This time through the eyes of Bill Plaschke who seems to think the Jamie McCourt was completely out of line for asking the questions she asked yesterday in Dylan Hernandez’s article.  Sure, its ridiculous that there needs to be a choice made between  helping build ball fields and paying one player $30 million dollars a year.  But to read Placshke words you would think the choice was between feeding starving children.  That’s not the case.  In the Dodgers case, they the choice the Dodgers have to make is if they are going to give him more than two years, or more and that more obviously comes with bigger risk.  Sometimes you have to give a guy an extra year on a contract just to land him.  Think about when the Mets signed Pedro Martinez… they had been a pretty bad team the year before and to land what became their ace they had to give him that fourth year, that’s what guaranteed Pedro the most money and the most security. The Dodgers aren’t in the same situation.  They wouldn’t be signing Manny to attract other key players, and they don’t have unlimited time to be on top of the NL West.  They really need him for two years, and his skills may decline and his interest might as well, were it to go on for more than two years.  So Placshke wants the Dodgers to guarantee $30 million for untold number of years to a highly risky player, rather than find a player for the long-term that can help for all of those years, and do some great work in the community.  What if the Dodgers were to commit that $30 million to him for the next two years and, and then take that $30 million for that 3rd year or 4th year and give it to the community.  Now the way to do it, if you are the McCourts, is to take the contract that Manny does sign for, if longer than two years and dedicate that amount past those two years to the greater Los Angeles community.

Now the point that Plaschke gets completely right is that if the Dodgers can charge $90 dollars for a spring training game they can build some ball fields and sign Manny. While its great that owners are wondering out loud how the general public would react to giving one guy $30million, they should also be wondering how  they will react to be asking to pay $350 for a family of four to attend a spring training game, especially in a year when the World Baseball Classic will be pulling many of the regulars away from the team.

Still, I honestly believe that sports teams entire role is community relations.  Its a way for a city and its residents, to build its self-esteem by competing, and competing on the National stage.  So, should the Dodgers not sign anyone and put their other initiatives helping the community first? No. They need to strive to be competitive, thats how they help the community the most.  But do they need to sign Manny in order to do that?  I don’t honestly believe that is the only way to go.  There are other options, and ones that can still make enough for the team that they can move forward with their charitable contributions as well.  I still want to hear what you think? Go to the poll and vote.