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I don’t know this guy at www.east-coast-bias.com but he’s got some thoughts on a luxury tax system that would at least help level the playing field in Major League Baseball.

It’s a bit convoluted and I’m not sure it does enough to punish “small market” teams that try to ride the coattails of the luxury tax so they don’t have to spend any money out of their own pockets (Yes, this is you, Jeffrey Loria).

But it’s an interesting starting point. Tony and I may revisit this after the holidays and shoot some ideas of our own. In the meantime, do any of you have ideas on how to fix the game?

Or do you think we’re all wet? If you think things are perfect you’re entitled to your opinion as well, I suppose. But please explain why you think it’s okay that the highest spending team can outspend the lowest spending team by 10 times?

I’d like to know your reasoning.

$423 million is the amount of money a slow economy dropped revenue for the state of Washington.

$423 million is the amount of measurable media coverage TDG Communications says it has generated for the Black Hills of South Dakota since 2005.

$423 million is what oil firms are paying to settle a groundwater contamination lawsuit.

$423 million is the estimated amount a group of hackers planned to steal from a Japanese bank using a planted keylogger.

And $423 million is the amount the New York Yankees will have shelled out to sign CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira as soon as the former Ranger, Brave and Angel first baseman officially signs his deal.

Yeah. Revenue sharing and the luxury tax have done a lot to level the playing field in Major League Baseball.

Major League Baseball Agent Scott Boras conducted a chat at usatoday.com this morning and made a couple of interesting revelations.

Well, perhaps they weren’t revelations. But they offered further proof that the agent couldn’t give a rip about anything more than making as much money for his clients as possible.

One questioner, from Westlake Village, Calif., asked if Boras had any concern for the fan bases of teams affected by the constant shuffling of players chasing big bucks.

Boras didn’t really answer the question, but told Westlake Village that his staff of 20 works year-round to prepare players for free agency and salary arbitration.

“When Teams call we determine if our client is interested then a information exchange occurs to define the agreed value of the player. If both parties agree we have an agreement,” he says.

Another Californian from Aliso Viejo asked about player greed and salaries during a time when “real hardworking people who get up and work 8-5 to make ends meet but are losing everything they have.”

While the question was a bit melodramatic, Boras’ response started out as a discussion of player revenues, which he says have increased from $3 billion in 2000 to $6.5 billion in 2008.

“Please keep in mind many of our clients donate millions of dollars to funds that provide tickets to children and families who would other wise not be able to attend games,” Boras wrote.

I about yacked when I read the last part. To quote the late, great Chris Farley, “Well, La De Frickin’ Da.” A big thank you to players making anywhere from what, a quarter million to $26 million a year for buying a couple tickets to each game? Is he looking for a slap on the back? I will grant him that many, many players are fantastic people and very generous. But forgive me if I don’t bow in their general direction when they share their money with the less fortunate. They should do that - just like any halfway decent person with an abundance of resources should. Charitable organizations rely on such generosity - and guess what, some people don’t want or need recognition for it. Spare me the pretend virtuosity.

My favorite answer, however, came when he was asked by New York, NY what his response would be to a salary cap. Boras, in true, self-serving fashion, responded that “salary caps prevent the true intellect of the sport from operating.”

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For opening night of the 2002 Major League Baseball season, 34,351 fans showed up in Montreal to watch the team’s last home opening game.

By then the Expos were a lame-duck team destined for Washington and owned by the league.

The highlight of that opening night, according to an account in Time magazine, came when a fan holding a “LORIA SUCKS” sign jumped up on the Florida Marlins dugout to dance and temporarily evade security personnel.

By then, as part of the agreement to sell the Expos, Jeffrey Loria had acquired those Marlins. In 2003, the team won its second World Series. Then, two years later, with no public financing for a new ballpark, Loria dismantled the team, creating one of the lowest-paid franchises in baseball.

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Then I say let’s make it legal!

The Major League Baseball players’ union claims it has evidence that MLB teams acted in concert when none of them signed alleged all-time home run leader Barry Bonds to a contract this past season, rather than it just being a coincidence that none of the 30 teams wanted an aging, primadonna, clubhouse cancer to hit .275 with 25 HR while being a potenital defensive liability and bring excessive media attention to the club for his off-field legal issues.

The players’ association won three collusion grievances in which owners were found to have conspired against free agents following the 1985, 1986 and 1987 seasons. Management agreed in 1990 to settle those cases for $280 million and also agreed to a provision that future collusion would be subject to triple damages.

Strangely, though, they have reached an agreement with the commissioner’s office to delay filing a grievance, which would trigger proceedings before an aribitrator.  It’s unknown how long they will delay filing the grievance.

Possibly most notable in the article: Bonds’ agent Jeff Borris has stopped his efforts of trying to get Bonds a new deal.

And for that, I think we can all sigh in relief.

Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that it will start using limited instant replay on Thursday, when the Minnesota Twins open a series with the Oakland A’s–thus further solidifying football as America’s Pasttime, despite potential labor struggles in the NFL.

Instant replay will be used for the remainder of the year to decide fair or foul on home runs, in or out on home runs, and fan interference. Which is great, because umpires certainly have proven adept at screwing those calls up in recent years.

My biggest problem with the implementation process is when it’s occuring–randomly in the middle of the season? Meaning some teams will have more games with instant replay than others?

I’m guessing in the long run, it’s probably going to be a wash–but at the same time, if a team misses post season by a single game, and between them and the team they missed out to 2 games were decided by overturned close calls in an extra game or two of instant replay–aren’t they going to be a little upset?

Then again, what do you expect from a league that has home field advantage determined by an exhibition game mid-season?

A lawsuit filed by Major League Baseball Advanced Media aimed at protecting the league’s game statistics from fantasy sports companies may have inadvertently provided those same fantasy sports outlets with the ability to use names and images for their college fantasy football games.

CBSSports.com last month announced that it has launched an all-new version of its College Fantasy Football game, “continuing to be the only major fantasy sports service provider with a collegiate fantasy football game.”

CBSSports.com originally released the game in 2005. But the controversy this year is that for the first time, it will use real, individual player names rather than listing school and position, such as “FLORIDA QB” or “MICHIGAN RB”.

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