Letter: Baseball, military pay out of whack

A long time Giants fan, since the Mays/McCovey days, I was thrilled with their World Series victory. Not just the sweep of Detroit, but also how they got there. Great pitching, defense and hitting. But the memory that will stick with me the longest was the ceremonial first pitch before Game 2.

A young Marine, who lost both legs and his left arm during his second tour of Afghanistan, threw that pitch and nearly lost his balance. The crowd applauded, but those 43,000-plus people were there to see men, making a minimum of $414,000 to many millions, play a game.

I was immediately struck by the contrasts. I wonder how much, even with combat pay, the Marine made? How much is his disability pay? What was the quality of his medical care, having read and heard multiple stories that some VA hospitals are sub par. Pro athletes have team doctors and trainers to provide immediate care.

I wondered if the young Marine was able to get psychological help, if wanted and needed, having heard some vets must wait six months for an initial appointment. Many pro teams have team psychologists for their athletes. It seems to me as a society, we have our priorities wrong. Time to look at what is really important. Even the president of the United States, the leader of the free world, makes less than MLB's minimum.

Maria E. Mitchum

Colusa