Put Me In, Coach!

You know, I really don't like to gripe about player salaries. I mean, the whole salary structure is so far out of whack it's not even funny, but I can't really fault the players for that. If someone was going to pay me millions a year to copy edit, I certainly wouldn't say, "Gee, that's awful nice, but the $25,000 I'm making is just fine." Nor would you.

But when I see the Los Angeles Dodgers sign Jose Vizcaino to a 3-year contract worth $9.5 million--well, to quote Captain Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: First Contact, "The line must be drawn here!" I'm sure Vizcaino is a nice enough guy, and I congratulate him and his agent for being able to exploit such a screwed up market. But if I'm the Dodgers, shouldn't I at least think about letting young Alex Cora skip AAA and man shortstop for the big club in 1998?

Sure, maybe Cora's not ready, but who cares? Vizcaino's been ready for years, and I've got news for you. He's just not that good. Only in America can a below-average middle infielder call himself a millionaire. I understood all the gasps at the Diamondbacks' signing of Jay Bell a few weeks back, but I remember thinking at the time, Yeah, but Bell's a decent enough player and the 'backs are just starting out, so I can almost, if I really stretch things, justify it.

But Jose Vizcaino? If I were a Dodger fan, I'd offer for the good of my team to go out and play shortstop for them right now. Heck, I'd play for the major-league minimum. What is that now, anyway, $170,000 or so? Yes, I'd be willing to play for that little if it meant the team didn't have to pay Jose Vizcaino $9.5 million. I'm a team player--I'd make that sacrifice.

Of course in a few short years I'd be a free agent, and if I had a halfway decent agent, I could sign with Arizona for half what Bell makes. I'd accept that kind of money, even if it was less than my market value, if it meant having the opportunity to play in Phoenix. That's just the kind of guy I am. A good-field, no-hit shortstop. A good guy in the clubhouse. Lots of intangibles.