Benson deal bad for Twins?

From the Seats, November 22, 2004

MINNEAPOLIS - On Saturday Kris Benson signed with the Mets for 3 years worth $23 million. This is a pitcher that went 12-12 last season with a 4.31 ERA in just 200 innings. He has a career record below .500 a career ERA of 4.28.

Radke this past year went 11-8 (the team won a number of games when Radke left with a ND), had a 3.48 ERA in 219 innings. Radke has been the ace of the Twins staff for the past 9 years.

The Twins have offered Radke 2 years $14 million, less than what Bensen will get per year in his deal with the Mets. Radke is by far a more experienced solid pitcher then Benson is.

It appears that the Twins will have to increase their offer to Radke if they want to keep him, not a huge surprise since he has a number of teams looking at him and it has been said the Red Sox might offer Radke 2 years $20 million.

It might be though, when Benson signed with the Mets, the chances of Radke returning to the Twins went downhill.

NBA out of control

DETROIT - Friday night with 45.9 seconds left in the Pistons Pacers game in Detroit the worst fight in U.S. professional sports history broke out. NBA players were fighting with fans, fans fighting back, one huge out of control brawl that lead to the game being called.

Ron Artest was suspended for the rest of the season, Stephen Jackson for 30, Jermaine O'Neal for 25, Ben Wallace for 6, Anthony Johnson for 5, and Reggie Miller, Chaucey Billups, Elden Cambell and Derrick Coleman all got one game. All without pay.

Is this enough? No. A message needs to be sent to these guys and the rest of the NBA this is not ok. The only way to do that is to hit them where it hurts, the wallet.

A $5,000 fine would do nothing for these guys. I know they are being suspended without pay, but these guys make millions, so a fine in the millions would not be something out of line.