Edgar Renteria told ESPNdeportes.com that the Giants one-year, $1-million contract offer is insulting. To that I say if an employer wants to insult me with a million dollar salary, bring it on.
Now, in truth, that is not a fair comparison as I am not a professional athlete. And, to be fair, Renteria is probably worth more than that, especially when you consider a backup catcher like Henry Blanco just signed for the same amount.
But look, it is bad form to come out and publicly complain about a king’s ransom when we’re knee-deep in an economy that has left many of us scratching for every last dollar and even worse, unemployed and in foreclosure.
Face it, there will always be a huge divide between the world in which pro athletes and movie stars live in vs. the world we John Doe’s reside. To us, one million dollars is more money than most of us will ever make in a lifetime of toil.
To them it is almost tip money.
It is getting very difficult to relate to today’s athletes when the minimum salary in MLB is $414,000. Of course, that disparity exists in the other major sports as well, so this is not just an indictment on baseball.
Still, for Renteria to come out and say “That offer from the Giants was a lack of respect. A total disrespect,” is a lack of respect to the working men and women.
Renteria should keep his thoughts to himself or simply say that the offer wasn’t enough. But to say that playing a game for a paltry million is not worth his time only serves to further alienate the fans from today’s pro stars.
Look, we are not naive; we understand that sports is a business and that all the talk about playing “for the love of the game” is usually pure nonsense that is said for P.R. purposes.
But please spare us the pity party.
On the one hand, Renteria is only stating what many players in his situation would be thinking.
But that’s the point—think, man! Don’t spew the “woe is me” drivel while parading your insulting million-dollar offer in front of people who are suffering mightily in this economy.
While we’re struggling to find enough money to give our kids Christmas presents and keep a roof over their heads, this guy is complaining that a million dollars is “disrespectful.”
Again, this is not meant to be a discussion about the worth of Renteria relative to other players. This is about knowing when to keep your mouth shut.
“Thank God I’m well off financially and my money is well invested,” said Renteria.
Yes, thank God Edgar—we’re all proud that you have been able to survive on the $80 million-plus you have earned in your career.
Meanwhile, we bring our lunches to work in brown bags and shop at Aldi’s.
“To play for a million dollars, I’d rather stay with my private business and share more time with my family,” Renteria said.
You know what? If that’s the way you feel, do us all a favor and go home, Edgar.
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