Salary cap in baseball?

[Diablo25]

Re: Salary cap in baseball?

Baseball will always be "America's Favorite Pastime". I agree that football is the #1 spectator sport but baseball will always be America's Favorite Pastime.

[Diablo25]

Re: Salary cap in baseball?

Baseball will always be "America's Favorite Pastime". I agree that football is the #1 spectator sport but baseball will always be America's Favorite Pastime.

[TexasJedi]

Re: Salary cap in baseball?

On paper a salary cap is a good idea. Unfortunately the players union and the owners could not agree on terms. Equal revenue sharing, television contracts, merchandising, and arbitration are all factors. Unlike the NFL, most disputes in MLB history have been won by the players.

Personally, I wish they could work it out and have a salary cap and equal revenue sharing. Baseball seems to view itself as 30 individual pieces instead of one league, the way the NFL does.

It may be true that baseball will never regain it's rightful place as America's pastime, but they should realize that it is competition that breeds success. It is in everyone's best interests for all 30 teams to remain solvent. However I do not believe that mismanagement should be rewarded.

[TexasJedi]

Re: Salary cap in baseball?

On paper a salary cap is a good idea. Unfortunately the players union and the owners could not agree on terms. Equal revenue sharing, television contracts, merchandising, and arbitration are all factors. Unlike the NFL, most disputes in MLB history have been won by the players.

Personally, I wish they could work it out and have a salary cap and equal revenue sharing. Baseball seems to view itself as 30 individual pieces instead of one league, the way the NFL does.

It may be true that baseball will never regain it's rightful place as America's pastime, but they should realize that it is competition that breeds success. It is in everyone's best interests for all 30 teams to remain solvent. However I do not believe that mismanagement should be rewarded.

[TedTurner]

Re: Salary cap in baseball?

almost every kid plays baseball in a league football is not very kid friendly

[TedTurner]

Re: Salary cap in baseball?

almost every kid plays baseball in a league football is not very kid friendly

[TexasJedi]

Re: Salary cap in baseball?

Diablo,

I did equate America's Pastime with the number of spectators, but I think you are correct in your asessment. There is just something special about baseball. Maybe it's the rich history, the characters, or some other intangible, but baseball has a magical quality that can't be surpassed. At least in my mind that is.

[TexasJedi]

Re: Salary cap in baseball?

Diablo,

I did equate America's Pastime with the number of spectators, but I think you are correct in your asessment. There is just something special about baseball. Maybe it's the rich history, the characters, or some other intangible, but baseball has a magical quality that can't be surpassed. At least in my mind that is.

[scamden311]

Re: Salary cap in baseball?

It seems like neither the players or the owners see the longterm picture. Both sides are just doing whats best for them in the short term. As hard as it is to stomach the insane salaries of some of these players, someone pays those salaries. It seems like they dont realize that over the past 20 years baseball has almost gone out of its way to lose fans. Revenue sharing would help alot, as long as teams like Tampa were forced to spend the money on the team.

[scamden311]

Re: Salary cap in baseball?

It seems like neither the players or the owners see the longterm picture. Both sides are just doing whats best for them in the short term. As hard as it is to stomach the insane salaries of some of these players, someone pays those salaries. It seems like they dont realize that over the past 20 years baseball has almost gone out of its way to lose fans. Revenue sharing would help alot, as long as teams like Tampa were forced to spend the money on the team.

[Diablo25]

Re: Salary cap in baseball?

When I think of America's Pastime I think about playing catch with my Dad, playing wiffleball, little league, etc. Its a sport everyone can get involved with. Football is a great sport but not everyone plays it. Football, hands down is America's favorite spectator sport but baseball has so much history. There are only a few constants in American history. baseball is one of them. Its made it through wars, social unrest, racism...on and on.

[Diablo25]

Re: Salary cap in baseball?

When I think of America's Pastime I think about playing catch with my Dad, playing wiffleball, little league, etc. Its a sport everyone can get involved with. Football is a great sport but not everyone plays it. Football, hands down is America's favorite spectator sport but baseball has so much history. There are only a few constants in American history. baseball is one of them. Its made it through wars, social unrest, racism...on and on.

[ryan36]

Re: Salary cap in baseball?

James Earl Jones, in Field of Dreams said the same thing. The only constant throughout the years has been baseball. I LOVE THAT MOVIE!!

[ryan36]

Re: Salary cap in baseball?

James Earl Jones, in Field of Dreams said the same thing. The only constant throughout the years has been baseball. I LOVE THAT MOVIE!!

[The_Hawk]

Re: Salary cap in baseball?

Bob Costas wrote an excellent book about 3-4 years ago that explained how baseball could solve its economic problems along with other ways to improve the game.

He recommended a salary cap along with a salary floor and a percentage difference between the cap and floor. Also, he said all TV/Radio money should be shared equally among MLB teams. He justified this by saying would the Yankees be able to operate their franchise and command the huge local/cable TV contracts if they didn't have anyone else to play like the Royals and Twins? Also, should teams who are from smaller markets be penalized by their location. I don't think so and that is what makes the NFL so great....the Packers can actually compete with the Giants.

Also, he said by creating a salary floor it would help sell the idea to the Player's Union because more players would benefit. Right now the only people who truely benefit from the current salary structure are the stars. If you don't believe just look at this winter and how many mid-level players were not tendered contracts.

One of the best parts was what would happened to teams if they didn't meet the salary floor. He said they would forfeit draft picks as a penalty and be forced to pay the money they came up short directly to the players' union.

It's a great book if you really like baseball, but for the life of me I can't remember the name of it. I guess you could check Amazon or Book-A-Million if you are interested. However, baseball just isn't as much fun when teams can't compete because they can't afford to keep their players or can't even think about signing a decent free agent or don't even try to compete because they can't spend as much money as the big market teams.

Baseball was so much better when fans thought if their team just got the right break, if the right rookie came through, or if the old veteran could do it just one more year then they had a chance. More than 1/2 the teams in baseball don't even have that hope right anymore.