AL Takes Allstar game

Originally posted by GeorgeCarr
the American league win 4-3

I found myself wishing for a tie so Wakefield might go in and chuck the knuckle ball... He was very honored to have finally made the team after 15 or so years of MLB.

P-

Originally posted by quackquack
Baseball is only dying in places where teams don't spend money.
(1) Over seven million fans attended ball games in New York last year. Both teams were disappointing. Fans want to see teams that invest in their team. If a team can't/ won't spend money you shouldn't be in young own division, you should be out of MLB.
(2) The Orioles have an excellen because it has a small payroll. It is bad because it has not yet developed good players.

Blah, blah, blah. When it is all said and done the only reality is that the Red Sox and Yankees will be duking it out year after year after year after year....and then by some miracle a team like the Rays jump in and then the whole thing starts over again. Sickening. 😕

As for teams headed in the right direction, my Reds have been headed in the right direction for a while now and look where that has gotten them. LOL. Hats off to the Brewers and Orioles and Reds who don't have a snow balls chance in MLB of making it to the top despite being headed in the right direction.

Originally posted by quackquack
Baseball is only dying in places where teams don't spend money.
(1) Over seven million fans attended ball games in New York last year. Both teams were disappointing. Fans want to see teams that invest in their team. If a team can't/ won't spend money you shouldn't be in young own division, you should be out of MLB.
(2) The Orioles have an excellen ...[text shortened]... because it has a small payroll. It is bad because it has not yet developed good players.

3. MLB record for consecutive sellouts .... Boston Red Sox

The gist of whodey's argument was that the top teams are generally those with the high payrolls. I agree. Yes, every year has it's low payroll cinderella story and a couple of high payroll busts -- but, the overall trend clearly favors the big spenders. More importantly, a big payroll means that your team will be a contender just about every year. Even the Mets are only a few games under .500 despite having almost every star player out with long-term injuries at some point during the season.

Teams with low payroll can be successful if they are extremely good at evaluating talent, allowing them to make effective draft picks and trades. Being lucky is also very important. But it's not really about "attracting players" because low payroll teams will almost never attract quality free agents (or even keep their own stars once they become free agents)

Phlabibit argues that a "team is only as good as the owner wants to make it". I agree that some owners "care" a lot more than others. But the problem is that some markets are just too small and-or too uniterested in baseball to ever attract enough fans to make a large payroll profitable. Those owners have no choice but to pursue a low-cost strategy. The result may be good enough to keep the team out of the red, but the team will rarely win a title.