Do players deserve their Salaries?

[BigZ38]

Pro Athletes are the best in their field. Do the top accountants get paid big salaries? Do the top doctors get huge salaries?

Pro sports are entertainment.

I think the question is, do some of them earn their salaries. If you had a way of paying players based on actual stats and value to winning baseball games, then that would be the fairest way to say they deserve this salary.

[RyeWhiskey]

The answer to this question is simply, no. Not by a long shot. Here's why:

If Yadier Molina stopped playing baseball, you'd probably take a minute or two to wonder why, and then move on.
If Alex Rodriguez stopped playing baseball, you'd be shocked and would be interested, but after a day or two (maybe a week if you're a Yankees fan) you'd accept it and move on.
If your electrical company stopped proving electricity, you'd crap your pants and would not be happy until it was restored.
If your garbage people stopped working, you'd freak out and would not be happy until they moved all the trash off your lawn.
If your doctor stopped working, you'd seriously consider how freaking stupid all arguments are that declare baseball players "deserving" of their salaires.

So now you have to ask why someone is paid millions when if they stopped doing what they're doing, no one would really care after a little while. Whereas if those who make almost nothing stopped working, you'd all realize that society is collapsing under your very (entertained) feet.

Everything is relative, and baseball players do not deserve their salaries relative to the remainder of society and the services performed thereby. Period.

- Monkey

[Spartans Rule]

The answer to this question is simply, no. Not by a long shot. Here's why:

If Yadier Molina stopped playing baseball, you'd probably take a minute or two to wonder why, and then move on.
If Alex Rodriguez stopped playing baseball, you'd be shocked and would be interested, but after a day or two (maybe a week if you're a Yankees fan) you'd accept it and move on.
If your electrical company stopped proving electricity, you'd crap your pants and would not be happy until it was restored.
If your garbage people stopped working, you'd freak out and would not be happy until they moved all the trash off your lawn.
If your doctor stopped working, you'd seriously consider how freaking stupid all arguments are that declare baseball players "deserving" of their salaires.

So now you have to ask why someone is paid millions when if they stopped doing what they're doing, no one would really care after a little while. Whereas if those who make almost nothing stopped working, you'd all realize that society is collapsing under your very (entertained) feet.

Everything is relative, and baseball players do not deserve their salaries relative to the remainder of society and the services performed thereby. Period.

- Monkey

Apples and oranges.

You're comparing one baseball player quitting to an entire electric company ceasing operations. That's not exactly fair. A-Rod retiring tomorrow would be more like the guy who reads your meter quitting the electric company. He'd be replaced, just like the Yankees would find a new third baseman.

[mak1277]

The answer to this question is simply, no. Not by a long shot. Here's why:

If Yadier Molina stopped playing baseball, you'd probably take a minute or two to wonder why, and then move on.
If Alex Rodriguez stopped playing baseball, you'd be shocked and would be interested, but after a day or two (maybe a week if you're a Yankees fan) you'd accept it and move on.
If your electrical company stopped proving electricity, you'd crap your pants and would not be happy until it was restored.
If your garbage people stopped working, you'd freak out and would not be happy until they moved all the trash off your lawn.
If your doctor stopped working, you'd seriously consider how freaking stupid all arguments are that declare baseball players "deserving" of their salaires.

So now you have to ask why someone is paid millions when if they stopped doing what they're doing, no one would really care after a little while. Whereas if those who make almost nothing stopped working, you'd all realize that society is collapsing under your very (entertained) feet.

Everything is relative, and baseball players do not deserve their salaries relative to the remainder of society and the services performed thereby. Period.

- Monkey

Apples and oranges.

You're comparing one baseball player quitting to an entire electric company ceasing operations. That's not exactly fair. A-Rod retiring tomorrow would be more like the guy who reads your meter quitting the electric company. He'd be replaced, just like the Yankees would find a new third baseman.

Exactly. Or even if you take it a step farther and say the CEO of the electric company quit...I wouldn't even bat an eye and the guy would be replaced without issue.

[great gretzky]

can't compare an electric company to any one person in MLB.

More people have the ability to become doctors than can become baseball players.

Garbage men actually make a darn good salary relative to the education needed. Of course on one hand its "taking out trash -- anyone can do it" so you could say, no, its not worth it. On the other, no one wants to do it. So it's like the inverse of the baseball player. Everyone wants to play (basically) except an infinitesimal amount of people actually can at that level. For the sake of argument, any working adult could be a garbage man, but no one really wants to. I don't think the word "deserve" really has a place in salaries as long as there is no funny business, and it's what the market bears OR requires.