BenMaller.com - Ben's Takes

Players Get My Support

Ben Maller

If there is a work stoppage in baseball, I'll support the players over the owners seven days a week. I realize that most baseball fans hope both sides drive off a cliff. My opinion comes after talking to those around the game and also my own experience in a labor dispute.

Are baseball players overpaid? Nope. That might sound crazy, but when you think about it, nobody has ever put a gun to an owners head and forced them to pay A-Rod $252 million or Kevin Brown $100 million. These contracts, as absurd as they sound, were signed because ownership felt they could not go on without that player and they felt they could afford him.

Donald Fehr and the players are not right on everything. There should be revenue sharing. The players don't have a problem, from what I understand, with the concept of revenue sharing. The players, though, don't want the owners to cap how much money each team is allowed to spend. In other words, the owners are trying to trick the players into a salary cap.

One of the biggest problems in the game of baseball is owners cheating the books. The New York Yankees, NY Mets, Chicago Cubs and Atlanta Braves, among others, have been accused for years of undervaluing their television contracts. In other words, the Cubs games are on WGN which is owned by the Tribune company so they claim the rights are worth X amount when they are really worth A. This makes it appear that some teams are not doing as well as they really are.

There was a time in my life where I was on the ownership side. Heck, I used to rip the crap out of the greedy players. This all stopped after I was involved in a labor dispute a few years back as a member of AFTRA (American Film Television & Radio Association) against a radio station I used to work for. All I wanted was a fair deal that would allow both sides to prosper. It was amazing and eye opening to me to see the slimeball tactics that management used to try and screw over the guys who worked at this station. From that day forward I became a pro union guy

I wish that every union in America was as strong as the players association. I'm all for the guys that actually do the work getting as much as they deserve. Its not like any baseball team is going to go out of buisness. The Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Florida Marlins could all be sold for between 100 and 200 million if they where put on the market.

Here's hoping the players stick it to Bud Selig and the rich fat cat owners! permalink

Thursday, July 04, 2002

Ben Maller & Jason Smith in the Brickhouse

By Ben Maller

Spend part of your Independence Day listening to myself and Jason Smith as we fill in for JT the Brick on the vast Fox Sports Radio Network. You can hear this special show from 10pm till 2am Eastern time and 7pm till 11pm Pacific tonight.

Don't forget to listen to my weekend shows on Saturday Morning from 5am till 8am Eastern and Sunday Morning from 4am till 7am on over 110 stations coast to coast on America's Premiere Sports Radio Network, Fox Sports Radio.

The Best Damn Internet Sports Gossip

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Wednesday, July 03, 2002

BenMaller.com Leads Way on Sosa Story!

By Ben Maller

While the national sports media picked up on the Rick Reilly vs. Sammy Sosa feud on Tuesday those who read BenMaller.com on a daily basis got the story two full days before. On Sunday morning I posted part of the story and a link to the rest of it as a major note on the Rumors & Notes page. This is at least the tenth time in the last three months that I've been able to post a major sports story here before it becomes a national story on the wires.

Please tell your friends about this great site and consider donating a couple of bucks to the link on the left side of the rumors and notes page. I have heard from folks at all the different sports radio networks who use this site as their main show prep site. The site is starting to cost more money as it becomes more popular and any donation to help cover the server costs would be greatly appreciated! Lets keep this site free!

Help Support BenMaller.com

Thanks! permalink

Tuesday, July 02, 2002

Mondesi Hits Big Apple

By Ben Maller

Raul Mondesi is going to baseball's version of heaven on Earth, the New York Yankees. Mondesi, who plays as hard as any player in the game and brings the best arm in the game to work with him, is heading to the Bronx. The Yankees got Mondesi for some cash and a minor league pitcher. In other words, the Blue Jays gave him away.

Mondesi was a superstar in the making early in his career in Los Angeles. He won the 1994 rookie of the year honors, and then helped the Dodgers make the playoffs in 1995 and 1996. In 1997 the Dodgers lost out to the Giants in the final week of the season for the NL West title. In 1998 things started to take a turn for the worse. With the trade of Mike Piazza, the Dodgers started to go down and Mondesi became unhappy.

In 2000, the Dodgers traded Mondesi to the Blue Jays for future hall of famer Shawn Green. Mondesi never really seemed to fit in playing in Canada. He will star playing with the Bronx Bombers.

Mondesi was made to play in New York with the passion he brings to the game. Some will say he is an over paid stiff, and while his numbers so far in 2002 do stink (15 homers and 45 RBIs this season, a .224 avg.), even with those pathetic numbers Mondi is still on pace to hit 32 homeruns and drive in 97. Those stats figure to go up playing in a lineup now that includes Alfonso Soriano, Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi and Robin Ventura.

It has been known for years that guys who are average ballplayers or in slumps get to Yankee stadium and find the magic. Look at the likes of Luis Sojo, Chad Curtis, Scott Brosius or even Ventura this season. Its the magic of sports' greatest team.

I got to know Mondesi when he broke in as a rookie in '94. That was also my first year covering the Dodgers, and I still talk to him when he comes through town. In fact, just two weeks ago I was out at the stadium when the Jays played in LA and chatted with Mondi. It's going to be interesting to see where he bats in the Yanks' lineup and how he responds to playing in the pressure cooker.
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Monday, July 01, 2002

Kaze Will Be Missed

Irv Kaze, one of the most popular members of the LA media, passed away this weekend. Kaze had an amazing career having worked for the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Raiders, San Diego Clippers and the Los Angeles Angels among others. He's the only man I know who had a world championship ring from the Yankees and Super Bowl ring from the Raiders.

I first met Irv in 1994, my first year as a reporter for XTRA Sports 690. I didn't know anyone in the press box and many of the regulars treated me like a piece of crap, but not Irv. He was all class from the first time I met him till the last time I had a chance to talk with him on opening day of this 2002 baseball season at Dodger Stadium.

Over the years that I became a regular covering the LA sports scene, I would see Irv several times a week, and we would chat briefly about how crazy the LA sports radio biz was (he did a show at KRLA) or he would tell me some amazing story about his days working for George Steinbrenner or his days with the Clippers. Kaze was the man who introduced two of the most famous owners in the history of sports to each other. Irv told me the story of how he set up a meeting of Raiders owner Al Davis and Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. It was always something to see Kaze's super bowl and world series rings.

Kaze set me up with Ken Griffey Jr. for a one on one interview when Griffey was the Michael Jordan of baseball. It was the mid 90's in Anaheim and the Mariners were in town. I wanted to chat with Junior, but he didn't do pregame interviews.

I was sitting in the visitors dugout talking with Irv when he told me he was waiting to chat with Griffey because he knew his dad from his days with the Yanks. Kaze asked if I wanted an interview with him, and of course I said yes. After they chatted, I interviewed Griffey one-on-one in the tunnel between the dugout and the Mariners clubhouse.

Irv Kaze was a friend to everyone he met and touched many people's lives, including mine. He'll be missed. R.I.P. permalink