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pan6467 · 12-21-2009, 08:09 PM

ok let's look at the Indians.... 1,766,242 in attendance this past year. Average ticket price 22.12. that comes to 39,069,273.04 made this season in tickets (let's say they get all of that.. even tho they don't because they pay the visiting team a percentage of the gate). Now the radio and tv bring in reportedly around 10 million, concessions may bring in around 25 million, and MLB revenue sharing let's give them another 25 mill to make it easy for the math.

So let's say they make $100 million. Now, they have to pay for the motels, airfare, food expenses for the team, the front office, trainers, coaches, the manager, scouts, minor league team salaries, advertising, stadium lease, utilities, and miscellaneous items like equipment, their Spring Training, signing the draftees and so on.

Now, keep in mind the more you spend on scouts and your minors the better players you produce so that ain't cheap. Hotels and travel... you need to treat these players like royalty so chartered planes and 1st class hotels.

Let's say that costs them $15 million all together. So that leaves you roughly 85 million to pay 24 players (or roughly 3.5 million per player). You pay someone 15 million a year and that's 2 minor leaguers at close to minimum you have to play and if you pay a couple 8-10 million there's more minor leaguers you have. Then you hope the players you are paying those salaries to actually perform and make the team competitive so that attendance can go up, concessions can go up and thus revenue comes in. If they don't perform and/or attendance doesn't increase then you are in serious trouble.

Now, let's say they can sell out Every game 48,000 @ 22.12/ticket that increases your income to 86 million in attendance + concessions you reach the 100 million mark then the other 35 million... let's say you make 150 million but you have to maintain a winning team to keep that. That means more spent in salaries. 150mill/24 players = 6.25 million per player. But the marquee players command more to play in Cleveland than they will in NY/Boston... so you may spend 25 million on a CC but that's 4 player's salaries so then you face having to play 3 minor leaguers around minimum. That's hardly being able to field a competitive team.

That's small market. Plus you add in a bad economy so people can't spend that much for games they have to cut their spending on concessions and souvenirs... there's no way you can keep up.

That's why teams are going broke. They can't afford to compete and fans don't nor can't spend money to go to a stadium where the team doesn't have a chance... so attendance goes down... income goes down, salaries have to go down....and the teams downward spiral speeds up.

So some of these teams fielding big money players at 4-5 positions are walking thin lines. It's easy to see how there can be quite a few teams close to total bankruptcy and having an inability to make payroll.

That's baseball 101, Jaymoney. Every team faces that except the Yankees and Boston. Philly has a good run right now, but even they have their limits. Do you really believe they wanted to get rid of Cliff Lee? Hell no, that would have been arguably the best 1-2 combo in baseball since Maddux/Glavine. The Phils just could not afford that and keep their offense and defensive players. And you need offense/defense to draw in fans and compete. Enough offense to guarantee runs will be scored and a strong defense to keep errors down and help the pitching look good.

I believe, we're going to start seeing more players moved every year from city to city than in the past. This will not be good for baseball.

But, let as you say the fat cat owners lose money year after year after year... even tho they can't afford to field a competitive team, in your opinion, they are just being cheap. How, long would you want to lose millions? How many years are you going to chase bad money with good?

12-21-2009, 08:09 PM	#46 (permalink)
pan6467 Lennonite Priest Location: Mansfield, Ohio USA	ok let's look at the Indians.... 1,766,242 in attendance this past year. Average ticket price 22.12. that comes to 39,069,273.04 made this season in tickets (let's say they get all of that.. even tho they don't because they pay the visiting team a percentage of the gate). Now the radio and tv bring in reportedly around 10 million, concessions may bring in around 25 million, and MLB revenue sharing let's give them another 25 mill to make it easy for the math. So let's say they make $100 million. Now, they have to pay for the motels, airfare, food expenses for the team, the front office, trainers, coaches, the manager, scouts, minor league team salaries, advertising, stadium lease, utilities, and miscellaneous items like equipment, their Spring Training, signing the draftees and so on. Now, keep in mind the more you spend on scouts and your minors the better players you produce so that ain't cheap. Hotels and travel... you need to treat these players like royalty so chartered planes and 1st class hotels. Let's say that costs them $15 million all together. So that leaves you roughly 85 million to pay 24 players (or roughly 3.5 million per player). You pay someone 15 million a year and that's 2 minor leaguers at close to minimum you have to play and if you pay a couple 8-10 million there's more minor leaguers you have. Then you hope the players you are paying those salaries to actually perform and make the team competitive so that attendance can go up, concessions can go up and thus revenue comes in. If they don't perform and/or attendance doesn't increase then you are in serious trouble. Now, let's say they can sell out Every game 48,000 @ 22.12/ticket that increases your income to 86 million in attendance + concessions you reach the 100 million mark then the other 35 million... let's say you make 150 million but you have to maintain a winning team to keep that. That means more spent in salaries. 150mill/24 players = 6.25 million per player. But the marquee players command more to play in Cleveland than they will in NY/Boston... so you may spend 25 million on a CC but that's 4 player's salaries so then you face having to play 3 minor leaguers around minimum. That's hardly being able to field a competitive team. That's small market. Plus you add in a bad economy so people can't spend that much for games they have to cut their spending on concessions and souvenirs... there's no way you can keep up. That's why teams are going broke. They can't afford to compete and fans don't nor can't spend money to go to a stadium where the team doesn't have a chance... so attendance goes down... income goes down, salaries have to go down....and the teams downward spiral speeds up. So some of these teams fielding big money players at 4-5 positions are walking thin lines. It's easy to see how there can be quite a few teams close to total bankruptcy and having an inability to make payroll. That's baseball 101, Jaymoney. Every team faces that except the Yankees and Boston. Philly has a good run right now, but even they have their limits. Do you really believe they wanted to get rid of Cliff Lee? Hell no, that would have been arguably the best 1-2 combo in baseball since Maddux/Glavine. The Phils just could not afford that and keep their offense and defensive players. And you need offense/defense to draw in fans and compete. Enough offense to guarantee runs will be scored and a strong defense to keep errors down and help the pitching look good. I believe, we're going to start seeing more players moved every year from city to city than in the past. This will not be good for baseball. But, let as you say the fat cat owners lose money year after year after year... even tho they can't afford to field a competitive team, in your opinion, they are just being cheap. How, long would you want to lose millions? How many years are you going to chase bad money with good? __________________ I just love people who use the excuse "I use/do this because I LOVE the feeling/joy/happiness it brings me" and expect you to be ok with that as you watch them destroy their life blindly following. My response is, "I like to put forks in an eletrical socket, just LOVE that feeling, can't ever get enough of it, so will you let me put this copper fork in that electric socket?" Last edited by pan6467; 12-21-2009 at 08:12 PM..