Any Hope for Small Market Baseball Teams?

The Poet · 11-06-2009, 02:53 PM

Is it fair for teams like the Yankees to be able to afford nearly any high-ticket player they covet? Probably not. Is it fair for teams like the Yankees to subsidize other teams by sending them hefty checks each year, only to have those owners say "Screw the fans, I'm gonna pocket this money and the hell with improving my team."? Most definitely not. For all of you who think the Yankees are "bad for baseball", I ask you to stop for a moment to consider how the Yankees are good for baseball. A championship in almost anywhere else benefits that city, but a championship in New York benefits MLB. You may not like that, but it's the fact.

Starscream · 11-08-2009, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Poet

Is it fair for teams like the Yankees to be able to afford nearly any high-ticket player they covet? Probably not. Is it fair for teams like the Yankees to subsidize other teams by sending them hefty checks each year, only to have those owners say "Screw the fans, I'm gonna pocket this money and the hell with improving my team."? Most definitely not. For all of you who think the Yankees are "bad for baseball", I ask you to stop for a moment to consider how the Yankees are good for baseball. A championship in almost anywhere else benefits that city, but a championship in New York benefits MLB. You may not like that, but it's the fact.

Never said that the Yanks were bad for baseball. For ratings, entertainment, and money, the Yankees are the best thing to happen to the MLB. Just saying that the MLB has some serious flaws. In the business world, I'm more than ok with it; in the sports world, I have a few issues. And I'm not just talking about the Yankees. LA and Chicago also have teams in the MLB too.

VirtualSmitty · 11-08-2009, 02:42 PM

There's plenty of hope for small market teams. The Rays, Marlins, and Rockies have shown they can hang with bigger market teams. It takes better planning, better drafting, better scouting, and smarter spending. Teams like the Reds, Royals, and Pirates have only themselves to blame for sucking as long as they have. All three have produced a ton of talent but failed to go anywhere with it. And small market teams get revenue sharing from large market teams. Having a huge payroll doesn't equal success, if that were true the Yanks would have never stopped winning.

yourchoice · 11-08-2009, 03:26 PM

I don't think there is any long-term hope. The Expos were the best team in baseball developing their talent...but once their talent was developed and ready to compete for a title, they became free agents and the Expos couldn't afford them.

Do the Marlins, Rays, Rockies, etc. success prove you can develop a winning baseball team? Yes. But in the long run they cannot remain competitive because they can't compete salary-wise. The Phillies have a top 10 payroll (not sure where exactly), but I will not begin to suggest the system, as is, is fair to smaller market teams.

Some sort of salary cap is needed IMHO.

yourchoice · 11-08-2009, 04:42 PM

Oh....and with a salary cap, there needs to be a salary minimum too. Teams at the bottom shouldn't just be able to suck along while getting their shared revenues (TV, etc.)

Starscream · 11-08-2009, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yourchoice

Oh....and with a salary cap, there needs to be a salary minimum too. Teams at the bottom shouldn't just be able to suck along while getting their shared revenues (TV, etc.)

I agree, but I don't want to see another players strike. Can't win for losing.

VTDragon · 11-09-2009, 09:55 AM

I'm a long time Red Sox fan and they do benefit from the current system. However for the good of baseball, I think there should be a HARD salary cap on all of MLB, along with a HARD CAP on what teams can spend to support their minor league systems. Without that, big market teams will just switch where they are spending their money from the major league level to the minors thus perpetuating the problem. I also agree that a major league minimum salary needs to be in effect so that teams don't just reap the excess profits while vastly underspending the cap. The NFL does it right, Selig should take a page from their playbook.

Starscream · 11-08-2009, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VirtualSmitty

Teams like the Reds, Royals, and Pirates have only themselves to blame for sucking as long as they have.

11-06-2009, 02:53 PM	#1
The Poet Il megglior fabbro Join Date: Jun 2009 First Name: Thomas Location: Hickory, NC Posts: 8,420 Trading: (2)	Re: Any Hope for Small Market Baseball Teams? Is it fair for teams like the Yankees to be able to afford nearly any high-ticket player they covet? Probably not. Is it fair for teams like the Yankees to subsidize other teams by sending them hefty checks each year, only to have those owners say "Screw the fans, I'm gonna pocket this money and the hell with improving my team."? Most definitely not. For all of you who think the Yankees are "bad for baseball", I ask you to stop for a moment to consider how the Yankees are good for baseball. A championship in almost anywhere else benefits that city, but a championship in New York benefits MLB. You may not like that, but it's the fact.

11-08-2009, 02:42 PM	#3
VirtualSmitty WiP!? Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Joe Location: The Evil Empire Posts: 2,084 Trading: (0)	Re: Any Hope for Small Market Baseball Teams? There's plenty of hope for small market teams. The Rays, Marlins, and Rockies have shown they can hang with bigger market teams. It takes better planning, better drafting, better scouting, and smarter spending. Teams like the Reds, Royals, and Pirates have only themselves to blame for sucking as long as they have. All three have produced a ton of talent but failed to go anywhere with it. And small market teams get revenue sharing from large market teams. Having a huge payroll doesn't equal success, if that were true the Yanks would have never stopped winning. __________________ We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid - Benjamin Franklin

11-08-2009, 03:26 PM	#4
yourchoice Down the stretch Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Joel Location: South Jersey Posts: 4,102 Trading: (36)	Re: Any Hope for Small Market Baseball Teams? I don't think there is any long-term hope. The Expos were the best team in baseball developing their talent...but once their talent was developed and ready to compete for a title, they became free agents and the Expos couldn't afford them. Do the Marlins, Rays, Rockies, etc. success prove you can develop a winning baseball team? Yes. But in the long run they cannot remain competitive because they can't compete salary-wise. The Phillies have a top 10 payroll (not sure where exactly), but I will not begin to suggest the system, as is, is fair to smaller market teams. Some sort of salary cap is needed IMHO.

11-08-2009, 04:42 PM	#5
yourchoice Down the stretch Join Date: Oct 2008 First Name: Joel Location: South Jersey Posts: 4,102 Trading: (36)	Re: Any Hope for Small Market Baseball Teams? Oh....and with a salary cap, there needs to be a salary minimum too. Teams at the bottom shouldn't just be able to suck along while getting their shared revenues (TV, etc.)

11-09-2009, 09:55 AM	#7
VTDragon Feeling at Home Join Date: May 2009 First Name: Gary Location: Vermont Posts: 627 Trading: (0)	Re: Any Hope for Small Market Baseball Teams? I'm a long time Red Sox fan and they do benefit from the current system. However for the good of baseball, I think there should be a HARD salary cap on all of MLB, along with a HARD CAP on what teams can spend to support their minor league systems. Without that, big market teams will just switch where they are spending their money from the major league level to the minors thus perpetuating the problem. I also agree that a major league minimum salary needs to be in effect so that teams don't just reap the excess profits while vastly underspending the cap. The NFL does it right, Selig should take a page from their playbook. __________________ An expert is a person who knows enough about what's really going on ... to be scared.