two people who need to shut up

1. On Monday, Mark Attanasio, the owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, whined to the USA Today, newspaper “We're struggling to sign (Prince Fielder), and the Yankees infield is making more than our team.” Ahh, what a sad tale.

The response by the Yankees’ president seems appropriate. “I’m sorry that my friend Mark continues to whine about his running the Brewers. We play by all the rules and there doesn’t seem to be any complaints when teams such as the Brewers receive hundreds of millions of dollars that they get from us in revenue sharing the last few years. Take some of that money that you get from us and use that to sign your players. The question that should be asked is: Where has the hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue sharing gone?”

First off, does Attanasio think Prince Fielder is headed to New York? They already have this guy Mark Teixeira locked up for a while at first base. Second, the Twins and Rays have been successful, the Marlins have won two championships recently, and we’ve had 8 different champions the last 9 seasons. It takes more than just spending money to win a championship (look at the Mets and Cubs). Next, who exactly is he trying to draw sympathy from? In any other business do you hear the head of a company whine that because other companies are spending more money he can’t be successful? Grow up! You own a baseball team! You are receiving luxury tax money, what are you using it for? The Yankees are doing nothing wrong. They are spending more money than any other team. Why is that a problem? They haven’t gone bankrupt yet so it seems to be working (hint hint to Mr. Attanasio). Like anything in life, you usually get what you pay for. Meanwhile, the Pirates have a team payroll of $35 million and that thrifty budget has produced 17 consecutive losing seasons. Seems like penny-pinching isn't very effective. Finally, why is Prince Fielder struggling to sign with the Brewers? Why won’t Adrian Gonzalez sign an extension with the Padres? Why don’t NFL players want to play for the Browns? Why didn’t Donovan McNabb want to sign with the Raiders? Why doesn’t Coach Mike Krzyzewski want to leave Duke to coach the NBA Nets? Crappy organizations aren’t very attractive. It’s not the Yankees fault that nobody wants to play for the Brewers the rest of their career.

This is also coming from the same team that is paying Jeff Suppan $12.5 million this year, a guy who is on the DL already after hurting his neck sleeping with a rolled-up towel for a pillow.

I just love how no matter the problem or the cause, let’s all blame it on the Yankees.

2. And speaking of the Yankees, league umpire Joe West did some whining of his own, complaining that the Red Sox and Yankees play too slow.

"They're two of the best teams in baseball. Why are they playing the slowest? It's pathetic and embarrassing. They take too long to play." "This is embarrassing, a disgrace to baseball."

a) I find it a little ironic coming from an umpire, considering the whole world witnessed a pathetic, disgraceful and embarrassing performance by the umpire crews recently, making about a dozen bad calls in the playofs and starting this season off where they left off. There is a reason why the issue of instant replay has been such a hot topic: the umpires make too many bad calls.

b) How much extra time does it take when a manager like Lou Piniella has to come out to argue after the umps missed Nate McLouth drop the ball? Or for the ump to throw out Bobby Cox after the ump messed up a batter hitting the catcher during his throw to second that cost the game?

c) In the words of an unnamed Yankee, "What would happen if we called their crew pathetic and embarrassing?" one Yankee said. "We would get fined, big-time." Joe Girardi: "We're not going to ask our hitters to change their approach to speed the game up," Joe Girardi said. "We're not going to do it. We're trying to win games, not trying to see how quick we can play." And from Derek Jeter: If it's 20 minutes shorter, it's not pathetic or embarrassing? At what point is it not embarrassing? You'd have to ask him. If you go over 3:12, it's embarrassing?"

d) I'll be honest: I don't mind long baseball games, especially Bombers vs. Sox. They are dramatic, exciting, intense, strategic, important.

e) Yankees and Red Sox games on TV get the best ratings. This week the Yankees were on ESPN, FOX, and TBS, along with YES. Every other team raises their ticket prices when they come to town. The fans don't seem to mind.

f) West is expressing a bias, uncalled for by a league umpire.

g) How much pressure are the players in? What will be the headlines on the nation's biggest newspapers if they play poorly?

h) Like West said, these are the best teams in baseball. If he doesn't like calling their games then he can go call Pirates vs. Reds and stay home for the playoffs and World Series.

i) Baseball is the only major sport that doesn't involve an official timer. So why is it the only sport that is making the biggest deal over the use of time?