Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - A Rod to the Yanks

Blackthorn · 02-29-2004, 05:29 AM

The Yankees team payroll will be 3x what the Reds team revenue (gross) will be this year. The problem is clearly that of haves vs. have nots. New York has a much larger media market, they have their own television network, premium ticket prices, luxury boxes where corporations shell out multiple thousands of dollars each year to entertain, wine and dine, etc.

It may sound like I'm bitter because A Rod isn't in Cincinnati but that's not true. I'm bitter because the Reds were silly enough to tie up upwards of 1/3 of their payroll in three players who combined haven't played a full season in the past three years. I don't expect Carl Linder who owns the Reds to pay out more than he brings in because from the time he started the first Linder's Market he's never done that. He won't lose money at least no intentionally.

The Yankees have seemingly limitless wealth and cash flow at their disposal that other mid to small market teams simply don't have. The assumption that owners of teams in these cities have the cash to pay and are choosing not to may be true in the case of LA or even Chicago in the case of the Cubs. In cities like Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Kansas City and Cincinnati that's simply not the case.

Smaller baseball cities like Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Montreal don't have big contracts with their local television stations, which means they have less money and can't afford to keep their top players or sign top talent. Baseball has never had a salary cap because it has never had as big of a problem as it has had recently.

In 1996, the New York Yankees had the highest payroll at $61.5 million. In 1999, the Yankees payroll rose to $88 million, the highest again.

In 2001, the Yankees were at the top again with a payroll about $110 million, in 2002 their payroll wa up around $150 million. I think that in 2004 the Yankees dole will be around $190 million.

It's ridiculous when team payrolls, like those of the Twins, Athletics, Expos, Marlins, Royals, and Padres, don't even surpass the $50 million mark. This past year in baseball, the difference between the higher salary teams and the lower salary teams was enormous and this year it's going to be even larger.

I think the part of the argument that says that the game is weakened now because the best teams aren't built from developing talent through the minor leagues is a farce because that implies that one thinks that free agency is bad. I don't like free angecy because of the loss of player loyalty and all that but I think it's certainly necessary to give players the ability to shop their talents and to earn top dollar just as I have the ability to do in my chosen line of work. (Unfortunately I couldn't hit a 93mph heater from a left hander or a right hander and I can't throw a slider that falls off the table so I'm suck being a chip head computer fool but it pays the bills).

What I think baseball needs is a system that enforces a more reasonable leveling of the spend side of the ledger while at the same time preserving the players ability to earn true market value. That's a diffuclt formula to calculate but the current 15% luxury tax that large market teams pay is a) not enough and b) likely not the right formula.

36 days, 4 hours, and 40 minutes to opening day. Yeah....I'm still a fan.

02-29-2004, 05:29 AM	#9 (permalink)
Blackthorn Beware the Mad Irish Location: Wish I was on the N17...	The Yankees team payroll will be 3x what the Reds team revenue (gross) will be this year. The problem is clearly that of haves vs. have nots. New York has a much larger media market, they have their own television network, premium ticket prices, luxury boxes where corporations shell out multiple thousands of dollars each year to entertain, wine and dine, etc. It may sound like I'm bitter because A Rod isn't in Cincinnati but that's not true. I'm bitter because the Reds were silly enough to tie up upwards of 1/3 of their payroll in three players who combined haven't played a full season in the past three years. I don't expect Carl Linder who owns the Reds to pay out more than he brings in because from the time he started the first Linder's Market he's never done that. He won't lose money at least no intentionally. The Yankees have seemingly limitless wealth and cash flow at their disposal that other mid to small market teams simply don't have. The assumption that owners of teams in these cities have the cash to pay and are choosing not to may be true in the case of LA or even Chicago in the case of the Cubs. In cities like Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Kansas City and Cincinnati that's simply not the case. Smaller baseball cities like Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Montreal don't have big contracts with their local television stations, which means they have less money and can't afford to keep their top players or sign top talent. Baseball has never had a salary cap because it has never had as big of a problem as it has had recently. In 1996, the New York Yankees had the highest payroll at $61.5 million. In 1999, the Yankees payroll rose to $88 million, the highest again. In 2001, the Yankees were at the top again with a payroll about $110 million, in 2002 their payroll wa up around $150 million. I think that in 2004 the Yankees dole will be around $190 million. It's ridiculous when team payrolls, like those of the Twins, Athletics, Expos, Marlins, Royals, and Padres, don't even surpass the $50 million mark. This past year in baseball, the difference between the higher salary teams and the lower salary teams was enormous and this year it's going to be even larger. I think the part of the argument that says that the game is weakened now because the best teams aren't built from developing talent through the minor leagues is a farce because that implies that one thinks that free agency is bad. I don't like free angecy because of the loss of player loyalty and all that but I think it's certainly necessary to give players the ability to shop their talents and to earn top dollar just as I have the ability to do in my chosen line of work. (Unfortunately I couldn't hit a 93mph heater from a left hander or a right hander and I can't throw a slider that falls off the table so I'm suck being a chip head computer fool but it pays the bills). What I think baseball needs is a system that enforces a more reasonable leveling of the spend side of the ledger while at the same time preserving the players ability to earn true market value. That's a diffuclt formula to calculate but the current 15% luxury tax that large market teams pay is a) not enough and b) likely not the right formula. 36 days, 4 hours, and 40 minutes to opening day. Yeah....I'm still a fan. __________________ What are you willing to give up in order to get what you want?