baseball has to change

[NeoV]

These numbers say it all..

Derek Jeter, $18.9 million
Jason Giambi, $17.0 mil.
Roger Clemens, $15.4 mil.#
Mike Mussina, $14.8 mil.
Bernie Williams, $12.5 mil.
Mariano Rivera, $9.9 mil.
Andy Pettitte, $8.5 mil.
Robin Ventura, $8 mil.
Jorge Posada, $8 mil.*
Sterling Hitchcock, $6 mil.
Steve Karsay, $5.75 mil.
Rondell White, $5 mil.
Orlando Hernandez, $4 mil.*
Drew Henson, $2.83 mil.
Mike Stanton, $2.58 mil.
Ramiro Mendoza, $2.5 mil.*
Alfonso Soriano, $1 mil.*
Shane Spencer, $1 mil.*
Adrian Hernandez, $1 mil.
Nick Johnson, $500,000*

Total: $145.16 million

And that is not even the Yankees entire 25 man roster! Henson is still in the minors.


This total is more than every other team, and in fact is more than quite a few teams combined.

I am not a Yankee basher (I save that for the Red Sox!), but clearly, this has to change.

I honestly don't think it will ever happen, but I think baseball needs a salary cap of some sort.

 

[gopunk]

why?

salaries are only of concern to the players and the owners... since most people don't have any affliation with the clubs, i don't see why they should care.

 

[b0mbrman]

Agreed, it sucks that the Yankees can "buy" a championship leaving teams in small cities and Canada to suck ass...

but it's not like this is a totally new thing. Big market teams have been spending more than small market teams since the beginning of time.

Look how many World Series championships have gone to New York teams...trust me, it's not cuz of the New York spunk or the heritage...it's always been the money

List of world series winners

 

[NeoV]

in the NBA and the NFL, the salary cap keeps teams from hoarding all the available free agents, or spending that much more than other teams...sure, there are some loopholes in the caps, but the playing field is much more level with a cap in place.

Why should the Yankees have any advantages over smaller market teams just because they have a bigger market? Their advantage should be that they make more money, not that they are able to have a better team.

What harm would a 75M cap have anyway?

 

[b0mbrman]

The thing that's bothered me most is loyalty...

The Dodgers, for one, pump out Rookies of the Year like nobody's business but contract squabbles make them trade them all away

 

[MajesticMoose]

as long as people are willing to pay to see them play, why would the salary drop? Its simple supply and demand.

m00se

 

[RabidMongoose]

I think those salary numbers you put up are the average salaries through their contracts, not the exact salaries for next season (as in their contracts are backloaded). But yes, baseball needs to change.

 

[TheKidd]

The problem with the Dodgers is that none of their rookies of the year besides Mike Piazza really panned out. Hideo Nomo, Todd Hollandsworth, Raul Mondesi, Eric Karros, etc.

 

[isasir]

The sad thing is, the Yanks were one of only five teams that, despite that salary, were profitable this year! I think Seattle was listed first, with the Yanks 2nd or 3rd with the most profit.

 

[vash]

Did you know that the Yankees were also a profitable team, even with their roster? They can afford to pay their players these sums because the yanks generate serious revenue.

The same cannot be said of other MLB teams.

vash

 

[SmackdownHotel]

A salary cap is in order, no doubt.


Look at what it's done for the NFL. Rams and Ravens as the past two Superbowl champs...if you would have told me that 5 years ago...I would have laughed in your face.

I think this parity is great. Again we're seeing it this year with the Steelers/Bears/49ers.

 

[HomeBrewerDude]

<< salaries are only of concern to the players and the owners... since most people don't have any affliation with the clubs, i don't see why they should care. >>



1. Fans end up paying for it.

2. Unbalanced payrolls mean unbalanced competition.

3. Is MLB going to wait until the next public boycott b/f they implement reform? I for one, like baseball, but I pay for baseball (i.e., go to a game) until MLB adopts a salary cap.

 

[Hoops]

thats why you dont go for teams like the yankees. George S. thinks he can buy the world series. Go Diamondbacks!
-hoops

 

[Hamburgerpimp]

baseball has to change

Only way it's gonna change is when the fans change.

 

[Hoops]

and i forgot sterling hichcock aint worth no 6 million a year. If my math is right that comes out to a million per pitch in the world series. I mean pleaze remiro mendoza and Rivera earn their money day in day out. In fact mendoza should get more.

 

[NeoV]

fans change? Why not just put a salary cap in place? Why should the fans change? Do you think the Yankees have all of this money because they charge the most for their tickets, or they have the highest attendance? They get exponentially more money that nearly every other team from their local TV/cable contracts. I am not saying the Yankees aren't smart, or aren't doing a good job, or that they were not profitable.

I am simply saying that it is not a level playing field for all the teams. Yes, there are small market teams that are poorly run, but there are also small market teams that are well run, but cannot afford a 148 Million dollar payroll!

As for the Diamondbacks, hats off to them, but in another year or two they are going to suck as their veterans retire/slow down, and their financial problems continue....I think it was worth it for a title, but the point is that the Yankees are going to be able to afford things other teams can't in terms of free-agents...look at how they have responded to losing the World Series this year...

Need a setup man to help Riveria? Sign Karsay for 20 Million. Need more bats in the OF? Sign Rondell White for 10M and trade for Van Der Wall. Need a 3b now that Brosius retired? Trade for Ventura at 9 Mill/year, even though we have a 3b stud in the minors, Ventura will hold down the position for a year or two. Need more production from your 1b? Pay 120M for Giambi, possibly the best hitter in the AL. Does anyone doubt that if they needed another starter they would also sign Chan Ho Park tomorrow? How are the Royals/nearly every other team supposed to compete every year?

A salary cap around 75-95 Million would still allow the yankees to have very good teams every year, as most teams still wouldn't come close to that figure, but it would prevent this kind of spending spree from a team whose owner is reacting to losing the WS by going nuts this off-season!



Add another 1.97 Million to that salary table as they added Jon VanDerwall today from the Giants, will probably platoon with Shane Spencer as he hits left-handed.

 

[SmackdownHotel]

<< thats why you dont go for teams like the yankees. George S. thinks he can buy the world series. Go Diamondbacks!
-hoops >>



HAHAHHA. The Diamondbacks aren't exactly a small money team either. They've got a high payroll as well. Not as high as the Yankees, but it's high in the NL.


edit: I just checked...the Dbacks have the 8th highest payroll in MLB, and the 4th highest in the NL at roughly over $81 million. So that "buying the world series" comment isn't reserved only for the Yankees.

 

[b0mbrman]

Hmmm...here's a theory I *half* believe in.

Huge salaries are *better* for baseball. They make kids who are rockin' all-around athletes go to baseball rather than other sports.

 

[SmackdownHotel]

<< Hmmm...here's a theory I *half* believe in.

Huge salaries are *better* for baseball. They make kids who are rockin' all-around athletes go to baseball rather than other sports. >>



You're kidding, right? Like Deion, right? Man, he was such a great baseball player. LOL. And what about Ricky Williams? He choose football over baseball. It's sad that economics has to dictate how well you "decide" to play and what sport to play. But oh well, such is the current state of affairs.