For Love of the Game: 2009 MLB Headlines

Recent headlines in major league baseball talk of Dodgers player Manny Ramirez on steroids, Rangers owner Tom Hicks' potential sale of the team due to a loan default, and the replacement of the Cubs hitting coach Gerald Perry. According to Adam Green of Sports 620 KTAR, Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig is convinced that baseball is healthier than ever before. Like any other industry, there will be ups and downs. The question remains whether these taglines will affect the game and its loyal fans.

It remains to be seen if Dodger ticket sales will suffer from Manny Ramirez's 50 game suspension for steroid use. Not to worry, Street and Smith's Sports Business Daily reports that the Dodgers have a new marketing plan to deemphasize the dred-locked star with a "home town" appeal to fans. Dodger administration officials wisely chose to offer Ramirez fans refunds for their left field seats. Dodger fans will still be able to purchase Manny-venirs, but his advertising status has been taken down a notch in order to preserve the Dodger image and disengage itself from the negative steroid era.

Ranger headlines reporting a 10% reduction in front office staff and owner Tom Hicks seeking investors to buy out his interest in the team don't seem to be interfering with the players. Leading the American League West and a recent victory over the Houston Astros that led to winning the Silver Boot suggests that the Rangers aren't concerned with Hicks' financial woes. According to a recent AP press release, attendance at games has increased over last year by at least 10%.

Piniella's decision on June 14 to alleviate Gerald Perry from his coaching position with the Chicago Cubs has rocketed into sports headlines, as has former player Sammy Sosa's alleged perjury regarding the use of steroids. The Chicago Sun-Times reports in a recent interview with Perry that he bears no resentment toward Piniella, but at least some team members are bearing some guilt. Will this remorse motivate better hitting performances? That remains to be seen. With a 30-30 record and 4th in the National League Central standings below the Brewers, Cardinals, and Reds, the Cubs aren't buried yet. It seems Sosa's predicament is relatively unimportant, since he's officially retired from the game, but will a trail of news dust cloud Cubs fans perception of the team? I doubt it. Just get me another hot dog and we'll forget about it.

Citations
Street and Smith's Sports Business Daily
Manny Suspended: Dodgers Forced To Revamp Marketing Strategy
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/article/130070

Texas Rangers Lay Off Several Front Office Staff
June 16, 2009
Arlington, Texas (AP)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hni4ktJDUk2bnVobBmfRxcQyW3HQD98RVOL03

Cubs in Brief: Ex-coach Gerald Perry Harbors No Ill will
June 17, 2009
Gordon Wittenmyer
Chicago Sun-Times
June 17, 2009
http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/cubs/1625931,CST-SPT-cubnt17.article

More Than Whispers Now for Sosa
June 16, 2009
By Jon Greenberg
ESPNChicago.com
June 16, 2009
http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/columns/story?columnist=greenberg_jon&id=4265103

Selig: [Baseball] Has Never Been This Popular
by Adam Green/Sports 620 KTAR
June 16th, 2009 @ 9:31pm
http://ktar.com/?sid=1180359&nid=184