman left-hander Bud Black and his career 83-82 record to a whopping $9 million 3 year deal. This ushered in the era of players picking the highest-bidder, and gross overpayment for mediocre players. This was the single transaction that launched the ridiculous free-agent free-for-all we now have destroying the game.

Specious revisionist history, at best.

[waroriole]

They ruined baseball. On 3 separate and distinct occasions.

First, they stole the team from New York. In 1957, when San Francisco agreed to a deal to have the team move to San Francisco, this ushered in the era of teams moving to larger financial markets. Allegiance to a city and it's fan base had instantly become a thing of the past.

Then, in 1990, the Giants ruined baseball a second time. By signing career journeyman left-hander Bud Black and his career 83-82 record to a whopping $9 million 3 year deal. This ushered in the era of players picking the highest-bidder, and gross overpayment for mediocre players. This was the single transaction that launched the ridiculous free-agent free-for-all we now have destroying the game.

Finally, we come to the late 90's when Barry Bonds became the face of the franchise. The Giants may not have known he was a steroid abuser when he first came to San Francisco, but no doubt they learned of it at some point. They looked the other way and continued to make him the focal point of their marketing campaigns. In essence, condoning the behavior.

I hate them.

1. I wasn't around then, and won't pretend to know much about it.

2. This seems arbitrary and capricious. Why, of all contracts, did Bud Black for 3/$9M start ridiculous FA spending.

3. Why is Bonds any different than 80% of ML players the last 15-20 years? Why is associating with Bonds any different than ARod or McGwire or Sosa or hundreds of other players?

[sakata_catching]

First, they stole the team from New York. In 1957, when San Francisco agreed to a deal to have the team move to San Francisco, this ushered in the era of teams moving to larger financial markets. Allegiance to a city and it's fan base had instantly become a thing of the past.

I don't see how the Giants are any more culpable for this trend than the team you root for, who relocated from St. Louis three years prior to the Giants leaving NYC.

If you're going to hate on the Giants, hate them for the right reasons. Like stealing John McGraw and half the original NL Orioles roster in 1902.

[OFFNY]

GAME THREAD for Game # 3 with the lineups.

http://www.forum.orioleshangout.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2286753#post2286753

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[byrdz]

There's so much to hate about an underdog.

[Mark Carver]

I don't see how the Giants are any more culpable for this trend than the team you root for, who relocated from St. Louis three years prior to the Giants leaving NYC.

If you're going to hate on the Giants, hate them for the right reasons. Like stealing John McGraw and half the original NL Orioles roster in 1902.

The Browns/Orioles, Dodgers, Braves and Giants all have ruined baseball... as they have moved over a 5 year period.

[OFFNY]

Baseball is being destroyed? This is news to me.

The average salary for a major league player is over $ 3 Million per year. The league minimum is over $400,000 per year.

Face it: baseball is coming apart at the seams. I mean, how the hell are the players going to feed their families on such a pittance???

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[sangar]

Let's not forget about that giant Coke bottle in the outfield. They've commercialized our national pastime. Talk about a swift kick in the groin.