Letters To The Editor

Good riddance, Randy

Randy Johnson is a Houston Astro. The Mariners allegedly could have gotten Andy Pettitte (13-6, 3.54 ERA) or Mariano Rivera (29 Saves, 1.31 ERA) in exchange for Johnson during the off-season.

However, the Mariners sought BOTH.

Their reluctance to pull the trigger allowed them to get two minor leaguers instead.

We have grown to expect the least from the suits in Seattle. We must accept that which we can not change. However, we must also recognize the silver lining in the recent trade: Randy Johnson’s personality has gone with him to Houston. Texas is all about BIG. Randy will be a BIG malcontent, he will throw BIG pity parties, and he will get a BIG shiner when he gets thrown into a locker by someone possessing less restraint than David Segui.

The Mariners are a better TEAM without Johnson. The Mariners did not win with him this year.

As I see it, the very worst thing that will happen this year is the M’s will field a thoroughly likable team that can hit. Given the front-office situation, we should be grateful.

P.S. Has anyone seen Jose Cruz, Jr.? G. Robert Lane Spokane

Greed spoils game

So Mark McGwire is put off by the naked greed of one lucky fan in the history of baseball. Most major league ballplayers win the lotto every year. I wish McGwire and others all the luck in the world in the pursuit of the home run record. The record-setter will have his place in the Hall of Fame and will have all the financial rewards that one can imagine. The fan gets the souvenir by tradition, always, for whatever the fan chooses to do with it. Fans are what make it all possible.

McGwire complains that somebody’s going to hold this ball hostage for a dollar sign. There was a time, not too many years ago, that ticket prices built stadiums, paid the players’ salaries, all expenses and gave the owner a return on a risky investment.

Today, professional athletes hold the taxpayers of every community for ransom to build half-billion dollar palaces for them to play in. Then the majority of families have to pay the price of a vacation for admittance, food and parking. Only the few mega-corporations that own teams can pay the insane salaries that the athletes demand. This greed is destroying the competitiveness of the game and will eventually destroy the game itself. One lucky fan will only be guaranteed to be able to afford admittance to the game for the foreseeable future. Allan LeTourneau Spokane