I love my yankees....i'm as 'real' as a fan can get. i even loved them in the 80s when they blew...but

Question

i think i'm in favor of a baseball salary cap like the NFL put in place. it's time. the paychecks are getting ridiculous and the Yanks aren't the only ******* anymore. Boston's payroll (although not yet steinbreener level) is quite steinbrenner-esque.

does anyone agree with me here?

(anyway, the best yankee squad I ever witnessed was strictly from the farm; late nineties, when you looked at the team and said, "who the h@ll are these guys?!")

yeah..i know what you're saying.....i made that "money spending is a strategy like any other; and it hasn't proven successful", but i'm starting to think differently. it makes the hiring game so much more strategic and the owner/general manager has to plan out better.

Answer 1

I'm not a Yankees fan. In fact I love to hate them. Probably makes me want to watch their games though.

I agree. Put a cap on the salaries of the players so the small market teams can compete.

Answer 2

I disagree (and yes I am a Yankees fan). Baseball is different than the other major sports in this regard but they do penalize the teams who spend above a set limit. i.e. the luxury tax. The Yankees, Sox and even the Angels have had to pay in recent years.
The Yankees also pay greatly toward revenue sharing. $70 million for the 2006 season, according to MLB.com.
The Yankees make a ton of money for baseball, which by extentions helps the small market teams, because of their history, large fan base and their commitment to winning.
Do you think teams that are at the bottom of the standings (whether or not they are small market) can sell out meaningless games late in the summer? When the Yankees come to town, yes. But when it's the Mariners-Royals series in August, there are few fans and little revenue generated. That's bad for baseball.
I loved the Yankees of the late 90s because they won with home grown talent: Jeter, Rivera, Pettite, Soriano, Bernie Williams, etc. Yep, there were a few free-agent veterans to help out, as most teams have.
But the teams in the 2000s are also competitive, and are that way based on the current set of rules.
Is it ridiculous to have an all-star batting order, comprised primarily of free agents? Yep. But the only way to have an equitable resolution is to have a salary cap AND drop revenue sharing.

Answer 3

MLB has gone too long without a salary cap and/or a salary minimum as well. Teams such as the Yankees and Red Sox are apt to spend to their hearts' content and as such, are pretty much unstoppable.

All the while teams such as the Pirates and Marlins try to get by on shoe-string budgets thanks to the selfishness of owners who can profit from a fielding a losing team 162 games a year.

Only a select few squads, the Twins and Athletics have been able to really survive and/or flourish in this current spend or no-spend world.

In order to change this trend, I insist that baseball establish a salary cap to keep the George Steinbrenners of the world from outspending the competition each and every year...and at the same time I insist a salary minimum to keep all teams competitive, no more salary dumps and teams that look like a AAA roster.

It's time for some financial equality in baseball...

Can I get an AMEN from the congregation?!

Answer 4

First of all the question is wrong. You state that you are a Yankees fan yet state that you loved them even in the 80's "when they blew". What team were you watching in the 80s? While they did not win a World Series in the 80's they did still have the BEST RECORD in baseball during the decade! A true Yankee fan would know that. Let the other teams spend their money. The Yankees are the most dominant team in the history of sports, sorry Canadians, Celtics and whoever else you throw at me, the Yankees are second to no one!

Answer 5

I certainly agree that baseball salaries are way out of hand, so I am with you about salary cap. I also agree that the best teams are often made up of unknown but hungry players. BUT, that is where the agreement stops; why would you be a Yankees fan? We all know the Red Sox are a far classier team.
Seriously, Sox have priced the average Joe out of attending games. Cheaper to buy a new HDTV (and you get to see the replays!).

Answer 6

The problem isn't the paychecks. If I make $20 million for someone else, what is wrong with getting paid $18 million? We both come out ahead.

The problem is the ability of the 'small market' teams to compete. It is a big problem and is getting bigger. Yes, I think a salary cap is necessary to resolve it. I don't think it will happen any time soon, though. The richer owners don't want it, and the Player's Association will not even consider it.

Answer 7

I was in favor of a salary cap when we signed Catfish Hunter back in the day. What baseball players are getting paid is obscene. Its a game for crying out loud. 200 million dollar payrolls are higher than some countries GNP. I am glad that Boston is spending like us. We can't be called the "Evil Empire" any longer.

Go Yankees.

Answer 8

There's two ends of the spectrum. More than likely if you are a Devil Rays, Pirates, Royals, or Marlines fan, you'll support a salary cap more than a Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Dodgers, or Mets fan. Not sure if I bring up a good point or not, but the higher salary teams have A LOT more fan support than the lower salary teams....more voices being heard. I'm a Cub fan, but I don't go to but one or two games a year, therefore I personally don't mind overpaying for tickets as long as it means my team is going to be competitive.

Answer 9

I'm totally in favor of a salary cap! I'm a Blue Jays fan, and It's hard to compete with Boston and NY when they buy everyone! Watch out for us this season! Best Jay team -1992.

Answer 10

You'd think with all the money Boston and New York are spending, they'd win more World Series. I think it's funny to see how much they spend, and then have teams like Oakland or Detroit or Seattle knock them out. Spend away, as far as I'm concerned.