A number of times during the World Series, the announcers mentioned that Washington Nationals star pitcher Stephen Strasburg has four years on his contract…but it has a clause that allows him to bow out if he so chooses…within 72 hours of the end of the series. Now he was just selected MVP of the series and he’s playing on the winning team…so it wouldn’t make much sense to me to leave the Nats. But money is a big deal and he may be at his best negotiating point ever…but hell…the remaining four years on his current contract will pay him $100 MILLION dollars.
To save you the headache of the math…that comes out to $25 million per year…$3 million more per year than the CEO of General Motors makes…also a number that is unfathomable and unconscionable…one that I have railed against in the past.
So as we watch the gap between the top 1% and the rest of us grow and grow and grow…and we feel comfortable supporting workings vs. CEOs on pay and benefits…why do we give our sports heroes an essentially free ride on ‘exuberant’ pay days? Something to think about while paying $10 for a craft beer at the almost former Miller Park.
Because there is extremely high demand, and extremely limited supply.
I’m counting on Liz Warren to release her ‘plan’ on how to deal with the issue soon, however.