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Salary Cap! Oh I know but I still think it's a good start.
See but there is one thing constant with those other two sports. That MLB does not have.
 
Salary Cap! Oh I know but I still think it's a good start.

This is taken from Wikipedia, but most of it is from the transcripts of the last negotiation in MLB. Right now only a single team voted against both a ceiling and a floor.

Measuring the success of the luxury tax in bringing the benefits of parity has brought mixed results. A team with a $100 million plus payroll has won the World Series three times: the 2009 Yankees, and the 2004 and 2007 Red Sox; however, $100 million plus payrolls have only existed since 2000. In the past 30 years, 20 different teams have won World Series titles, compared to 14 different teams winning the NFL Super Bowl, 13 winning the NHL Stanley Cup and 9 winning the NBA championship. While a top tier payroll increases a team's chances of making the playoffs, it does not guarantee they will consistently win championships. Others disagree, citing the New York Yankees having consistently the highest salary in baseball and have won approximately a quarter of all world series.

Others pundits, such as Michael Lewis, the author of the bestseller Moneyball, have argued that using World Series championships as an example of parity may be misleading, and playoff appearances may be a better indicator of relative team strength. The playoff system used in baseball comprises a small number of games compared to success over a long season, and has been described as a "crapshoot" by Oakland A's General Manager Billy Beane. Teams with consistently high payrolls including the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have secured high numbers of playoff berths while teams with low payrolls such as the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays have only made the playoffs twice combined over the past decade.

Some teams, notably the Milwaukee Brewers, have called for the introduction of a salary cap, but any introduction is opposed by the MLB players' union, and the Yankees' ownership group; the latter have threatened legal action. Although some saw the success of NHL owners in their 2004–05 lockout as an opportunity for MLB to reform its collective bargaining agreement, baseball owners agreed to a new five-year deal in October 2006 that did not include a salary cap. Unlike the other three major North American sports, MLB also has no team salary floor: the only minimum limits for team payrolls are based on the minimum salaries for individual players of various levels of experience that are written into MLB's collective bargaining agreement.
 
You could also argue that they have losing after losing season because they cannot compete financially and when they finally get talent, the minute a contract comes up they leave in free agency. it is a catch 22 and MLB is the ONLY major domestic team sport that is run that way. Call it bad management, call it bad teams, call it many things, it almost is always related to money in the end. Poorly run teams in every single other sport still get attendance. Why? because they know they are on a level playing field and might be one draft or player away from being there. In MLB, they know that even the youngsters wont be there long term if they are in one of those bottom 12 teams. You will have sparks of good winning seasons, but longevity kills all.
Football is king in this country so there really is no comparison and I dont follow basketball but hockey is a mess right now. You have teams like the Devils who couldnt even field a whole team because of no cap space and teams like the Hawks who win the Cup and then have to completely dismantle. I wouldnt mind seeing the restricted free agent rule coming to baseball and a floor. I think that would be a start but I still dont think a cap would help teams like the Royals, Rays and Marlins.

Another thing that makes me wonder about Tampa is if you look at the Lightning. They have the second best record in the East this year but are in the bottom 3rd in attendance. I know the Bucs draw well but it seems like they are a one sport town. Do you think a new stadium would really help?
 
Football is king in this country so there really is no comparison and I dont follow basketball but hockey is a mess right now. You have teams like the Devils who couldnt even field a whole team because of no cap space and teams like the Hawks who win the Cup and then have to completely dismantle. I wouldnt mind seeing the restricted free agent rule coming to baseball and a floor. I think that would be a start but I still dont think a cap would help teams like the Royals, Rays and Marlins.

Another thing that makes me wonder about Tampa is if you look at the Lightning. They have the second best record in the East this year but are in the bottom 3rd in attendance. I know the Bucs draw well but it seems like they are a one sport town. Do you think a new stadium would really help?

A cap would not help teams like the Royals, Marlins, and Rays? How do you figure? It makes the top teams spend less and the bottom teams spend more. it helps everybody and its why every US sport has adopted it. Easiest way to look at this is with an example. Lets take a pitcher as that example. Could you imagine if any team in a bottom third market had signed a pitcher to a 3-5 year deal at 15 million per and he did not pan out? Look at the top 10 teams and they can just move on, everybody outside of that is crippled for years. A cap means less chances get taken by those at the top and more signings happen. It means a level playing field especially with a floor. That section I put up from Wikipedia shows everything. Who wins, who loses, and why its needed. Cannot buy a championship, but you can get to the post season.

As for will it help? ONLY ONE TEAM OPPOSES it right now! And they threatened legal action. I will just never understand a sport that believes that having the most money or largest fanbase is more important than level playing field. That makes no sense whatsoever.

As for Tampa, yes a stadium would work. As long as it is in Tampa. The Lightning sold out many games en route to the Stanley Cup and then there was a strike, the team dismantled, etc... The city has not gotten over that.
 
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A cap would not help teams like the Royals, Marlins, and Rays? How do you figure? It makes the top teams spend less and the bottom teams spend more. it helps everybody and its why every US sport has adopted it. Easiest way to look at this is with an example. Lets take a pitcher as that example. Could you imagine if any team in a bottom third market had signed a pitcher to a 3-5 year deal at 15 million per and he did not pan out? Look at the top 10 teams and they can just move on, everybody outside of that is crippled for years. A cap means less chances get taken by those at the top and more signings happen. It means a level playing field especially with a floor. That section I put up from Wikipedia shows everything. Who wins, who loses, and why its needed. Cannot buy a championship, but you can get to the post season.

I still think you would have teams right at the floor, the owner of the Pirates is not going to resign guys just because the Yankees are not. With a cap you would see guys like Damon and Guerrero fizzle off and not get picked up by teams. Fans would have to suffer for years because a crappy GM signs a backloaded 15 year deal to manipulate his cap space.
As for Tampa, yes a stadium would work. As long as it is in Tampa. The Lightning sold out many games en route to the Stanley Cup and then there was a strike, the team dismantled, etc... The city has not gotten over that.
The strike hurt a lot of teams, hopefully a season like this and a youngster like Stamkos can revive it. I see the stadium only helping draw for a short time. The Padres are a good example, they have a beautiful ballpark right in the center of town but had problems drawing in a pennant chase last season. You had players coming on the radio begging fans to come out. I go see the Dodgers down there and the LA fans always outdraw the hometown fans.

I think MLB is going to try and add another Wild Card as a hope to draw more interest from these smaller markets.
 
I still think you would have teams right at the floor, the owner of the Pirates is not going to resign guys just because the Yankees are not. With a cap you would see guys like Damon and Guerrero fizzle off and not get picked up by teams. Fans would have to suffer for years because a crappy GM signs a backloaded 15 year deal to manipulate his cap space.

The strike hurt a lot of teams, hopefully a season like this and a youngster like Stamkos can revive it. I see the stadium only helping draw for a short time. The Padres are a good example, they have a beautiful ballpark right in the center of town but had problems drawing in a pennant chase last season. You had players coming on the radio begging fans to come out. I go see the Dodgers down there and the LA fans always outdraw the hometown fans.

I think MLB is going to try and add another Wild Card as a hope to draw more interest from these smaller markets.

The NFL has proven that good GM's still win out and smart ownership still wins out. The Patriots do not have a high payroll, and still win. But with a level playing field it becomes who makes the right decisions not always who makes the most decisions. Again, I just cannot find an argument that is for no floor and no cap. Only ONE team opposes it right now (although I am sure Boston is close). The bottom 16 teams will remain there for 8 out of 10 years because of how it is setup, but MLB does not care because the top 16 will draw.

In the end, the regional fans suffer and that leaves less and less fans as generations move on. Kids dont support their local teams anymore because unless they are in the right market, they stink year after year.

And your right, the Padres are a perfect example. They have no money to compete year after year, so fans dont want to spend their hard earned money to see a team that will be decent for a brief period of time only to fall to the wayside because in the end they cannot compete with the larger markets based on dollar share. With 162 season, fans know within 10 days if their team has any chance in the world. And most when bad are bad for a decade because they cannot sign top talent.
 
And your right, the Padres are a perfect example. They have no money to compete year after year, so fans dont want to spend their hard earned money to see a team that will be decent for a brief period of time only to fall to the wayside because in the end they cannot compete with the larger markets based on dollar share. With 162 season, fans know within 10 days if their team has any chance in the world. And most when bad are bad for a decade because they cannot sign top talent.
Like I said though, the last month of the season the Padres were in it and no one was showing up. Why would you not spend your hard earned money to see a winning team? I could care less how much the owner is spending if the team is winning. The Padres have put out a team with a winning season 5 out of the last 7 years. If you have no fan support, at the stadium or on tv, you cant resign guys like Adrian Gonzalez. Im pretty sure the teams split all National TV revenues as well as the .Com money, I could be wrong on that though.
 
Like I said though, the last month of the season the Padres were in it and no one was showing up. Why would you not spend your hard earned money to see a winning team? I could care less how much the owner is spending if the team is winning. The Padres have put out a team with a winning season 5 out of the last 7 years. If you have no fan support, at the stadium or on tv, you cant resign guys like Adrian Gonzalez. Im pretty sure the teams split all National TV revenues as well as the .Com money, I could be wrong on that though.

Because they new there was no connection. In todays times, they want to see a product that lasts. Not a product that has a huge run and then is one. People want a connection with their team and a commitment from the people behind the team. When they dont get that, they dont show.

And to add to that, attendance means very little in terms of overall landscape of the revenue. Half the teams are irrelevant 8 out of 10 years in MLB. Only a floor and a cap fixes that.
 
The Yankees have begun talks with Andruw Jones. :laughing:

If that dude got fat in LA he will be morbidly obese by the time July rolls around in NY.
 
He would be an idiot to opt out after the first year of that deal. He is getting almost the same money as Coco Cordero.
 
Someone sent me an email with a picture of someone who looks like Brad Penny in December. Are there pictures of him after signing with Detroit? Purple is not his best color.
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Kind of looks like
grimace.jpg
 
Gil Meche retired today. He was the Royals big Free Agent a few years ago, $55 million for 5 years. He gives up the last $12 million.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Gil-Meche-retires-Kansas-City-Royals-011811

Gil Meche announced his retirement from baseball today, and multiple sources told FOXSports.com that Meche will indeed forfeit the $12 million salary he was going to receive from the Kansas City Royals this year.

Meche went just 6-15 with a 5.29 ERA for Kansas City over the past two seasons, during which he was affected by injuries to his right (throwing) shoulder.

“As a competitor my entire life this is the hardest decision that I’ve ever faced, but it’s not fair to me, my family or the Kansas City Royals that I attempt to pitch anymore,” Meche said in a statement released by the team.

“I came into this game as a starting pitcher and unfortunately my health — more accurately, my shoulder — has deteriorated to the point where surgery would be the only option. At this stage of my life I would prefer to call it a career rather than to attempt to pitch in relief for the final year of my contract.

“I can’t thank the Kansas City Royals and their fans enough for my four seasons there and if I have any regret, it’s that we weren’t able to accomplish on the field what the goal was when I signed there.”

Meche, 32, arrived in Kansas City with high expectations following the 2006 season — when he signed a five-year, $55 million contract. He departs with a 29-39 record and 4.27 ERA in four seasons.

Meche was a first-round pick of the Seattle Mariners in 1996 and spent his first six major-league seasons with that franchise.
 
Rangers have a new tv play by play guy. John Rhadigan.

not real sure about this. Josh lewin was a goofy looking guy, but he did call a good game. He always made it very interesting to watch/listen. Him and Tom worked really good together and he was there for a while (9 years) now all of sudden after one good season they don't bring him back? I don't understand that, a lot of mixed feelings about Josh but I think he called a real good game and always made the blowouts watchable.


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you mean the Yanks are bottom feeding the FA Market now? My how times have changed.....hehe

Bottom feeding is a good word for it. But if he provides a RH bat to platoon in Left and Center and can hit 20hrs and hit .280 then ok.. I personally do not see it happening.
 
Bottom feeding is a good word for it. But if he provides a RH bat to platoon in Left and Center and can hit 20hrs and hit .280 then ok.. I personally do not see it happening.

He will definitley provide a solid fork on the bench. I dont dislike many ballplayers but he is one of them.
 
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