Nobody Is Worth What Hershiser Wants

A recent article in the sports section discussed the salaries of major league baseball players. The main topic centered around Dodgers pitcher Orel Hershiser. Hershiser made a record salary arbitration proposal of $2.425 million per year. That he should be paid this much is ludicrous!

Year after year, players submit higher figures for their next year’s salary. When is it going to end? Someone must put an end to this ridiculous greed. No pitcher or any other player for that matter deserves to make over $1 million. Why should Hershiser and other pitchers make more per year than any other player on the team? It takes everyone’s participation to make a successful team or organization. That’s the meaning of the word “team.” I’m not suggesting that Hershiser is not an important asset to the Dodgers, but he definitely does not add $2.425 million to the organization. As long as baseball clubs are referred to as teams, maybe players should all be treated equally, as a team should be. If Hershiser wants to think of himself as a hot-shot individual, maybe he should pursue a career such as golf or bowling.

It’s about time the owners start thinking and put their heads together. If they just deny these astronomical proposals, the players will be faced with the decision to play as is or not play at all.

The bottom line is that no baseball player deserves a salary such as the one Hershiser has proposed. He may have been the winning pitcher of the 1988 World Series, but who is to say the performance will be repeated in the years to come by Hershiser and the rest of the ballclub?

BRETT RAMAKER

San Diego