Money in Baseball

[chrisfostermusi]

Forgive me if this post rehashes any old conversations you might have had regarding this subject.

A few weeks ago I emailed my friend Tim and told him that Baseball is doomed. Suprisingly I never got a response back from him. I truly feel that baseballs days are numbered.

The salaries that are required by players are now forcing teams like Minnesota out. (Montreal doesn't deserve a franchise anymore regardless of salaries after such poor fan support ). MInnesota does. Minnesota has been in the league for many years including their years as the Senators. They have several world championships under thier belt, not to mention classic moments such as Morris' 10 inning Shutout gem in 1991. They drew about 1.5 million fans this year.

There is talk of disbanding a team after four years (the Devil Rays) then I have to think that the economics of baseball are to the point where it will become an elitest sport. It takes over a hundred dollars just take a family of 4 to the game and have a few refreshments.

I can't say that I am sorry for it. I feel the players AND owners have created thier own bed and now have to lie in it.

your thoughts
Chris

[ChrisCary]

Originally posted by chrisfostermusi
The salaries that are required by players are now forcing teams like Minnesota out.

Is it the salaries that players are requiring
or
the salaries that owners are paying?

Originally posted by chrisfostermusi

It takes over a hundred dollars just take a family of 4 to the game and have a few refreshments.

That's not true at all.
You can take a family of four to Yankee Stadium, bring four twenty ounce cokes and four deli sandwiches that will have everyone in your section jealous for 48.00


Baseball is far more affordable than most other forms of entertainment.

Originally posted by ChrisCary
Is it the salaries that players are requiring or the salaries that owners are paying?

Probably both, since people are willing to overpay for exceptional talent (A-Rod) or overpay for good talent (George's $13M offer to Smoltz, no-trade to Boomer). That and many players seem to want to see how green the grass is on the other side of the FA fence, not as faithful to teams. Of course, I welcome Jason Giambi, so I guess that makes me a hypocrite, but don't hold it against me.

That's not true at all. You can take a family of four to Yankee Stadium, bring four twenty ounce cokes and four deli sandwiches that will have everyone in your section jealous for 48.00

Before 9/11, you could bring your picnic basket for a busload and a backpack which could hold a family-sized camping tent. Now, you can only bring a waistpack.

I'm still not crazy about the $6.75 beers, $4 peanuts, $4 bottled water, $4 ice cream bars, like I'm stuck in a movie theater w/those prices (except for the lack of alcohol at theaters). The only cheap solution I can think of is to fatten yourself up beforehand and head for the concessions & restrooms in the later innings.

[BuzzBuzzard]

Originally posted by ChrisCary

Is it the salaries that players are requiring
or
the salaries that owners are paying?

Micro-Economics 101. Supply and Demand market forces.

[nyy26wc]

I would like to remind people that if there was any validity to the claims that baseball is in such terrible economic condition, it would have gone out of business back in the 19th century.

Pick a year, any year, at any time since the start of major league baseball and you will find 2 things being said--

1) the players are shit today compared to the good old days
2) we're broke

[SmedIndy]

Baseball has been doomed by the evil forces of money since, well, since they started to pay players.

I've read enough history of baseball to know that a lot of the "small markets can't compete" talk is nonsense and hyperbole.

If Kansas City, Pittsburgh, et. al. would spend money WISELY, instead of signing slop and trading for slop, then they'd have a chance. Spending money isn't making Baltimore any better or smarter.

People conveniently forget how baseball had to support many of its weak sisters over the years and that many teams dumped payroll all the time.

Tampa Bay was an asinine choice for expansion. They should have tried for Charlotte, or even Buffalo. Florida could make it if they would market wisely to the Cuban and Latino crowd.

I still think Montreal could make it if anyone cared. Why not Vancouver?

Originally posted by nyy26wc
Pick a year, any year, at any time since the start of major league baseball and you will find 2 things being said--

1) the players are shit today compared to the good old days
2) we're broke

Heck, in anything, "they don't make 'em like they used to" is always said. No more Lefty Groves, Benches so it happens.

That "we're broke" thing seems as hilarious as when actor Eddie Murphy was sued, but his studio somehow said that his $200M grossing hit Beverly Hills Cop didn't make a dime. Me thinks Emeril must've added some gahlic to the
books.

No way baseball is broke. Not with all those tickets, food, merchandise, apparel, licensing deals w/breakfast cereal makers, fees f/showing MLB and/or team s, TV, cable, radio, everything. There's just too many sources of income there and I'd like to hire the accountants who can hide all that mega-money. If so, they could probably hide a brontosaurus in Farmer Jeb's barn.

Originally posted by SmedIndy
Tampa Bay was an asinine choice for expansion. They should have tried for Charlotte, or even Buffalo. Florida could make it if they would market wisely to the Cuban and Latino crowd.

Especially in Miami where there are almost a million Cubans. Some marketing on Spanish-language TV, print, radio would certainly go far.

I also strongly agree w/your other comment that spending more doesn't equate to spending wisely. Spending more on slop won't get you very far, but spending wisely and filling holes w/quality & highly capable people, not necessarily one superstar who's expected to carry the full load, seems like a wise idea to me.

What I can't understand is why Atlanta fans don't come out f/their games. Are they not marketed enough down there? It's an established baseball market so what gives down there?

[Xanadu Dragon]

Originally posted by nyy26wc
I would like to remind people that if there was any validity to the claims that baseball is in such terrible economic condition, it would have gone out of business back in the 19th century.

Pick a year, any year, at any time since the start of major league baseball and you will find 2 things being said--

1) the players are shit today compared to the good old days
2) we're broke

Damn! Lee beat me to it!
I got the Burns' Baseball Series on DVD for x-mas - - - in disc one, it talks about the first pro team (the Reds) where Wright's bother was the SS and the public thought it was crazy that he was paid 7 times what the average man made - - to play baseball!

If Madonna can make $75 million for a concert tour, I have no problem with Giambi getting $18 mill for a summer. He has more talent and a harder task.

[Xanadu Dragon]

Originally posted by SmedIndy
If Kansas City, Pittsburgh, et. al. would spend money WISELY, instead of signing slop and trading for slop, then they'd have a chance.

So, you're not a big fan of Derek Bell and Knoblauch?

[SmedIndy]

Originally posted by Xanadu Dragon


So, you're not a big fan of Derek Bell and Knoblauch?

Not at those prices.

The worst was giving multi-year deals to Pat Meares and Mike Benjamin, although KC securing Brett Mayne is pretty ridiculous too.

Originally posted by Xanadu Dragon
If Madonna can make $75 million for a concert tour, I have no problem with Giambi getting $18 mill for a summer. He has more talent and a harder task.

This reminds me of Ruth's quote, in justifying making more than the President of the US of A: he had a better year.

He also gets more people to pay to see him, not taxpayers' dollars. Even if Madonna doesn't have Barbara Streisand's vocals, she still packs 'em into the house so that's why she gets paid more $.

[mainsr]

Well, I've been away for a while, but let me just say for the umpteenth time...

I agree with Buzz.

[Xanadu Dragon]

Originally posted by mainsr
let me just say for the umpteenth time...I agree with Buzz.

Wow.

[sweaver]

Originally posted by mainsr
Well, I've been away for a while, but let me just say for the umpteenth time...

I agree with Buzz.

Thump.

Woo. OK, I'm better now.

What Lee said, double for me. It has been the cry of management since...well, since there was management. This year's free-agent market is showing, the owners don't have to pay those outlandish salaries if they don't want to do so. Just don't pay it! And if a guy stands to make a mint at arbitration, waive his sorry butt!

Then, re-sign at a lower price. Works in the real world.

Nobody is out there making you pay Pokey Reese $5M a year.