I blogged earlier about how impressed I am with the young talent that the Rays have put together in Tampa Bay, and that I thought they had a real shot at the first winning season in franchise history.
I take it back.
The Rays announced today that they are sending top prospect Evan Longoria back to the minor leagues, even though he is clearly the best option they have at third base. Now Tampa Bay fans get to see Willie Aybar hold down third base at somewhat-less-than-replacement-level, which, come to think of it, is about what you have come to expect from the Rays over the years. So much for “putting the best team on the field” and actually trying to win games. Despite management protestations to the contrary, this was not a baseball decision, it was a “let’s save some money by making this kid wait another year so we can postpone paying him market rate for his services” decision.
Oh, well. They’ll probably still beat out the Orioles and avoid last place.
I need to keep reminding myself that Major League Baseball is not a sport, it is a business masquerading as a sport. I guess I’m afraid that if I let that fact sink in I won’t really give a damn about it any more.
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