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...it's just the emphasis on the sacredness of "the ring" and athletes playing for "the love of the game" has faded over the last decade or so IMO.
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I think it's a safe bet that a decade or so ago, you were a kid.
I think you could find adults in the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s who would say "Today's players just don't play for the right reason. It used be different before."
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Very good point.
However, I think there is some correlation between the inflated salaries (related to average or mean income) today than in the 60s and 70s.
Assuming the numbers used on this websites are correct, there is a disparity between the average MLB salary and the average salary of the US in general.
MLB
US Census
Note: I'm using the value of the dollar at each time period to stay constant with the comparison between MLB and avg. income.
Avg. MLB salary (in dollars of the time period):
1970: $ 29,303.00
1980: $ 146,500.00
1990: $ 589,483.00
2000: $1,987,543.03
US Median Family Income:
1970: 11,106
1980: 23,974
1990: 42,652
2000: 65,773
Percentage Differences between MLB salaries and Avg. US Household Income:
1970: 264%
1980: 611%
1990: 1,382%
2000: 3,021%
One might assume that if you extrapolated the salaries back into the early 20th century, the difference between MLB and avg. household income would approach each other.
My hypothesis is that with the massive increase in average salary size of professional athletes with regard to the average US household income, the motivation for playing becomes more monetary oriented and the notion of "love of the game" is displaced in favor of material gain.
Obviously, "love of the game" cannot be quantified, but I think there is a correlation between this motivation and playing for different sized salaries in relation to the general population. Basically, if an athlete makes the same or less than his neighbor who has an average paying job, he would be doing it for "the love of the game" - or to put it another way - the love of his profession regardless of monetary gain.