Are the Red Sox ruining baseball?

[DaveinMD]

Buster Olney reports the Red Sox currently have the highest payroll in MLB. I don't think they are, but everyone says the Yankees are here. So I thought people would like this information.

[TZ]

1. .

:popcorn:
You could of course put Philadelphia in that category as well...:evilgrin:

[El Supremo]

2. Just because Cliff Lee turned your sorry asses down.

I'm sure The Cashman will turn it around.

[Forkboy]

3. MLB needs a salary cap big time.

The Red Sox and Yankees aren't doing anything technically wrong, but the whole system works in the favor of the Haves, not the Have Nots. I don't blame the teams for doing what they can to win every year, and I'm glad I live in a city that has owners that try to put out a great product, but it's happening at the expense of small market teams, and the current system will never change that.

I look at the parity in the NHL right now, where at the moment at least a dozen teams have a legitimate shot at winning it all, and wonder how exciting baseball would be if wasn't the same handful of teams always contending.

[DaveinMD]

4. baseball

has parity in champions that the NFL doesn't have. The system has actually been working pretty darn well. Recent champions

Giants
Yankees
Phillies
Red Sox
Cardinals
White Sox
Red Sox
Marlins
Angels
Diamondbacks

That's 9 different teams in 10 years.

[Forkboy]

7. Well, this is true.

But we both know that every year there's two teams that have a money advantage over most other teams, and aren't shy about using it: The Sox and Yankees. It's rare that someone like Cliff Lee will come along and settle for less when the big guns are putting up so much cash, and that's not fair to teams that simply don't have the option of even putting up an offer in the first place.

[Upton]

10. While money doesn't literally buy championships..

it does buy access to the playoffs. The Yankees have been in the playoffs 14 out of the last 15 years. And we all know why.

[DaveinMD]

18. the Mets

had the highest payroll in the NL for about 6 years with one playoff appearance, but yeah money is all that matters. I just wanted to see if someone other than the Yanks would get the same vitriol. I got my answer. Thanks for your participation in this test.

[Upton]

23. Still bummed out

over losing Cliff Lee, huh? I don't blame you.

Pretty funny, he kicked your butt in the postseason, now he's kicked it again in the offseason. :rofl:

Perhaps those wonderful Yankee fans shouldn't have spit on his wife..

[TZ]

5. I'm really mixed on this

my team is a "have not" really but recently have opened their checkbooks (and seem like they will continue to do so). For them, they believe you have to spend money to make money..ie by putting a quality team on the field, the fans will come and revenues will go up. I think thats rationale. But there are definitely teams that do not have the cash to do this...or prefer, like the Pirates to pocket the cash instead of trying to compete. If they do have a salary cap, I think they need a minimum too. Otherwise franchises like Pittsburgh will continue to screw over their fans.

[Forkboy]

6. Yes, a cap needs a minimum as well.

The NHL uses one and it seems to be working.

[Auggie]

8. It was already ruined. Red Sox are just trying to keep up with the fucking Steinbrenners.

[DaveinMD]

9. at what point was it ruined

The Yankees had the highest payrolls in the 80s and didn't win anything. Or was it only ruined when the Yankees won. I'd just like clarification for when the ruining actually happened. It is all very confusing.

[Yavin4]

12. Forget Using Logic in the Sports Lounge

You have a much better chance having a civil discussion with Christian fundamentalist snake handlers about Darwin's Theory of Evolution than having a civil discussion about the Yankees on DU's Sports Lounge.

To these folks, the Yankees are the devil incarnate. Worse than Hitler, Pol Pot, and Stalin combined.

[Auggie]

26. When leadership turned a blind eye to the plight of small-market teams

MLB needs a salary cap and real revenue sharing

[HuckleB]

25. Exactly.

[hughee99]

11. I'm not sure you can blame a single team or even a small group of teams

for "ruining" baseball. I have been a Yankee defender with regards to their payroll, and a Yankee hater in virtually every other way. The current system enables them to spend a lot of money, and the "big market" teams bring in a lot of money. Why shouldn't they spend it to improve the product? Don't they owe it to the fans that all this revenue comes from?

Having said that, it's time for a salary cap, or at least major changes to the Luxury tax. I think one thing that should be considered is a progressive luxury tax (2-1 for first $10 million over the cap, 3-1 for next $20 million, 4-1 for next $20 million, for example) and ABSOLUTELY put a floor in. Another suggestion might be to allow some sort of benefit (cap relief or revenue sharing) if they resign their own talent. A big market team would be more encouraged to develop it's own talent rather than using the "have-nots" like a farm team, and a small market team might have a better chance in a bidding war with a big market if they know they'll get an additional revenue sharing cut to offset the additional money they have to pay.

There's something seriously wrong with the system when many of the most profitable teams are the ones receiving the most in revenue sharing, and then crying poverty to it's fans. There's also something seriously wrong with a system where 1/3rd of the teams are basically F'd from the get-go every year.

[Yavin4]

13. Small Market Owners Don't Want A Salary Cap

because it would come with a salary floor, and teams like the Pirates and Marlins would have to greatly increase their payroll.

Understand this: if MLB could ever get the Players Union to agree to a salary cap, and that's a big IF, the Players union would still want the same percentage that salaries are now of the overall total revenue. So, yes, the Yankees and Red Sox payrolls would decline, but the Pirates, Rays, Marlins, Royals, etc. payrolls would climb mightily higher.

That's why there's no salary cap. It has nothing to do with the "evil" Yankees or the Steinbrenners.

[hughee99]

15. If the revenue sharing was increased,

it may make up for the difference between the salary floor and what small market teams are currently paying for players. I agree that the small market teams don't want a salary floor, but the large market teams don't want the cap either, which is why we have no cap. Only those teams in the middle (not spending enough to be affected by the cap, spending enough to not be affected by the floor) would support it.

That's why I suggested changes to the luxury tax, because I don't think a hard cap like the NFL would every get through both the owners and the players union.

[DaveinMD]

17. some teams should be contracted

There are teams that don't support their team even when competitive. Those teams shouldn't exist.

[TZ]

19. People wanted to contract the Twins.

Do you think that would have been helpful or fair? Not a fan of contraction. Okay look- denying that the Yankees aren't bullies is useless- this is really the first year other teams stood up to them, by becoming like them. No way, Jayson Werth gets 126 million if not for teams like NY and Boston throwing around money- their are a certain group of teams that absolutely have no shot at competing- a larger group than in other sports I would say. I think a cap high and low might be the only way to fix it. So yes, I think that The Yankees - and teams that behave like the Yankees like Boston do hurt the sport .

[DaveinMD]

20. the sport does best

when the Yankees AND the Red Sox are great. The ratings are higher. The interest is higher and everyone makes more money.

The Twins have always had good attendance. Teams like the Marlins and Rays have been good but no fans go to their games. They are not supporting those teams and it's a shame.

[HuckleB]

24. Tell that to Mark Attanasio.

[madinmaryland]

14. Classic! A Yankees fan whining about some team actually challenging them

for the highest payroll in MLB!!

:rofl:

Just a classic!

[DaveinMD]

16. not whining at all

I am just testing to see if Boston gets the same reaction. I like that Boston spends. The owners that are pocketing the revenue sharing money should do the same.

[Bluzmann57]

21. Of course they are

Them, the Yankees, the Phillies and ESPN are all ruining baseball.

[rep the dems]

28. Halladay and Lee both could have gotten more money with other teams.

Oswalt waived his no trade clause to join the Phillies. Homegrown players like Utley, Rollins, Howard, and Ruiz have been key to our success and want to play for us. The Phils have done things the right way to get where they are whether you want to admit it or not.

[JonLP24]

22. Only if the Rockies catch up

[WilliamPitt]

27. Can't ruin something that's already fucked.

(very happy Steinbrenner didn't make the Hall...speaking of ruining baseball)