An Airing of MLB Grievances for Festivus

Now that Festivus is upon us, it is time for the annual Airing of Grievances. Major League Baseball is certainly providing plenty of angst this time of year, particularly with the lockout and ineptness of MLB’s leadership. Fortunately, we have a place to vent.

Without further ado, here is a partial list of those things that have annoyed us throughout the year.

An Airing of MLB Grievances

1. Rob Manfred. This really does not need much more than his name to generate that feeling of disgust. Manfred has proven to be completely inept time and time again, seemingly going out of his way to destroy MLB from within. From his asinine rule changes, shredding of the minor leagues, to instituting a lockout in the middle of what had been the most exciting offseason in recent history, it is fair to ask if he actually enjoys the game he is in charge of. Considering all he does is complain about the game, pointing out flaws any chance he gets, that does not appear to be the case.
2. Hall of Fame hypocrisy. Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are two of the best players in MLB history regardless of PED usage. Neither player ever failed a test, but are painted with the Scarlet Letters, therefore finding themselves on the outside looking in for the Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, David Ortiz, who was named in the Mitchell Report, is given a pass. Maybe it is because he is an outgoing and lovable personality while Bonds and Clemens are far more prickly, but those PED links are ignored. Ortiz is likely to be inducted on the first ballot while Bonds and Clemens will have to wait for the Veteran’s Committee.
3. Owners that do not care. Out in Oakland, the A’s have doubled ticket prices while getting rid of popular packages and promotions. Oh, and at the same time, they are looking to slash payroll to approximately $50 million. The Pirates and Orioles have been inept for years without any sign of improvement. Colorado’s ownership pushes the delusional idea that they can contend with almost the exact same team. There are far too many owners in the game that do not care about anything more than maximizing their profits and it is terrible for the fans.
4. Blank ballots. Every year, at least one Hall of Fame voter turns in a blank ballot as a form of “protest.” Despite every ballot having players that will eventually be inducted, they somehow feel that no one deserves a vote. It is a ridiculous way of demanding that the attention be upon them instead of the great players on the ballot. If they really do not feel that anyone should be in, then maybe they should not be voting. A blank ballot should result in that privilege being revoked immediately.
5. The umpires. It is sad when a drunk umpire in Mexico immediately conjures thoughts of Angel Hernandez and the belief that the drunk umpire would still be better at his job. But that is the way it goes in MLB – there is no accountability for those umpires that are utterly atrocious at their jobs. Fortunately Joe West rode off into the sunset, but the likes of Hernandez, CB Bucknor, and Ted Barrett continue to stain the diamond. Maybe it would make a difference if competency mattered, but the umpires are essentially untouchable.

Those are our top five MLB complaints for the Festivus Airing of Grievances. Let us know what yours would be in the comments!