Let there be baseball

Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat Chris Jackson

First up, something has to be said about the possibility of Major League teams putting advertisements on the sleeves of players' uniforms.

Are they nuts?!

This ain't NASCAR, people, or some third world soccer team who needs those revenues to survive. This is baseball, the sport that gave 34-year-old Kevin Brown $105 million for the next seven years.

The owners don't need more money.

Besides, greedy mongrels like Steinbrenner and Rupert Murdoch would just keep it all anyway.

Still, it makes for some interesting discussion as to which players would wear what ads.

Randy Johnson could advertise for just about any "big and tall" men's shop. Albert Belle could advertise for stress and anger management programs. Tony Phillips could advertise for the national anti-drug campaign. David Wells and Rod Beck would be perfect for just about any type of cheap beer. And hey, maybe the entire Angels squad could advertise Disney's next theatrical release.

"Now stepping to the plate, Mo Vaughn, and yes, that is indeed Snow White on his sleeve."

Yeesh...

It's nice to see baseball export itself to other countries (we've annexed Canada, so it no longer counts) like it did with Sunday night's Padres-Rockies game in Monterrey, Mexico.

Still, it's disappointing to see baseball execs try to make cities like Monterrey and Mexico City think they'll ever have a shot at landing a Major League team.

It's not a racist bias, but an economic one. The financial situation in Canada is bad enough, but in Mexico? Finding a stable group of owners would be hard enough, but how many players would actually want to live in a city as polluted and crime-ridden as Mexico City?

Well, sure, there are two teams in Los Angeles and New York apiece, but that's beside the point.

Jennifer Menditch Arizona Daily Wildcat Freshman midfielder Eric Renner (2) takes a shot on goal during the March 28 game against Santa Clara. The Laxcats will host UCLA in the WCLL Southern Division I quarterfinals this weekend.

Throw in Mexico City's 7,000-foot elevation, and it's easy to see why it wouldn't be exactly the chosen destination of most free agents.

It's fine for baseball to step overseas for exhibition games, just don't make the fans think they can get a permanent team in a Third World country like Mexico.

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Bernard Gilkey hits two home runs off Kevin Brown.

That's what makes baseball great. For all the predictions, all the promises, you never know what's going to happen.

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And congrats to former UA players George Arias and Gil Heredia.

Arias may have struggled Sunday against Colorado, but he is San Diego's third baseman now, and he'll have better days to come.

As for Heredia, all he got was a chance to pitch on opening day against the Yankees and Roger Clemens. Not bad for a has-been and a never-will-be.

It's good to have baseball back. Now at least the NBA lowlights will be pushed to the back of SportsCenter where they belong.

Chris Jackson is a senior majoring in journalism. He can be reached at Chris.Jackson@wildcat.arizona.edu.