Two things which strike me as different between the sports: (1) Much broader revenue sharing among teams in the NFL (particularly sharing of broadcast revenues) than in the MLB; (2) I"m not overly knowledgeable as to how player contracts work in the NFL, but it seems like multi-year player contracts are easier for teams to shed in the NFL, than the MLB. The problem for small market MLB teams is that they have very little room for error (compared to the Yankees, LAD, or Red Sox, for example) with respect to large multi-year player contracts.

I wonder if the NFLPA, which accepted a fixed share of league revenues for player salaries in exchange for allowing a salary cap, has done a better job for its members than the MLBPA? Even though the MLBPA has succeeded in avoiding salary caps, the MLB players’ share of MLB revenues has been declining over time.

Ausmus did once tie a single-season National League batting record, as an Astro in 2002, when he equaled Ernie Lombardi’s 64-year-old mark by grounding into 30 double plays. “I had two weeks to break it, and didn’t hit into another one,” Ausmus says. “I blame the people in front of me for not getting on base.”

I also remember him making comments about striking out too much, saying that it was hurting his chances at the double play record.

At least he’s funny

forget or overlook the great benefit Ausmus is for pitchers. He preps them before each game an apparently calls a great game , and stops everything.

I wondered many times during the season, especially in the early inning s if the picthing would not have been better if Ausmus was stil behind the plate.

There is no rhyme or reason to what he calls strikes and what he calls balls (and his missed calls are not even close or consistent). I can’t believe the batters and pitchers are tolerating this nonsense.