We need SALARY CAP in fukkin baseball!!!

[Chi_archie]

they are the bad guy/s if they don't TRY to field a competitive team. Its obvious the yanks and many other teams are trying. the issue isn't making $, the issue is how you go about it

if you choose to sell tickets by being a good promoter and having a great on field product you SHOULD make lots of money

if you choose to sell tickets by running beanie baby and bobble-head promotions and having fireworks post game AND not pursuing a good on field product

you are a bad guy in my book... but that's just my opinion

[element1286]

they are the bad guy/s if they don't TRY to field a competitive team. Its obvious the yanks and many other teams are trying. the issue isn't making $, the issue is how you go about it

if you choose to sell tickets by being a good promoter and having a great on field product you SHOULD make lots of money

if you choose to sell tickets by running beanie baby and bobble-head promotions and having fireworks post game AND not pursuing a good on field product

you are a bad guy in my book... but that's just my opinion

There isn't any owner that is going to operate at a loss.

[Chi_archie]

that's not true at all, many owners do operate at a loss

but again, that's not the problem I have its not about the $ its the product

[element1286]

that's not true at all, many owners do operate at a loss

but again, that's not the problem I have its not about the $ its the product

How do we know? No one has opened their books.

[Chi_archie]

BOSTON -- Major League Baseball's current revenue-sharing system, even while bettering the game, is too burdensome on the wealthiest clubs which are substantially subsidizing some of their opponents, according to Boston Red Sox principal owner John Henry.
Team ownership must bring in roughly $2 on every $1 invested in order to break even, Henry was quoted as saying in Thursday's editions of the Boston Herald. The Herald said his comments came in an exchange of e-mails with the newspaper over the past week.
"Baseball has to address the disincentives created by large-scale transfers of revenue from successful clubs to less successful clubs," Henry said. "At high enough tax levels, the incentive is to invest somewhere other than in baseball."
He said the disincentives are just as powerful for lower-revenue clubs as for the higher-revenue clubs.
"The Red Sox have taken an aggressive stance in investing in all aspects of the franchise," he said. "But one has to wonder how many teams will do so when the financial risks often outweigh the potential financial benefits."
About $50 million to $60 million of the Red Sox money is flowing per year to less successful clubs, Henry said.
"The commissioner and the union have radically altered the game of baseball for the better over the last few years by transferring enormous amounts of dollars," he said. "But as with all taxes, there is a point at which taxation discourages effort and investment to the point that baseball clubs one by one come to the same, unfortunate conclusion."
Boston sells out every game and has been aggressively expanding Fenway Park. Henry leads the investment group that bought the Red Sox and the New England Sports Network cable television station from the Yawkey Trust four years ago for $660 million.
"The Red Sox have lost money and NESN has made money," Henry said. "The continuing investments in Fenway Park help revenues but are not cheap. It is not a coincidence that the teams paying a lot of money in revenue sharing are investing substantial sums in ballparks because that is the only deduction available."
Henry said commissioner Bud Selig has done a good job in reducing the debt ratio allowed by individual clubs.
"[Selig] may have, in fact, saved the industry from itself by acting to limit debt," Henry said.
Most teams have large and growing debts, Henry said. He said he knew some owners who have lost more than $100 million over the last 10 years. In his three years as owner of the Florida Marlins, he said he lost about $50 million.




somtimes they just tell you themselves

[element1286]

BOSTON -- Major League Baseball's current revenue-sharing system, even while bettering the game, is too burdensome on the wealthiest clubs which are substantially subsidizing some of their opponents, according to Boston Red Sox principal owner John Henry.
Team ownership must bring in roughly $2 on every $1 invested in order to break even, Henry was quoted as saying in Thursday's editions of the Boston Herald. The Herald said his comments came in an exchange of e-mails with the newspaper over the past week.
"Baseball has to address the disincentives created by large-scale transfers of revenue from successful clubs to less successful clubs," Henry said. "At high enough tax levels, the incentive is to invest somewhere other than in baseball."
He said the disincentives are just as powerful for lower-revenue clubs as for the higher-revenue clubs.
"The Red Sox have taken an aggressive stance in investing in all aspects of the franchise," he said. "But one has to wonder how many teams will do so when the financial risks often outweigh the potential financial benefits."
About $50 million to $60 million of the Red Sox money is flowing per year to less successful clubs, Henry said.
"The commissioner and the union have radically altered the game of baseball for the better over the last few years by transferring enormous amounts of dollars," he said. "But as with all taxes, there is a point at which taxation discourages effort and investment to the point that baseball clubs one by one come to the same, unfortunate conclusion."
Boston sells out every game and has been aggressively expanding Fenway Park. Henry leads the investment group that bought the Red Sox and the New England Sports Network cable television station from the Yawkey Trust four years ago for $660 million.
"The Red Sox have lost money and NESN has made money," Henry said. "The continuing investments in Fenway Park help revenues but are not cheap. It is not a coincidence that the teams paying a lot of money in revenue sharing are investing substantial sums in ballparks because that is the only deduction available."
Henry said commissioner Bud Selig has done a good job in reducing the debt ratio allowed by individual clubs.
"[Selig] may have, in fact, saved the industry from itself by acting to limit debt," Henry said.
Most teams have large and growing debts, Henry said. He said he knew some owners who have lost more than $100 million over the last 10 years. In his three years as owner of the Florida Marlins, he said he lost about $50 million.




somtimes they just tell you themselves

That not a good business model, then. But it probably has a lot to do with their horrid stadium and stadium contract.

You cannot tell me it is fair to expect small market teams to operate at a loss and while having a lower chance of winning. While George Steinbrenner can make money and field a competitive team every year.

[Glada Tartan]

NHL really got more even after the total salary limit was introduced. Might work here to..

Just look at the differnce:

Yankees total payroll: 208,097,414

vs

Pittsburgh Pirates: 25,197,000

Alex Rodriguez alone is a higher cost then Pirates together

[bruceBRUCEbruce]

more accountibility is needed from "small-market" owners to open their books and have it reported to the fan base.

somewhat agree.

baseball needs no salary cap and relegation. teams like Pitts and KC would be down to Single A by now with the way they run their teams...

[yisman]

having a cap would just be mindboggling and not fair.

Having the same rules for everyone wouldn't be fair?

Oh wait, you have John Sterling in your avatar. I should've known.

[yisman]

By the way, owners do sometimes take losses (for example, several NBA owners took losses last season and more will take losses this season), but few are willing to keep the team if that's going on. They either slash payroll or sell the team.

[CashMoney]

Sure, baseball does need a salary cap but the players union will never have it. The Yankees make the most money so they spend the most money. They're playing by the rules.

Yankees hater keep crying and I'll look forward to another trip down the Canyon of Heroes next year

[wisky]

Just luxury tax the Hell out of the large market MLB teams.

[TheQ]

i wish i could spend 250 mil for a championship

[bigsassyster]

First thing that needs to happen to the MLB, is get rid of Bud Selig. The guy is a joke. But he won't be stepping down anytime soon, he likes his 17 million a year paycheck too much.

[hockey216]

salary cap not needed, shorter season....needed

season is 6months... just like basketball an hockey

[DwightShrute]

[Chi_archie]

Bill Madden reports Pirates received 75 million from MLB for this past year

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2009/11/21/2009-11-21_new_york_mets_offseason_focus.htm

what I find most interesting in the article is this quote by the author

"According to my sources, the Pirates were one of the teams to make a profit this year - approximately $14 million, which is not bad for a team with 99 losses and 17 straight losing seasons. What we do know is Pirates chairman Bob Nutting is not re-investing his revenue sharing in payroll, although there are disturbing rumors in Pittsburgh that he's using the Pirates' money to subsidize the hemorrhaging at his Seven Springs Ski Resort in Champion, Pa."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/ba...#ixzz0XrDUqfRD

[KingCrimson21]

I am a long time Pirate fan. My answer has been to stop going to games and to not buy anything that has a mlb tag on it. Fukk baseball and the Pirates. We all know that one person hardly makes any difference, so if all you fukkers would stop spending money on anything mlb and pass that on to your friends and family, we might be heard. Untill then, we are just a bunch of pussies on an internet forum doing what Americans do well, singing the blues but taking no real ACTION to make a change.

[solepride]

Can't blame the top teams from loading their roster. They care more about winning than money. With winning comes a sold out stadium and money in their pockets. I really don't want to see a salary cap as it is fine now.

[Willie Bee]

i wish i could spend 250 mil for a championship

Do you also wish you could spend $200 million and NOT win a championship?

[pavyracer]

How about this? Lets have one team buy all the best players at any price and the league will be more fun to watch.

Wait a second..We already have this.

[KingCrimson21]

How about this? Lets have one team buy all the best players at any price and the league will be more fun to watch.

Wait a second..We already have this.

eXactly

[FishFace5]

omg, cry me a river. The articles that archie has been posting tell the whole story. How could the pirates have been one of the only teams to have made a profit last year?? How many players have u let go for basically nothing but $$ in return?? How are teams such as the twins or A's able to consistently field a competitive team but the pirates and Royals havent been out of the basement in a decade. And last but not least how in the hell does a shorter season help anything??

[INVEGA MAN]

How many games do you Yankee fans see a year? With the price they charge, you are paying big time for your overpaid baseball players. I hope you enjoy your $375 box seats. HERE ARE THE FOOD PRICES.

• $9 miller light (bottle)
• $5.50 hebrew national hot dog
• $5 pepsi (bottle)
• $5 caramel apple
• $15 lobel's steak sandwich
• $11 peroni (glass)
• $15 steak sand
• $9 hamburger
• $7 milk shake
• $10 shicken sand
• $7 ice cream (cup)

[twister]

All sports need a cap to keep up competition. Look at football (soccer) here in Europe. Every year the same group of teams win their respective leagues. Baseball is heading in the same direction. Soon, the top teams will have all the best players and will be able to rotate their line-ups everyday.

[Willie Bee]

You young whippersnappers do understand this same moaning about the Yankees has been going on for years and years and years, right?

[tullamore]

They need to have a cap and a floor. Relegation to AAA for the last place teams.

[eidolon]

all this just points to another fact that Selig needs to step down. He is destroying the league.

[Willie Bee]

all this just points to another fact that Selig needs to step down. He is destroying the league.

They said the same thing about Happy Chandler when he went against 15 of 16 teams and allowed Brooklyn to sign Jackie Robinson. They also said the same thing about Bowie Kuhn when the league broke from the straight AL-NL setup to the divisional alignment.

[wflowers]

Like somebody said earlier, the players union will not have it. I would like to split the season into two halves and have first have winners go against second half winners...shorten the season a little bit and lengthen the playoffs a little ! !

[koby25]

I personally think the Yankees should be banned from baseball.

[CashMoney]

How many games do you Yankee fans see a year? With the price they charge, you are paying big time for your overpaid baseball players. I hope you enjoy your $375 box seats. HERE ARE THE FOOD PRICES.

• $9 miller light (bottle)
• $5.50 hebrew national hot dog
• $5 pepsi (bottle)
• $5 caramel apple
• $15 lobel's steak sandwich
• $11 peroni (glass)
• $15 steak sand
• $9 hamburger
• $7 milk shake
• $10 shicken sand
• $7 ice cream (cup)

I go twice a year at most.

[CashMoney]

I personally think the Yankees should be banned from baseball.

[BigdaddyQH]

The fact is this. Baseball is a very boring game. You have a one minute pause in between every pitch. So it may take 5 minutes for a guy to run the count to 2-2 and then hit your average hippityhop ground out. Boring. Very Boring. Now you have teams who make some good money fielding a product that could not beat a good College team. This sport should be trashed. You have 12 competitive teams in both leagues. The rest are there just to fill in the schedule. Go back to the old 148 game schedule, or whatever it was. Stop scheduling games at the whim of T.V. How many weeks did it take the Angels and Yankees to play their series? That was pathetic and rediculous, considering that some nothing cable cahnnel televised a lot of those games. Bring back steriods. At least that made a good story.

[MB]

I am a long time Pirate fan. My answer has been to stop going to games and to not buy anything that has a mlb tag on it. Fukk baseball and the Pirates. We all know that one person hardly makes any difference, so if all you fukkers would stop spending money on anything mlb and pass that on to your friends and family, we might be heard. Untill then, we are just a bunch of pussies on an internet forum doing what Americans do well, singing the blues but taking no real ACTION to make a change.

Exactly. I was a loyal baseball & Braves fan for 20 years, but stopped watching 2 years ago because of this bs. Just not fun when you can scratch off the same 20+ teams every year who have no f*ckin chance of ever winning.

Boston, NY, Philly and maybe a couple of other places, but besides them, nobody gives a f*ck about baseball.