FanPost

Red Sox / Yankees --- Bad for Baseball?

Check out this East Coast Rivalry article from MLB.com

I just caught this story over at MLB.com, and I thought it was such a ridiculous gesture, highlighting one of the worst things currently happening in baseball, in my opinion. I actually have a few ways to examine it, though --- Business and personal.

First, from the business side:

The Yankees and Red Sox are definately competitors, on and off the field. The front offices compete almost as much as the teams. When Hank Steinbrenner said "Go anywhere in America and you won't see Red Sox hats and jackets, you'll see Yankee hats and jackets," Steinbrenner said. "This is a Yankee country. We're going to put the Yankees back on top and restore the universe to order.", I not sure anyone really knows what the hell he is saying. In one breath, he says that Yankees fans are everywhere, and that there are no Red Sox fans outside the NE --- then in the next breath he insinuates that the Yankees have lost market share and need to be put back on top, to restore the balance of the Universe. Interesting.

Well, from Mr. Hendry's position (I think he is being quite saavy with his response, actually), inducting Hank into Red Sox Nation can only be a positive move for the Red Sox. It further polarizes the Red Sox and Yankee fan bases, and draws more new and young fans into the Red Sox circle with a 'Ha, Ha (imagine Nelson from the Simpsons)' type jab. This, ultimately, helps the bottom line.

Who knows, maybe we will see Steinbrenner in those seats to make a statement.

On a personal level, I think this is part of what is wrong with baseball. The information age has brought about a new level of fan awareness - as well as options for supporting their team. Globalization has driven MLB revenue through the roof. Teams are competing for media coverage while small market teams like Pittsburgh, Kansas City, and Milwaukee.

What ever happened to good business, good relationships, and watching out for the position of your enterprise, and not just your own bottom line.

I'd love to hear everyone else's thoughts on this, although I think we, as Royals fans, all share a majority mindset on this issue.

There are many more deepseated issues that we could discuss from this article, as well. Does anyone have any thoughts that stick out in their minds?

This FanPost was written by a member of the Royals Review community. It does not necessarily reflect the views of the editors and writers of this site.