I look at it this way. Milton Bradley was a 20 million dollar mistake. The Cubs realistically had revenues of 220 million last year.
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/33/biz ... 35092.htmlSo Jim Hendry made a mistake that cost his employer 5% of his revenues in two consecutive years. What line of business do you have to be in not to be fired immediately after this mistake? I guarentee you if some Ameritrade exec in 1998 told Rickets' old man that he lost 5% of his annual revenue, for two consecutive years. in one fell swoop that guy would be cleaning out his office. This just isn't a bad signing for a middle relief pitcher, this is a franchise crippling mistake.
F-ck, if I told my boss that my mistake cost us .5% of revenues, I'd be dusting off my resume.
bad math, sorry about the edit
You can add A.Miles and Fukudome contracts to your equation.