Being the baseball nut that I am, I listen to XM Radio's 'Home Plate' channel just about every time I'm in the car. Most of the on-air talent is pretty good; Jody MacDonald and Jim Duquette in particular. Among the on-air talent is former Red closer and 'Bad Boy' Rob Dibble.
While I never begrudge anyone their opinion (even when they are avid Yankee-haters...Russo!), I do have an issue with pure idiocy.
During the off-season discussion about Doc Halliday, there was much talk about him being traded to the Yanks. Dibble, in his infinite wisdom, stated that if the Yanks were to trade for Doc commissioner Selig should step in and reverse the trade using the 'best interests of baseball' powers afforded the commissioner.
Dibble went on to say that there was actually precedent for the commish to do this pointing to the reversal of Charley Finley's sale of players for cash in the 1970's. In 1976 A's owner Charlie Finley attempted to sell his 3 best players Vida Blue (to the Yanks), Rollie Fingers and Joe Rudi (to the Red Sox) for a total of $3.5mm. Commissioner Bowie Kuhn stepped in and disallowed the sale stating that it was not in the best interest of baseball. He did so as the A's were not attempting in any way to better their team; rather, A's owner Finley was simply trying to line his pockets by selling off players.
First, there is a HUGE difference between what Finley was doing and what the Yanks would have been doing had they traded for Halliday. My 6 year old can see the difference, and Dibble can't?
Second, if the commissioner starts stepping in and blocking trades what would be next...mandatory player transfers? 'The Yanks are too good, so let's move Arod to the Pirates and Tex to the Nationals'.
I tried to call the show and discuss the lunacy of what Dibble was saying with him on the air, but once they heard what I wanted to discuss the screener hung up while I was in mid-sentence.
