Open Court: Big money, big risk

In the world of professional sports, extreme wealth and sound judgment don’t often appear in the same sentence.

Those individuals who find themselves in ownership positions in any major sport obviously must possess some semblance of business savvy. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to accumulate the necessary funds to join this exclusive club.

This is precisely why the contracts that get offered to many of today’s premier athletes are so puzzling.

Some deals had little to no chance of succeeding. These “high risk, no reward” deals have no place in a successful sports franchise.

But in order to succeed, an owner must occasionally be willing to take a calculated, intelligent risk with his or her wealth.

The San Francisco Giants recently signed Barry Zito to a 7-year, $126 million deal, making him the highest-paid pitcher in the history of baseball.

Two other pitchers—Kevin Brown and Mike Hampton—inked nine-figure deals, and both failed miserably.

Zito won the American League Cy Young award with the Oakland A’s in 2002, but has not been as effective since.

Zito is primarily a curveball pitcher, which means he’s either going to be excellent or terrible, depending on how the ball is breaking.

The Giants felt like they needed to make a splash in free agency in order to distract fans and press from the ongoing Barry Bonds nonsense, but is making Zito the wealthiest pitcher ever the most prudent move?

Chances for success: slim.

Last week, the Arizona Diamondbacks brought Randy Johnson back to the desert in a trade with the New York Yankees.

While the D-Backs gave up little to acquire the future Hall-of-Famer and former World Series hero, questions surround the 43-year-old pitcher’s durability.

Johnson has suffered through back problems during his two years in the Bronx, and back problems don’t typically get better as one gets older.

As part of the trade, Arizona signed Johnson to a 2-year, $26 million extension, meaning that a substantial chunk of the Diamondbacks’ payroll will be tied up in a power pitcher with declining health.

But Johnson will be an upgrade in the rotation, giving Arizona a solid starter behind Cy Young winner Brandon Webb. Plus, the National League West is much weaker than the American League East, so Johnson should see a noticeable drop in his 5.01 earned-run average from last season.

Chances for success: moderate.

In a deal that blows these other two out of the water, the Los Angeles Galaxy signed soccer legend and international celebrity David Beckham to a 5-year, $250 million contract, making him the most expensive athlete in sports history.

Major League Soccer obviously hopes Beckham’s arrival will provide a shot in the arm for the struggling organization.

While this will create temporary interest in the sport, I remain skeptical that Beckham’s presence will elevate soccer to the level that his contract demands. Let’s face it, the MLS just isn’t that interesting.

What this deal does allow is for Beckham to cross over from sports stardom to movie stardom.

Beckham’s chances for success: astronomically high. MLS’s chances for success: slim.

nprevenas@gvnews.com | 547-9736