Baseball darkest moments?

Nobody is saying the sport isn't healthy, cran. Slanted to favor some teams over others? Definitely. But still healthy.

 

it's also slanted to allow teams like the Pirates and Marlins to make a huge profit without investing a damn thing in their teams. I doubt that teams like those event want a salary cap.

 

Without question there should be a salary floor, or a monitoring system of how much (or little) is spent on scouting and drafts.

 

Not just healthy. The industry is, by far, more popular and profitable than at any point in history. I'm OK with it if you and Twoback think the product sucks. Consumers have already spoken.

 

Some of them. Mostly the ones who don't get pissed on by the system.

And you are right, 93Devil. But that floor is never coming without a cap.

 

There's always going to be a few malcontents. That's why God created football and the Tea Party.

 

I'll give you credit for one thing. At least you admit that the system is rigged to favor the big markets. You even argue that it has to be that way, which suggests a belief that the powers that be in MLB keep it that way in part because they want to make sure the large market franchises win as often as possible.

Of course, when you suggest such things, the other baseball apologists here ignore it. When I do it, they go nuts.

The truth is that baseball still lags well behind the NFL and one reason for that is the fact that the NFL focuses on trying to keep all of its member franchises as healthy as competitive as possible while baseball favors some over others and fans know it.

I keep going back to the Pirates as an example. As bad as they are, this season should have offered some hope. The farm system is finally turning out some actual talent. Andrew McCutchen is no Barry Bonds, but he is by far the best outfielder they have developed in the last 20 years. Pedro Alvarez is their most highly-regarded prospect at least since Aramis Ramirez, maybe since Bonds, and he showed signs of fulfilling that promise this year. Neil Walker is finally rewarding the team's faith and Tabata looks like a nice table-setter.

This is a positive step for a franchise that has failed so miserably for so long in player development, but does anybody in Pittsburgh care? I don't see it. Too many years of knowing the system is against them and the owners don't give a shit. They are just waiting for this latest run of talent to come up empty or leave as soon as possible, with very good reason.

 

Do you think Pirate ownership wants a salary cap?

With a cap comes a floor, that would eat into their profits. With a cap also comes less money from the Yankees from the luxury tax. Pirate ownership might very well vote against a cap.

 

You are probably right. No chance in hell of that ownership ever doing the right thing. Honestly, I don't think any of this stuff I am suggesting is going to happen. That doesn't mean it shouldn't happen.

 

There is monitoring. The MLBPA said Pittsburgh was in compliance, Florida was not.

There's no floor without a cap, and there won't be a cap.

 

In the meantime, they're making tens of million dollars on the Internet, a revenue stream that didn't exist for them 10 years ago.

Shitball franchises are turning profits and shitball players are still getting $5 million contracts. Who is losing?