Saving Baseball

[Tuberski]

Why can't baseball have a salary cap?

Every other major professional sport does.

DOUBLEHEADERS!!!!!

At least 3 scheduled doubleheaders for each team, each year!

No DH, get rid of the juiced ball!

Teach pitchers how to pitch!

[Odin]

I can't wait to see my Twins murder the Yanks in the AL Championship. Any Kirby Puckett fans around? 1991 THAT was the year for baseball, Puckett homered the crap out of Atlanta.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Is it anymore funny than you supporting the very people fighting against bringing commie measures to baseball?

Actually, I agree with most people that reforms are needed. I think Vlad Antlerkov's suggestions are great. Personally, I'd like to also see the teams taken over by their municipalities, like the Packers. The Packers often field a very good team, and there's no danger of that team ever screwing over Green Bay.

[DinoDoc]

Thank you for finally explaining your position. It was kind of perplexing me.

[optimus2861]

Originally posted by Arrian
Despite insane ticket prices, there are about 40,000 people in Yankee Stadium right now to watch the Yankees play a godawful last-place club on a weekday afternoon. Hmm..

How many of those are individuals, and how many of those are corporate ticket holders? Any data available?

[Richelieu]

Originally posted by DarkCloud
1994's strike RUINED baseball
That could have been Tony Gwynn's .400 season
62 home runs could have been hit sooner

All sorts of records... lost.

The Expos were on their way to a championship

Up until then they were not only a viable but a solid franchise. After that, they just died.

[ThePantaloonDog]

As much as I like the Orioles I honestly doubt Baltimore would die without them (though that would dry up some of the drug trade so you never know . )

Maybe the city will stop paying for new stadiums and build new schools.

[Arrian]

Ned,

Sorry, but the White Sox have ZERO excuse for being so bad for so long. Chicago ain't a small market, pal! A fan of a Chicago team whining about the Yankees is hilarious.

Like I said in my original post, I want reform too - reform that would hurt the Yankees. But I seem to be the only one concerned that revenue sharing would simply lead to people like Polhard (whatever his name is) pocketing the money and still not paying for a good team. The Twins are playing great this year DESPITE him, not because he wants to win. Hell, this is the guy that tried to have his own team contracted! And yet Steinbrenner gets all the heat. I love it.

Imran,

Yep, you're right that the Yankees can afford to make expensive mistakes (Sterling Hitchcock, anyone?), and that is a luxury most other teams don't have. Therefore, something must be done to fix that... I agree.

However, what concerns me with all of these socialist plans (well, that's what they are) is that they will penalize teams who develop their markets. The poster team for this would be the Seattle Mariners. They spent what little money they had intelligently, they made some great trades, they got themselves a great new ballpark, and they continue to spend to keep winning and keep the fans coming. They have gone from small market to large market in about 7 years (1995 - 2002). They're now in the upper tier of teams in terms of revenue and payroll. This is the same Mariners club that, up until 1995, made the present-day Royals look good. And because they invested in their product and made good decisions, they will have to pay out money to KC, Detroit, et al.

On the opposite side of the spectrum are the Chicago teams and the Phillies. Large market busts. How in the WORLD are the Phillies not making tons of money and putting a quality team on the field? Could it be because they are badly managed? Nah, it must be the Yankees, despite the fact they're in the other freakin' league.

-Arrian

[Imran Siddiqui]

However, what concerns me with all of these socialist plans (well, that's what they are) is that they will penalize teams who develop their markets

Then every company in the country is socialist (don't get all excited che ) inside their organization. MLB isn't 30 different organizations, it is one company with 30 different franchises! Just like McDonalds has franchises. Each McDonald's isn't a seperate company.

Moving on...

And because they invested in their product and made good decisions, they will have to pay out money to KC, Detroit, et al.

So what? I don't support a luxury tax so I have every team pay money to every other team (Through sharing their local revenues and gate reciepts).

Could it be because they are badly managed?

Of course they are badly managed, but that is a red herring. No one says that rich market teams don't bust (well maybe Selig). The real question is WHO WINS in the end. Since 1995, only 3 series have been won by a team that was in the bottom half of the league in revenue. That just isn't right. It shows that the teams that end up winning have the higher local revenue. THAT is the issue. Not the throw away idea that rich market teams always win and the small market teams always lose.


I can just see this being another long, lengthy Arrian/Imran baseball argument.

[dunk]

- A ticket-price cap. $3.

- No luxury boxes.

- No merchandising whatsoever. You want someone to wear your team's jersey, give it to them for free.

- No more public funds going to stadiums. Pennsylvania built 2 stadiums (Pittsburgh) 2 or 3 years ago and 2 more are in construction (Philadelphia). Total cost... about $1 billion. Maybe 1/3 to 1/2 provided by public funds, either state or county.

[Ned]

Arrian, I suspect you would advocate totally unregulated competition for the NFL as well? I actually think you would be the ONLY American who would advocate such a position.

As to the Chicago and Boston teams, you time and again see these teams selling off their good veterans and "retooling." It is only rarely that their teams accumulate enough young talent to compete. The Twins and the A's seem more adept than most in putting together winning teams from their farm systems. But even their teams are broken up if they have even one non championship season. (Remember Reggie Jackson, Conseco, McGuire, Eckersley, Catfish?)

Two years ago, the Sox had the best record in the American League. They compiled this record with the youngest team in the majors and with one of the lowest payrolls. However, the team was very shallow in talent. When the entire pitching staff came up lame armed and when Frank Thomas was injured last year, the team fell apart and fell out of contention.

This year was another fire sale and wait until next year or the year after.

The Yankees and Atlanta never seem to have a fire sale. They keep their talent and only add to it. This, of course, has a lot to do with their ownership and the size of their markets. But this turns baseball into travesty, as only the owners who are willing to spend or have the ability to spend the big bucks can ever compete.

[Andrew1999]

Only two more days until MLB self-destructs.

How long can they strike and still be able to finish the season?

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by Ned


The Yankees and Atlanta never seem to have a fire sale. They keep their talent and only add to it. This, of course, has a lot to do with their ownership and the size of their markets. But this turns baseball into travesty, as only the owners who are willing to spend or have the ability to spend the big bucks can ever compete.

The Braves, however, originally built their team from their farm system. The sign a free agent or two but the majority of their players came up through their system.

[Sten Sture]

I gave up on baseball in '94, and feel pretty good about it.

The funniest thing about A-Rod's big contract is how Enron-esque bankrupt the Ranger's owner is. :lol Please, how much longer have they got?

[mactbone]

You know, football has revenue sharing, and the Jets and Giants are most CERTAINLY not paying to support any other teams. Apparently there's also a new revenue sharing plan set in place for this year.

Revenue Sharing: Sound Business Practice or Welfare?

I'm not a fan of the redistribution of wealth in any form. It does nothing but punish the producers and reward the non-producers. However, for the NFL
to thrive and survive as a successful entity, the revenue-sharing policy instituted by the NFL owners on January 17, 2001 ensures that the teams and the league will be profitable for some time to come.

Under the new revenue-sharing plan, which will begin this season (2002), 40% of the gate receipts earned by each visiting team in all preseason and regular season games will be pooled and then distributed equally among the 32 NFL teams. "Our traditional revenue-sharing policies have served the league and it's clubs well over the decades," said NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue after the meeting. "The additional step we approved today enhances those policies, and enables us to base future realignment on its merits, not on resulting
economics."

In addition, The NFL's revenue-sharing policy include an equal sharing of all network television, network radio, national sponsorship, and licensing
revenues as well as the 60-40 split of gate receipts. With realignment, we've seen an end to several divisional rivalries, meaning some teams will no longer play the the big-market road games they have in the past (the AFC North and the NFC South are good examples of this). When you look at how the new divisions are laid out, coupled with the new revenue sharing plan, everything should balance out as well as new rivalries being established.

Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson said "Realignment still won't be easy, but that pooling visitors' revenues will be helpful."

Because of the new revenue-sharing system, with a third of every team's gate receipts and club-seat revenue going directly to the NFL, you'll see more
and more teams move towards the dreaded PSL (personal seat license). I like the PSL idea, because of the perks that go along with it, but I think the prices for the PSL are outrageous to say the least. Teams will also move to maximize additonal non-shared revenue such as naming-rights fees, local media deals, luxury suites and in-stadium advertising and sponsorships.

The bottom line with all of this is money.

Face it, you'll have to pay to play. If you're a fan, depending on your seat and what you spend in addition to the ticket, it'll cost you $75.00 and up
per head for a day at the races in the NFL. Is it worth it? I think so. The NFL is the cream-of-the-crop of the sports world and nothing compares to an NFL Sunday (except maybe a Saturday in Knoxville at Neyland Stadium). If you don't like the price, don't go. Direct TV and the "NFL Ticket" are a great substitute.

James Boswell is the Publisher of ProFootballFanatics.com and is an affiliated member of TGNFU