Baseball, $$$, social media, the fans and my Giants!

So the rumor is that Albert Pujols, first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, wants "nosebleed" money in his next contract - $300 million over 10 years surpassing Alex Rodriguez as the highest paid player in baseball history.  I'm not even going to get into the argument of his worth as a player.  Albert is a very good baseball player.  Other than the NY Yankees, who else can afford him at those sky-high figures?  How high would ticket prices in St. Louis have to go to avoid breaking the bank?  And yet, how many fans would continue to purchase tickets at over-inflated prices to keep one player especially when my SF Giants proved last year that a team can win with World Series without a superstar?  Do fans want to follow every move of one player or a whole team?  What does it mean to be a sports fan in today's social media-focused world?

Last year it seemed that professional athletes were just getting started with social media, even tweeting from the dugout/sidelines/bench to their many fans during the game.  What will this year in baseball bring?  Time in the dugout could be spent updating Facebook status or tweeting instead of studying pitchers.  With the Giants playing around with the idea of having a TV show following the players all year, I must say that it feels like we've gone a bit overboard with wanting to be a part of something that has been relatively private in the past.  And what's to happen if the team falls on their faces, is in the middle of a major losing streak and not wanting the "agony of defeat" blasted across the airwaves?  Will it come to fans commenting on coach's decisions while the game is in progress and being reviewable by the coaches?  Will they have a conference about replacing a pitcher based on the fan feedback?  Can you imagine the manager pulling a starting pitcher, telling him "sorry, but the fans voted you off the mound"?

I used to dream as a kid that the ultimate retirement would be to have season tickets to my Giants. Just go to the park, watch batting practice, soak up some sun during a day game without a worry in the world.  Unfortunately, that is a major investment now and out of reach of most fans much less most folks that are retired.  Oh well, it was a great dream - maybe I'll still be able to watch them on TV occasionally.  Or maybe if the league eventually goes "pay-per-view" on all games by the time I retire, I may be back listening to games on the radio, like when I was younger.  Kinda hearkens back to the old days, doesn't it...  Anyway, it's springtime, all of baseball believes that their team has a shot, but for the first time in my life, I get to root for my Giants as World Series Champions.  Life is good!