Goin' Back to the Farm
The Angels' World Series Win is a Win for the Farm.

Opinion

K.Rod's big five last night was the first game seven win of a World Series in 93 years by a rookie.

That Manager Mike Scioscia would put the rookie into that situation speaks both of his trust of his players and his acumen as a major-league manager. It is proof that the talent isn't always the names that the hype machine moves.

Scioscia's time in the minor's showed that he coaches like he played the game: A tough work ethic and a lot of faith in his players. He was a product of a time period for the Los Angeles Dodgers where playing on adrenaline brought them to the World Series as well.

How many of these Angels, after all, were media darlings prior to their World Series run? The story, after all, in the struggling-against-the-odds department was the Minnesota Twins.

Disney's sports unit and ESPN need to power meeting more. Connected to the all-powerful ESPN hype machine, more should have been made out of the Angels earlier. That would require editors and managers who think outside of the lemming pack.

It also requires commentators to go out on a limb and look harder at rookies who have less story history. You used to pay researchers to do more of your homework (or you sent them here.) Perhaps you need to do more. They are a big part of what needs to be the "new game" if baseball is to endure as America's pastime.

Many of the farm offices of major league baseball should do some rethinking as well.

Players from the far more humble end of the Angels payroll did more for their team than did many of the bigger ticket players. It speaks well of the talent that they brought up from the farm and minor league trades.

It's time to put to rest the old chestnut that only teams loaded with superstars can make it to the World Series. The Angels were not the top franchise in the race.

The wild card opens up the opportunity for players with arguably less talent and more adrenaline to go the distance.

It's never any surprise to us when some of the better talent of the AA or AAA, including those who the scouts routinely overlook for one formula or another, rise to the occasion and go the distance.

It's a sign of the times. The game is still bigger than the agents making the deals. More focus on the game is important.

Want to improve baseball? Give the Barry Bonds of the world a much larger chunk of the revenue from their merchandise in exchange for six figure salary caps. Stable manageable salaries open the door for more good farm talent to come aboard.

Some sanity returns to player salaries. Veteran players get additional remuneration based upon their performance, and on their responsiveness to the fans. Bonds and A-Rod perform based on their abilities and their ability of their "brand" name to appeal to fans.

It also opens the door to the farm. There are players waiting in the wings capable of production who can make the grade. A more equitable salary system gets rid of some of the stagnancy in baseball. It means more young players have the opportunity to shine. It improves the game, and connects a younger generation of baseball fans with new heroes from their peer group.

As we saw this year, younger players provide energy and intensity needed as badly as seasoning and experience to make the game appealing to the next generation of fans.