Rant: Major League Baseball Not Having Salary Caps

[schneemann]

I think it is about time for MLB to institute salary caps. This has nothing to do with lowering the price of tickets, whether the bulk of revenue goes to players or owners, or any of that. Salary caps would even out the teams, increase competition among teams, and be better for fans.

Let's face it, if you're a baseball fan, there's one reason to watch a team like the Chicago Cubs: to watch them get their asses kicked. Conversely the incentive of watching a team like the White Sox, Red Sox, or Yankees is to watch the talent of a good god-damn team! Why? Because those three teams pay a shitload of money for good players.

NFL has salary caps and because of this there is a more even competition among teams. It is time the MLB does the same.

[drctfiesta]

u mad because u can't make any money and think everyone should be a broke ass bastard like you?

[GatorB]

Originally Posted by schneemann

I think it is about time for MLB to institute salary caps. This has nothing to do with lowering the price of tickets, whether the bulk of revenue goes to players or owners, or any of that. Salary caps would even out the teams, increase competition among teams, and be better for fans.

Let's face it, if you're a baseball fan, there's one reason to watch a team like the Chicago Cubs: to watch them get their asses kicked. Conversely the incentive of watching a team like the White Sox, Red Sox, or Yankees is to watch the talent of a good god-damn team! Why? Because those three teams pay a shitload of money for good players.

NFL has salary caps and because of this there is a more even competition among teams. It is time the MLB does the same.

Trust me the vast majority of owners would love that. The MLB union doesn't. The union would strike before they ever allowed a cap. The NFL union actualy saw the sense of a cap and more parity and that's why the NFL is now America's pastime baseball is America's PAST.

[schneemann]

Originally Posted by drctfiesta

u mad because u can't make any money and think everyone should be a broke ass bastard like you?

Your response is hilarious considering the Che quote in your sig, dumbass.

[Sosa]

hey, lay off the Cubbies!

[RawAlex]

If you want baseball to have salary caps, I suggest the following:

1) Don't attend any major league games.
2) Don't watch it on TV.
3) Write to baseball sponsors and let them know that you aren't going to support them, as they are pissing their money away paying millionaires to play a kids game
4) Tell all your friends to do the same.

If attendance continues to drop and TV ratings do the same, the teams will run out of money at some point, and have to do something about the situation.

Your continued support of what is potentially the most boring sport in the universe is the only reason why these barely educated fools get paid millions to chase a ball around.

[Humpy Leftnut]

Does it make you angry that millions of people around the world love baseball? They don't care that you don't like it.

I love baseball, and it has nothing to do with whether it's the sport of the moment, or the "biggest" or the most popular in the USA.. All of these things have 0 to do with my enjoyment of the game.

I guess you could never like Cricket, it's just not big enough in the USA for it to make your radar?

I don't see a problem with big sports teams paying a lot of money, that's capitalism in effect, and it doesn't always work.

Cardinals VS Tigers, White Sox vs Astros, Marlins VS Yankees, Angels VS Giants

I wouldn't say it's a league dominated by anyone. And every other teams fans wishes they had an owner like Steinbrenner.

[Sosa]

Baseball is making great money right now and alot of fans are into the game. I don't expect major changes for a while.

[OldJeff]

Baseball has had 7 different champions in the last 7 years.

Football has never gone more the 4 years without a repeat champion.

Argument Over, Baseball is actually better balanced BECAUSE free agents move around so much.

Football is designed to build dynasties

Packers
Steelers
Niners
Cowboys
Patriots

Salary cap actually does nothing but keep player salaries down.

BTW the Minisota Twins have a LOT more money than the Yankees do, they just do not work at such a small profit margin.

[OldJeff]

Originally Posted by RawAlex

If you want baseball to have salary caps, I suggest the following:

1) Don't attend any major league games.
2) Don't watch it on TV.
3) Write to baseball sponsors and let them know that you aren't going to support them, as they are pissing their money away paying millionaires to play a kids game
4) Tell all your friends to do the same.

If attendance continues to drop and TV ratings do the same, the teams will run out of money at some point, and have to do something about the situation.

Your continued support of what is potentially the most boring sport in the universe is the only reason why these barely educated fools get paid millions to chase a ball around.

Fuck You Alex, I like Baseball

[Snake Doctor]

Baseball has had 7 different champions in the past 7 years. How much more parity can there be?

[Snake Doctor]

Originally Posted by OldJeff

BTW the Minisota Twins have a LOT more money than the Yankees do, they just do not work at such a small profit margin.

Where the hell did you get that from?

[Snake Doctor]

Originally Posted by schneemann

Let's face it, if you're a baseball fan, there's one reason to watch a team like the Chicago Cubs: to watch them get their asses kicked. Conversely the incentive of watching a team like the White Sox, Red Sox, or Yankees is to watch the talent of a good god-damn team! Why? Because those three teams pay a shitload of money for good players.

You're way off there.
The Cubs just signed the most expensive free agent (Soriano) this past offseason. The Cubs have always been in the top 20% of baseball teams when it comes to revenue, they just choose to either not spend it on players or spend it foolishly.

It's bad management, not a salary cap or lack thereof that keeps the Cubs from winning.

[OldJeff]

Originally Posted by Lenny2

Where the hell did you get that from?

Owner of the Twins has TWICE the money that Steinblabber does, he is just a cheap fuck.

[BlueWire]

Last 2 years World Series W/ Team Payroll Rankings:

2006 St. Louis VS. Detroit ----#11 VS. #14
2005 Chicago (WS) VS. Houston ---- #13 VS. #12


I understand what you're saying but dollars dont always correlate to championships

....I kind of like the the David versus Goliath that goes along with baseball but is not present in the other sports. The closest thing is college sports.


The other problem with a salary cap is where do you set it? The Yankees are off spending 200 million a year. Are you going to cap all the teams at 50 million and make the highest paid player drop from 25 mil/year to 8 mil/year? And lets say you DO make the drastic move of moving a cap down to 50 mil/year and after a 5 year strike the players finally go for it. If the top teams spend 50 mil then and the small markets only spend 20-35/mil like they do now.... isn't that still unfair?

Its just not possible

[BlueWire]

Originally Posted by RawAlex

If attendance continues to drop and TV ratings do the same, the teams will run out of money at some point, and have to do something about the situation.

Your continued support of what is potentially the most boring sport in the universe is the only reason why these barely educated fools get paid millions to chase a ball around.

----> Baseball revenues, attendance, and profits are near their all-time highs. TV ratings PER GAME are down and lower than that of football for instance. But baseball has 162 games per team + playoffs. There is more money flowing through baseball than any other sport...this is why salaries keep rising. Players and their agents recognize their value based on how much the owners are making. Why do you think a pussy like Bud Selig is still around? Because he works for the owners and the owners are carrying around their money in wheel barrows

[TheDatingNetworkCameron]

It won't happen as long as George owns the Yankees. He has so much power it just won't happen.

[GatorB]

Originally Posted by BlueWire

I understand what you're saying but dollars dont always correlate to championships

Sure it does. All those teams are in the top half.

2006 Playoff teams

Yankees #1
Mets #5
Dodgers#6
Cardinals #11
Tigers #14
Padres #17
Twins #19
A's #21


2005 Playoff teams

Yankees #1
Red Sox #2
Angels #4
Cardinals #6
Braves #10
Astros #12
White Sox #13
Padres #16


2004 Playoff teams

Yankees #1
Red Sox #2
Angels #3
Dodgers #6
Braves #8
Cardinals #9
Astros #12
Twins #19


You show me the bottom 10 teams in payroll for 2007 and I give you 20:1 odds none of them even make it to the WS this year. In the last 3 years only 1 team out of 24 playoff teams between 2004-2006 finished in the bottom 1/3 of payroll and they were at the top of that list.

Fact is since 1995( the year after the players strike and the year payrolls really started to climb ) only one WS champ had a payroll in the bottom half of the league, 2003 Marlins.

The other problem with a salary cap is where do you set it? The Yankees are off spending 200 million a year. Are you going to cap all the teams at 50 million and make the highest paid player drop from 25 mil/year to 8 mil/year? And lets say you DO make the drastic move of moving a cap down to 50 mil/year and after a 5 year strike the players finally go for it. If the top teams spend 50 mil then and the small markets only spend 20-35/mil like they do now.... isn't that still unfair?

Its just not possible

Yes it is. They did it in football. And it wouldn't be $50 mil and you know it. A salary cap in baseball would be closer to $80 mil. Also a lot of $25 mil salary in a signing bonus and like football, baseball could allow teams to spread the cap hit of a signing bonus over several years.

With a ceiling there also has to be a floor, a minimum a team has to spend.

By the way in 1988 the Yankees had the #1 payrol of $18.9 mil and the White Sox were last at a payroll of $5.9 mil

[OldJeff]

You can not blame the top spenders in payroll that those at the bottom put the revenue sharing into their pockets instead of into the team.

There is WAY more than enough revenue sharing for EVERY team to compete for the best players.

It was not NY or Boston that wrote the highest contract in history, it was the Texas Rangers, this years big spenders ??? Cubs, Giants,

Yankess cut payroll, and you will see them continue to do so.

It is always too easy to point to NY or Boston (Franchises that put most of their money on the feild)

Try pointing at the real problem in baseball, the owners that get a 50 million dollar revenue sharing check every year and put it in their pocket.

[MetaMan]

Why are we even discussing baseball? Baseball is for fat idiots with fat idiot fans.

What a fucking boring game, and what is the need for so many regular seasons games? so you can see a bunch of fat guys running around a field catching a giant golf ball?

fuck baseball.

[GatorB]

Originally Posted by OldJeff

Try pointing at the real problem in baseball, the owners that get a 50 million dollar revenue sharing check every year and put it in their pocket.

That's why I suggested a floor as well as a cap. Or at least if you don't spend the money then you don't get anymore revenue sharing money for like 5years or something.

[thebestdamnsexshow]

forget the cap.. Go yankees

[GatorB]

Originally Posted by thebestdamnsexshow

forget the cap.. Go yankees

How's the bandwagon?

[schneemann]

Originally Posted by thebestdamnsexshow

forget the cap.. Go yankees

I root for two teams: The Orioles and anyone playing against the Yankees.

[tony286]

I think it'll happen by itself. Ticket prices go up to far and people stop going to the games.

[BlueWire]

Originally Posted by GatorB

Sure it does. All those teams are in the top half.

2006 Playoff teams

Yankees #1
Mets #5
Dodgers#6
Cardinals #11
Tigers #14
Padres #17
Twins #19
A's #21


2005 Playoff teams

Yankees #1
Red Sox #2
Angels #4
Cardinals #6
Braves #10
Astros #12
White Sox #13
Padres #16


2004 Playoff teams

Yankees #1
Red Sox #2
Angels #3
Dodgers #6
Braves #8
Cardinals #9
Astros #12
Twins #19


You show me the bottom 10 teams in payroll for 2007 and I give you 20:1 odds none of them even make it to the WS this year. In the last 3 years only 1 team out of 24 playoff teams between 2004-2006 finished in the bottom 1/3 of payroll and they were at the top of that list.

Nobody is debating that you need to spend SOME money to produce a winner. But you dont need to be a top 5 spender or anything. Anything in the top 2/3rd has a legitimate shot.

Like I said...money doesn't correlate to championships. If you spend nothing; you don't have a chance. But if you set a salary cap at 80 mil as you say; why would the teams spending 25-50 million start spending anymore than they were?

Yes it is. They did it in football. And it wouldn't be $50 mil and you know it. A salary cap in baseball would be closer to $80 mil. Also a lot of $25 mil salary in a signing bonus and like football, baseball could allow teams to spread the cap hit of a signing bonus over several years.

With a ceiling there also has to be a floor, a minimum a team has to spend.

I picked 50 million to help your point

The larger the salary cap the more realistic a cap is; but the less effective it would be. If you have an 80 million dollar cap....the small market teams will still be spending a fraction of the larger market teams.

In 2006 only the top 14 payrolls spent 80 million or more. The lowest spending team was the Florida Marlins with 14.98 million.

Please explain to me how setting an 80 million dollar cap helps the teams spending less? The best players will still flock to where the money is actually available. You'll have a hell of a time MAKING a small market team or a cheap owner or failing franchise spend near the cap.

And in regards to signing bonuses....hmmm, I wonder which teams will be able to give these signing bonuses?

Even in football their are specific teams that notoriously go after big free agents with large signing bonuses.

[Snake Doctor]

Originally Posted by OldJeff

Owner of the Twins has TWICE the money that Steinblabber does, he is just a cheap fuck.

That isn't a fair comparison. The owner's personal net worth isn't part of the equation, how much revenue the team generates is what matters.

In that comparison, the Yankees revenue dwarfs the Twins revenue.

[kane]

I like the luxury tax that they put in a few years ago. Now if your team spends over a certian amount you have to pay an additional 50% of whatever you spend over it to a league tax. So if your team spends 20 million over the decided on amount you have to pay another 10 million in luxury tax to the league. That money is then spread out among the bottom teams so teams like Kansas City can get some extra revenue and use it to sign good players.