Rozner: Mendoza working for both Mets, ESPN isn't the end of the world

Another broadcaster is joining an MLB front office.

Stop the presses, cue the outrage.

You had to laugh Tuesday morning when the big news broke, that ESPN baseball analyst Jessica Mendoza would be joining the Mets' front office without surrendering her cushy Sunday night job.

Oh, the humanity.

Yeah, no exclamation point there because, seriously, who cares?

The truth is most of these high-profile "assistant to the president of baseball operations" jobs are as phony as the title is long.

For Mendoza's sake, here's hoping the Mets really want to incorporate her ideas and listen to her assessments, and that it's not just a publicity stunt.

Generally speaking, these hirings are merely that, a way for teams to bring in former players that fans are fond of and give them a job in charge of tee times and bad impressions.

In a statement, the Mets announced that Mendoza's "focus will be in the areas of player evaluation, roster construction, technological advancement and health and performance."

Mendoza may actually have something to offer and, if that's the case, the Mets better be serious about hearing her speak or this will backfire if she walks away in a year or two having wasted her time.

In most cases, however, these jobs are given out as favors to friends of the owner, president or GM, usually to players who helped them win a World Series or those who can help sell tickets to the club's winter fan festival.

The funny aspect to this news was the outcry about the supposed conflict of interest this poses, as if Mendoza is the only one working on TV or radio and also for a major league club.

Al Leiter works for the Mets and the MLB Network.

Alex Rodriguez has positions with the Yankees, ESPN and Fox.

David Ross apparently does something for the Cubs and is an ESPN analyst.

Ryan Dempster has been a special assistant to Theo Epstein the last four years while also showing up occasionally on MLB Network as a studio analyst.

Jim Thome might have the most genuine baseball job of all these folks in his capacity with the White Sox and he's an MLB Network analyst.

Conflict of interest?

Hard to see how Mendoza's ESPN job is going to affect the integrity of competition.

It's possible, in theory, that one of these analysts could learn something through the course of their media work that they could relay back to their club, but opposing teams also know of their employment, so that seems unlikely.

Would they see something while at a game and not say it on the air, holding it back for their respective clubs as intel?

If that's the case, those teams need better scouts because anything an analyst sees - someone tipping pitches or giving away at-bats - is something their advance guys better know, too.

Mendoza's position as a national announcer does give her access that local media doesn't get, but it seems a reach to think any manager or GM is really giving away state secrets in pregame preparation.

Let's face it, most of what you get on national TV and radio is straight from the Minister of Propaganda, and most of what you hear is the selling of the game and shilling for the players.

It's just a reminder to be careful how you consume your sports information because much of it is nonsense, packaged for you and peddled to you in pure authentic frontier gibberish, so that you will buy more of the same.

It's also worth noting that your outrageous cable bill is due at least in part to all of these sports channels you have bundled along with the home phone you haven't answered since the Bush administration.

The Bush 41 administration.

In any case, Mendoza going to work for the Mets did not bring down the government or crash the markets.

It's no different from the many others like her working in media and baseball.

Take a deep breath.