TOP OF THE TOWN – It’s funny to me, but I was criticized by a reader by saying pro golfers play the sport for money. The reader insisted they play for trophies, not money. I simply replied how many golfers would play the PGA Tour if it paid no money, just trophies. The answer is obvious. There would be none. Money rules the world. It determines how and why we live the way we do. Steve Balmer, who used to run Microsoft, is the richest pro-owner at 100 billion. He paid 2 billion for the Los Angeles Clippers and is having built a 2 billion arena in Inglewood to host the team. There was hope at one time he would bring back the Sonics to Seattle, but he found it easier to buy the Clippers than wait around for politics to be solved and the Sonics to return. The Mariners are often criticized for not spending more on payroll to bring in more talented players. They seem to work in second and third tier players when they do bring in players. That is sort of a hit and miss effort and likely is the reason the Mariners are more pretender than contender. John Stanton and Cris Larson own the Mariners. They have paid an estimated 1.3 billion for the team and is estimated to be worth 2.2 billion today.
Their player payroll this season is 145 million, which ranks fourth in the American League West (Houston is first at 244 million) and 17th among all of MLB (Yankees are first just under 300 million).
Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers has the top baseball salary at 70 million a year,
Pitcher Luis Castillo makes the most among the Mariners at 24.15 million.
The minimum MLB is 740 thousand. Nine Mariners make around that amount, including catcher Cal Raleigh at 795 thousand.
I have to change topics. As you know, I have many interests. Yes, I have written sports for 54 years, but I have a political science degree with minors in history and economics and they are as big in my life as sports.
So let me state once again that I am concerned that Israel has gone too far in its revenge against Hamas for Oct. 6.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is a far-right conservative who reminds me of a stubborn Donald Trump. They both are facing legal battles but are safe from prison long as they remain in office or fighting for office as Trump is.
So, Netanyahu and his conservative war cabinet will not quit the killing because he has to win to avoid prison. Does he care about the thousands his IDF has killed? No. He has as much empathy as Trump. Which, to say, is none.
Nobody has moved Netanyahu from this mission. Not Biden, not Harris, and certainly not Trump who is a bedfellow with Netanyahu.
This is a failed effort by the UN. That body should have stepped in a long time ago. Our country should have stopped providing war weapons to Netanyahu a long time ago.
The reason we haven’t is because of politics. The Jewish lobby in this country is strong. It has many friends on both sides of the aisle.
Bleep it. If I was in charge I would stop our military support of Israel, screw my standing among the body politic. Stop the killing.
If I could, I would install a two-country solution.
Yeah, I know they hate each other. But hate solves nothing. Love is what we need.
Okay, enough.
Be well pal.
Be careful out there.
Have a great day.
You are loved.
