A Salary Cap in Baseball?

The owners in Major League Baseball. Have begun gathering. -- a while I'm sure sure lanky resort. In up paradise valley Arizona just by the fact that the resort is in a place called paradise valley Arizona leads me to believe it's a Nike resort and I don't think Major League Baseball owners get together at. You know some little motel by the side of the road and you know Dubuque so they're they're getting together this week in now. In paradise valley Arizona and there's a story that has -- SI dot com and ESPN picked it up as well it's a wire service story. Well a lot of quotes from a lot of different owners and management types. Suggesting that the time has come. In Major League Baseball to get a salary cap. But the spending spree of the New York Yankees in this offseason. As as if we had any doubt anyway. Further given evidence to the to the discrepancy between haves and the have nots. And and look guys being very honest guys like the owner and Oakland and and Pittsburgh saying we know we can compete. You know we can't and it's obvious they can't as one of the owners said why are we the only major sport that doesn't have a salary cap. NHL went to a salary cap after their labor dispute NFL has had a for a long time NBA has had a furlong time. What do you think the reason is that Major League Baseball doesn't have.

Players association. Players association doesn't want it because you have a salary cap that means that you don't have teams like the Yankees you don't have teams like the Red Sox. The minimum salary in baseball it's pretty good they got guaranteed contracts unlike the NFL but. But like the NBA and NHL. And owners can spend as much as they want Soviet players association do you want to cap of let's just say it's 90000080. Million. Or do you want teams. Like the Yankees can spend three times that much lesser players -- and that's why don't have you know what association is so powerful example we commissioner. I was gonna say if I if I were an owner that would be even more reason why -- want to salary cap because the players association is so. Adamantly opposed to a let -- you know we have to keep this in my team you know dale some owners. Don't want it for the opposite reason. There's no salary floor -- I don't have so I don't have to spend let's say. I'm you know not to speak ill of the dead but the late -- pulled that in in Minneapolis. I don't have to spin and at least seventy million dollars we might do it every once in awhile but there's no rule that says that have to do it. So if I could have a pretty good team with some kids that keep talking about rebuilding programs. And and have a lot of young players. On -- making relatively. -- Ryan relatively short money. Why not do it so my cap can be 4548. Million dollars fifty to fifty not 55 million. That's still twenty million dollars less than I would have to pay if we had kept. And the it was a cap floor.

We are in a town where you your baseball team is one of the paths. I mean right you got the money you spend it you know -- among the hands and it's not hard figure out who they are. Just look at the team payrolls start at the top work your way to -- down about Seve generate those of the -- Everybody else is I have not. If your. Major League Baseball is that good for your product. Is it good for your overall product but a baseball fan in Pittsburgh starts the season knowing they have no chance. That a baseball -- in Oakland in in you can run through the --

But there's no list. Because. You can look at their their too many exceptions to the rule which means it's not really rule. That -- the players association. Will not a what about Tampa Bay amateur Minnesota better to many examples and is it's very. I think and and not taking sides here weathered the owners' side or the players' side. It's way too simplistic to say we can't spend like the Yankees we can't spell like the Red Sox therefore we can't win. I think it's realistic to say they can do things that we can't they give players that we can.

Well it and the other thing that's involved here -- I think you can you can you know catch fire. You know. Fire in a bottle and and and you can win salary this and that and anew for analyze just came out of nowhere to fire -- about it because I got completely you wouldn't lot of guys are I don't know highlighted -- and again I think that bottle might explode anyway you can -- you pledged that -- can. Out of nowhere yeah and have a season that you can't even explain and you can win. What you can't consistently compete take a look at the twins who you know I don't know where all Scotland where the twins are and you know back to the pack in. Can't keep their players Torii hunter's gonna. And you know Johansson and has gone. I'll be curious to see what Tampa Bay does. I'll weather today you know will be able to -- defend their American League east crown. Or whether they you know come back of the pack a little bit and end the salary cap issue is not so much that you can't. You know. Lightning in the bottle as world trying to that's -- I know I gonna get there today and and that you know you can do look for a year and out of nowhere fans something to get all cranked up about. But that like on a consistent basis if your Pirates thing you know you can. I mean you've got no chance in the in the nationally consistently. You know -- an and I think.

I but I but but I guess I disagree with that from the Pirates thing I know they they haven't won forever but I think they do have a chance in the under general manager now and guess what and a pretty weak. Division and the -- division. Where where in which a lot of teams consider themselves small market even if they play. In in a pretty good sized city not not small market but medium market. So I -- competing against St. Louis you can you're competing against Milwaukee absolutely. On the Pittsburgh Pirates. If they do a better job of scouting and development. And they bring some kids to the big leagues there's no reason the Pirates can't be like the race there's no reason Pirates can't be like the Marlins. And actually make some good draft choices and win some games.

The the piece that was written from the the owners' meetings at a startling statistic. The yankees' luxury tax payment which was just shy of 27 million dollars this year. Was a 141000. Dollar shy. Of the Marlins entire 2008 payroll that's fantastic there -- luxury tax payment was basically what the Marlins and I --

Let me ask you -- let's let's cut the chase as a Red Sox fan what do you want I want a salary cap I don't -- You know I used to I used to think Alia the sport has broken out on the sports not broken. It as an owner you can decide. I'm talking about from the perspective of the rich the big time owners the Steinbrenner but John Henry is in that category too. The Mets are in that category too. -- ample protest you can decide how far you want to go this year the Red Sox -- we're not going that far. -- Mark Teixeira and it turns out to -- want to play with the Red Sox anyway. So you control you give yourself a -- And no no owners going to do anything. That causes them to bleed money. You should you should appreciate the fact that you are one of the -- if you're in the market of I have now of your have not you might have -- perspective of why. Why would you limit what your team could do. In terms of spending -- why would you want to bring that about.

Well for the greater good because I'm looking at more than just the the viability of my franchise. And I understand accurate how I hurt Red Sox and you don't care about it I think her baseball I think you're going to see attendance numbers dropped dramatically this summer. The cap and know well because of the fact that you're not competitive to begin with and in a tough economy you know where you might have held your nose -- major money in the past. It's like forget it and it but it I don't he's got -- teams and with with the salary cap to you so fair. I don't and the difference I am I I I can't come up with -- an argument why baseball should be the only sport without one. You don't have to come up with an argument for I just I news I look at it I say. It hasn't exactly hurt the NFL.

I have -- baseball either. Baseball has never hurt -- and has never had a salary cap so. Are we same baseball is already has always been bad they got a good television deal they've got. Exciting teams some of them have a lot of money so some of them don't.

baseball is as viable. In in in every area is the national football knows I don't you don't know public notice NFL is that the best league in the country it's our best professional sports league. It's the most competitive with the most Watson's got the best television contract. It's got an offseason kind of like baseball. That's not really an off season. You can talk about football year round we talk about baseball year round especially in Boston I just don't see how cap would change anything. For some of these things is not going to change any. If you know some teams will be up against the cap if they have -- the Yankees the Red Sox the Mets. Some teams now have their fans say why are they spending money. The twins the Pirates the he's camp.

Bass spent 51 million last year in winning the American -- is right which which kind of defeats your argument that you need know what does that it has what happens is. What has almost always happened is those low budget teams. Come out of nowhere win Florida Marlins Minnesota Twins Colorado Rockies the year before. Play in the Red Sox in the World Series and right back to the Patten and then they drop again. They just you know through the flow through fate threw whatever it is. They come up with a one of those magic years. And then reality sets back. In some cases but that happened every time so for no no actually hasn't when as a low budget team consistently compete. Minnesota they don't consistently compete Minnesota does.

No surely do now they -- and compared to hope I'm sure you compare him to.

The Yankees won one does that I know it's like the Yankees are no one it's like the Red Sox. But put -- as far as big competitive. Most of the time for him if their teams that have a lot of money that don't consistently compete for championships so it doesn't always play out based on payroll. Are are the are the Dodgers consistently competitive.

That's pretty will be about the Mets or they consistently competitive. Well they are until that that's one they haven't September every area -- I -- their.

Some teams that don't have. -- don't have ridiculous you know over the top payrolls. That have been involved in some. In some pretty significant moments in baseball like the Marlins now the Marlins have done it both ways they've done it on the cheap. In 2003. And then in 1997. They pretty much bought the World Series title. So I I don't think it always plays out you know they don't have a lot of money therefore. They can have a rookie season there and they're definitely going to go back to the anonymity for six or seven years.

I'm looking at the twins. They won an American league championship in 65. They won one in 87 they won one in 91 and that's been it. President Abdullah consistently winning in autumn to eating out so what were competing it's just winning the championship that's what competing and it's just it's putting you you having made.

I would give it this is this is what there was -- predicted big game James a 200185. And 77. 200294671. In the division 200390. And 721 in the division 200490. To a seventy person division. 200583. Of 393. 2006 and 96 and 661. 200779833. 200888752. This one I'm talking about. That's that that that sit and yet that came down to a one game playoff that they lost. This is to -- this is consistent.

Timmy when you win. You know well you know one and America I'll look at titles and I once. Look at okay the Red Sox have won how many American -- before 2004. The story was the story was out of control. Poets and professors and preachers rob talk and not the Red Sox and what were they -- for not winning for 86 years there's. Talk about somebody only winning a championship it's it's 1991 in Boston. I don't think it's good when I recently -- I think it.

It's good in any league to have great franchises the Montreal Canadians the Boston Celtics that. Pittsburgh Steelers it's it's great every league to have. It's not good. To have a bunch of teams who consistently have a chance to win everything. A bunch of teams that have no chance everything. I don't like that but that's just my own opinion I write and I don't I don't and I don't -- I don't think you have that I don't think everybody at teams you have no chance. You -- a bunch of teams in baseball a bunch of TS -- have no chance absolutely and those teams are. Well and that we -- we go through the whole list here but let's equity is what Pittsburgh six on the list I don't think they have him now I'm talking about a chance to win. An American League or national league championship yeah I think most of the teams have notre.

What's -- city is not that far away Kansas City could -- they got they got a good front office they draft well lately under Dayton Moore. I can see them winning a chip -- could even be in the -- like a year or two that are far weren't.

And and and if anything even a we all economic climate is going to exacerbate. What is already the case that you just become a feeder system. For the haves because you can't sign your.

It anyway and we picked on the Pirates here because they haven't had a winning season since 1992. But. The Pirates are going to be the butt of the joke for a long time either I'm under I'm Neal Huntington -- he's got a camera. Baseball based on based on his track record he has of he is. Very. Highly credentialed guy. I have done some good things in Cleveland. And I've made some -- last year for them that we're pretty good. You know getting -- not getting rid but but trading away Jason -- trading away Xavier Nady. He he may have some pieces there Pittsburgh.

You think the Texas Rangers have any chance of winning an American League title in times and -- has in his Seattle Mariners. Oakland Athletics. I sure hope. Sure sure absolutely I don't I I don't I don't believe okay and I think that if -- had a salary cap there'd be a better chance of it happening -- without. But maybe people disagree.