does MLB need a enforced salary cap like the one in the NFL?

Question

I think MLB is in need of a salary cap cause its always predictable. I myself am a bigger NBA/NFL/NASCAR fan. NASCAR is the greatest thing ever put to man. The uneven payrolls lead to blow outs and uncompetive long games.

Answer 1

It will never happen, so there is no point to talk about it. I think it would be nice, but the MLBPA is one of the strongest unions in the world. You can't fight them, it will never happen. Be happy with the luxury tax, that's the closest it's going to get.

Answer 2

You can't answer this question if you don't understand the financial realities that go into each sports payroll. The NFL is successful and has a salary cap because the vast majority of the league income comes from the national television contracts. All the teams split those contracts equally because the networks are the only ones who show games. (i.e. No local TV contracts) The reason that teams like the Yankees and the Red Sox have so much money to spend is because of the lucrative local TV deals that each has with cable companies in their area. The Yankees receive almost 500 million a year in revenue from the YES network. Teams like the Royals or the Pirates, on the other hand, only make about one tenth of that kind of money. Sure the luxury tax helps a little bit, a very little bit, but it is no where near enough to make a small market team competitive year in and year out.

Also, you may have those who claim "small market teams can compete with smart management". True, but only to an extent. Teams like the A's and the Twins find themselves competitive year in and year out, usually making the playoffs. But when was the last time they were successful in the playoffs? Smart management might help you win 92 games and sneak into the playoffs, but once there you need to have the big money superstars to get you over the top.

Another point
Yes, many small market team owners are indepently wealthy from other business. I believe that the Twins owner is probably the richest of anyone in baseball. But ultimately, baseball is and always, always, always has been a business first since the formation of the National and American leagues. These men got rich because of good business sense. That includes operating an organization at a profit. I'm sure many will say, "If I was rich, I would spend my own money to bring the fans a winner." Yeah, and I'm sure that you would have "Warm Puppy Giv-away" night and all the beer at the stadium would be free. In other words, no you wouldn't. So save the altruistic bull-sht. Steinbrenner spends the money on the Yankees that the Yankees generate. If that affords a 225 million dollar payroll, then so be it. The Pirates spend the money that the Pirates generate. If that is only a 55 million dollar payroll, then so be it. You can't expect the Yankees to make 400 million in profit from their TV contract and just hand it over to the other teams that are trying to beat them. They generate 400 million because they win. They spend the money next year, they make another 400 million. Does Wal-Mart share their profits with K-Mart and Target. No, get over it.

Answer 3

Dude the royals suck because the "higher-ups" dont know what they are doing. there have been many "small Market" teams that do well. just look at the marlins this year. the marlins re-tool every couple of years but still find a way to be good. no mlb does not need a salary cap. if it did introduce one they would need to put a ceiling and a basement to force the small market teams to spend more. its a damn shame that every year ticket prices go up but the same teams cant field a competitive team. How the hell is Nascar any better????? theres no cap there the rich teams spend the most money on R+D and pit crews and they are always the teams competing. there are way too many parallels between MLB and NASCAR to say that one is predictable and the other "is the greatest thing ever put to man".

Answer 4

A salary cap won't help without a realistic base salary figure. The problem isn't so much Steinbrenner paying as much as he pays, it's other teams who are cheap. At least 10 other MLB owners have similar or better resources than Steinbrenner, they just don't WANT to pay. Look at David Glass, who owned the Royals until last year. That guy was the President and CEO of Wal Mart for years, and then was a board member. You don't think he had the cash to pay for a few star caliber players, or afforded to keep Johnny Damon or Carlos Beltran? Sure he did, he just didn't want to.

Steinbrenner may not be a saint, he can be a real jerk, but don't blame him because the owners in your market don't want to pay players, just collect the receipts.

Answer 5

I've long been an advocate of having a salary cap in baseball. It would eliminate the ridiculous disparity between a team that can afford to have a $200 million payroll and one that is at $20 million. It seems that a good meeting point would be $85 million based on current averages.

If you look at the NBA and NFL, where there is a level playing field, it is much more competitve.

Answer 6

Well I'm also a Royals fan and so I have seem all of our best players leave cuz of this.The only reason I would say no to it is cuz I really do like having a team like Yankees that take everyone and so everyone loves to hate them.If it weren't for the whole Yankee thing then I would for sure say yes but I am kinda undesided right now.

Answer 7

Well....I'm a Kansas City Royals fan, and seeing many of our great players leaving after their five-year contract's up for greener pastures, I agree! (Not that I blame the players for trying to get the best salary for their job.) Every few years the Royals have to re-invent their team, and we've been the worst team in the MLB for at least a couple of years now. I agree wholeheartedly!

Answer 8

I'm not sure about a salary cap, because I would'nt want only the owners getting rich off of my talent but, I am sick of the garbage the players are putting us fans through. Here is the answer I gave to "beedaduck" for this question: Are we all tired of hearing the millions that Pro athletes make? My answer was:
Yes......I am. I think free agency has ruined professional sports. Everyone with any talent chases the almighty dollar and plays for money instead of the fun of the game loyality or even winning. I remember the late sixties and early seventies when the Dodgers had "The Big Blue Wrecking Crew" in place and they where almost unbeatable. Iron man Steve Garvey, Bill Russell Ron Cey, Steve Yeager and Davey Lopes. Man those guys were awesome. I think it was more because they played together for something like 13 years then it was their raw talent. Let's face it, no matter how good you are, you are only as good as your whole team together. If you can't stick around long enough to become a team, you won't be consistantly good. I think someone with alot of money ought to start a team of rookies and start them out at higher then minimum MLB wages,(which is in the 300,000 dollar range) sign them to 10 year contracts, and then watch them set new records in baseball. I love baseball, but I'm ready to throw in the towel because of all the fuss over money contracts, trading, draft picks and most of all steriods. None of those sissy lala players can hit the ball without steroids or cork bats or something. Take the steroids away and they play like tee ballers.(IE; AZ diamond backs) They went through their steroid scandal and couldn't win a game. They are just now starting to win again. Barry Bonds wants to say he didn't know he was taking steroids, Sammy Sosa wanted us to believe he only used a cork bat the one time it broke and he got caught. COME ON, WHO ARE THEY TRYING TO FOOL? I might have been born in the dark but it wasn't last night. The NY Bankees think they can through money around and make a team, that hasn't worked, same with the Dodgers. How many of you remember Ozzy Smith from St Louis. He is in my opinon, the greatest SS of all time, He got that way because of his loyality to St. Louis, not by chasing money! So in short, Yes I am sick of sissy, whinney, cheating steroid addicted, p***y's, making money of any amount to play pro sports. Let's get some real men playing real sports just to beat the crap out of the other team!!!!!

Back to your question, If they get rich in the process great. But the whole point of Pro Sports is to cheer for your favorite team/players for their talent and ability to win, not for how big their pay check is. If those players are traded every year you really don't have the same team every year. Whats the point? I can cheer for every team if all my favorite players keep bouncing around. Salary caps would be great if you could get owners to reduce the price of a hot dog to $1.00 from $5.00 and soda/beer down to an amount that an average Joe could afford more than one per game. If the pay roll wasn't in the stratosphere, prices for seating, food admission etc. would be lower,(in theory) but human greed always plays into it somewhere. Payroll would be reduced but the owners would just get richer. Savings wouldn't be passed on to the consumer.

Answer 9

I think they do. but think again, maybe not. Steinbrenner spends MILLIONS of dollars to put together a good team, but there still trying to catch the whitesox. But look at the Brewers, a good young team, there alot better from last year. give them a couple years, maybe a wildcard for them.

Answer 10

I like it the way it is. The luxury tax is ok. If Steinbrenner wants to spend $200 million, that is fine, but he'll have to pay the luxury tax to help the other teams.