Comments on: MLB Salary Cap: Fair or Foul? http://www.goatmag.com/2009/01/mlb-salary-cap-fair-or-foul/ goatmag.com Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:22:38 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Bill Mckillop http://www.goatmag.com/2009/01/mlb-salary-cap-fair-or-foul/comment-page-1/#comment-61 Bill Mckillop Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:22:38 +0000 http://www.goatmag.com/?p=558#comment-61 I dont think a salary cap would solve the problem of fairness, I think you need to add a 2 teams to make it 32 teams. Add 2 playoff spots so there is 12 of 32 who can make the playoffs and instead of restrict a players earnings realign teams based on payroll spent. example: Yanks, Red Soxs, Mets, Phils in one division and Teams like the Pirates, Nationals, Indians, Reds in another. This would ensure teams with lower payrolls can be represented in the playoffs. As you spend more you change divisions. This would keep the schedule fresh and teams like the Pirates and Royals would have a chance to play in October. check out the plan at: http://thefairball.com/mlb-realignment-plan/ I dont think a salary cap would solve the problem of fairness, I think you need to add a 2 teams to make it 32 teams. Add 2 playoff spots so there is 12 of 32 who can make the playoffs and instead of restrict a players earnings realign teams based on payroll spent. example:

Yanks, Red Soxs, Mets, Phils in one division and Teams like the Pirates, Nationals, Indians, Reds in another. This would ensure teams with lower payrolls can be represented in the playoffs. As you spend more you change divisions. This would keep the schedule fresh and teams like the Pirates and Royals would have a chance to play in October.

check out the plan at:

http://thefairball.com/mlb-realignment-plan/

]]> By: bert http://www.goatmag.com/2009/01/mlb-salary-cap-fair-or-foul/comment-page-1/#comment-24 bert Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:52:41 +0000 http://www.goatmag.com/?p=558#comment-24 Jonnine, well...the patriots are a good example. don't you think everyone would want to be on the patriots, whom have won 3 superbowls this decade and who are in the hunt year in and year out? just like in any other job...if someone has an opportunity to get more money, they're going to go where they can get more money. so, if you're on the patriots and you want more money and they can't pay you more money because of the salary cap, then you're going to go to another team that will pay you the money you're looking for. unfortunately, we as fans look at sports differently than other businesses, while most players look at their professional sport as a business (which it is), and they're going to look out for themselves. it is a rare case that a player will stay with the team he wants to and take a paycut...we'd like to all think we'd all do that, but i'm sure you put us in the same boat, we'd go for more money. Jonnine,

well…the patriots are a good example. don’t you think everyone would want to be on the patriots, whom have won 3 superbowls this decade and who are in the hunt year in and year out? just like in any other job…if someone has an opportunity to get more money, they’re going to go where they can get more money. so, if you’re on the patriots and you want more money and they can’t pay you more money because of the salary cap, then you’re going to go to another team that will pay you the money you’re looking for.

unfortunately, we as fans look at sports differently than other businesses, while most players look at their professional sport as a business (which it is), and they’re going to look out for themselves. it is a rare case that a player will stay with the team he wants to and take a paycut…we’d like to all think we’d all do that, but i’m sure you put us in the same boat, we’d go for more money.

]]> By: Jonnine Y http://www.goatmag.com/2009/01/mlb-salary-cap-fair-or-foul/comment-page-1/#comment-23 Jonnine Y Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:24:35 +0000 http://www.goatmag.com/?p=558#comment-23 Bert, I see your point. However, do you think that even if the cap was implemented, that the "better" players still won't want to go to teams such as the Yankees or the Red Sox? These teams are still the more popular in the league...salary cap or not. Bert,
I see your point. However, do you think that even if the cap was implemented, that the “better” players still won’t want to go to teams such as the Yankees or the Red Sox? These teams are still the more popular in the league…salary cap or not.

]]> By: bert http://www.goatmag.com/2009/01/mlb-salary-cap-fair-or-foul/comment-page-1/#comment-22 bert Thu, 15 Jan 2009 00:26:38 +0000 http://www.goatmag.com/?p=558#comment-22 i am personally not a fan of baseball...it's too slow and too long of a season for me. i am most a fan of the nfl (mls is 2nd). both of those sports have a salary cap. do i watch them because they have a salary cap and it makes the league more fair for all teams? no, i enjoy watching the sport. but i do think the salary cap allows more opportunity for parody. it seems with baseball (no salary cap), the teams with the higher payrolls are in the hunt every year...whether they win the championship or not is a different story, but they usually make up the teams with the better records. can teams with low payrolls still have a good year? of course...look at tampa bay (as you pointed out). they have one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, yet they made it to the world series. will they compete year in and year out? not after the higher payroll teams buy their better players. the reason why tampa had a good year because they consistantly finished with one of the worst records in all of baseball year in and year out...thus giving them a good crop of players from their high draft picks. as you pointed out...no player will want a salary cap...it does not benefit them. but as a fan, i enjoy the salary cap because of the parody...i enjoy the nfl because any team can compete with any other team. i'm from the new england area, so i grew up with the boston teams...it's much more rewarding for me seeing the patriots win 3 superbowls in an era where the teams are more equal than the red sox buying 2 world series championships when they're only equal with less than half the league. i am personally not a fan of baseball…it’s too slow and too long of a season for me.

i am most a fan of the nfl (mls is 2nd). both of those sports have a salary cap. do i watch them because they have a salary cap and it makes the league more fair for all teams? no, i enjoy watching the sport. but i do think the salary cap allows more opportunity for parody. it seems with baseball (no salary cap), the teams with the higher payrolls are in the hunt every year…whether they win the championship or not is a different story, but they usually make up the teams with the better records. can teams with low payrolls still have a good year? of course…look at tampa bay (as you pointed out). they have one of the lowest payrolls in baseball, yet they made it to the world series. will they compete year in and year out? not after the higher payroll teams buy their better players. the reason why tampa had a good year because they consistantly finished with one of the worst records in all of baseball year in and year out…thus giving them a good crop of players from their high draft picks.

as you pointed out…no player will want a salary cap…it does not benefit them. but as a fan, i enjoy the salary cap because of the parody…i enjoy the nfl because any team can compete with any other team.

i’m from the new england area, so i grew up with the boston teams…it’s much more rewarding for me seeing the patriots win 3 superbowls in an era where the teams are more equal than the red sox buying 2 world series championships when they’re only equal with less than half the league.

]]> By: Lovely Imeh http://www.goatmag.com/2009/01/mlb-salary-cap-fair-or-foul/comment-page-1/#comment-21 Lovely Imeh Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:26:15 +0000 http://www.goatmag.com/?p=558#comment-21 Jonnine, While they may not see that immediate money as an engineer, etc, knowing that they would only be able to make so-and-such playing a game (no matter how long they play it for) may have them rethinking. There is no doubt that most would still choose to participate in sports. However it would help to prick a notch in a belt for those who want children to realize their potential- intellectually. Jonnine,
While they may not see that immediate money as an engineer, etc, knowing that they would only be able to make so-and-such playing a game (no matter how long they play it for) may have them rethinking.

There is no doubt that most would still choose to participate in sports. However it would help to prick a notch in a belt for those who want children to realize their potential- intellectually.

]]> By: Jonnine Y http://www.goatmag.com/2009/01/mlb-salary-cap-fair-or-foul/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Jonnine Y Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:41:41 +0000 http://www.goatmag.com/?p=558#comment-20 Lovely, WOW! You shocked the office with that comment...I think that's an excellent point. But do you think that the youth will ever be able to overcome the "right now" thought process? Will they see that the money they'd make long-term with, say, an engineering degree would outweight immediate millions from a pro-league (not to mention that the millions are only guaranteed as long as they're healthy...)? Lovely,
WOW! You shocked the office with that comment…I think that’s an excellent point. But do you think that the youth will ever be able to overcome the “right now” thought process? Will they see that the money they’d make long-term with, say, an engineering degree would outweight immediate millions from a pro-league (not to mention that the millions are only guaranteed as long as they’re healthy…)?

]]> By: Lovely Imeh http://www.goatmag.com/2009/01/mlb-salary-cap-fair-or-foul/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Lovely Imeh Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:13:47 +0000 http://www.goatmag.com/?p=558#comment-19 Not sure if its "fair or foul." However, I think having a salary cap will make more youth focus on getting educational scholarships than sports scholarships. Knowing that they will only be able to make a certain amount of money playing a game (even if its in the milions) will push them to have a backup plan. Not sure if its “fair or foul.” However, I think having a salary cap will make more youth focus on getting educational scholarships than sports scholarships. Knowing that they will only be able to make a certain amount of money playing a game (even if its in the milions) will push them to have a backup plan.

]]> By: Jonnine Y http://www.goatmag.com/2009/01/mlb-salary-cap-fair-or-foul/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Jonnine Y Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:10:34 +0000 http://www.goatmag.com/?p=558#comment-18 Amy B., I think that's one of those questions that will never be answered, like "Which came first - The chicken or the egg?" Maybe MLB should experiment one year and just give a team like the Rays or the Pirates a larger salary and see how well they do. You may have just sparked a sequel to my blog...hmm.... Amy B.,
I think that’s one of those questions that will never be answered, like “Which came first – The chicken or the egg?” Maybe MLB should experiment one year and just give a team like the Rays or the Pirates a larger salary and see how well they do. You may have just sparked a sequel to my blog…hmm….

]]> By: Amy B. http://www.goatmag.com/2009/01/mlb-salary-cap-fair-or-foul/comment-page-1/#comment-17 Amy B. Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:21:21 +0000 http://www.goatmag.com/?p=558#comment-17 I understand the idea of giving the better teams more money, since they are overall doing a better job, but would other teams do better if they got paid more? One could ask, are the players on the "better" teams playing better since they get more money? Or are they just actually much better players than everyone else and deserve the money? If the other teams' players would do better with more money, then maybe there should be a more even playing field when it comes to the players' salaries. I understand the idea of giving the better teams more money, since they are overall doing a better job, but would other teams do better if they got paid more? One could ask, are the players on the “better” teams playing better since they get more money? Or are they just actually much better players than everyone else and deserve the money? If the other teams’ players would do better with more money, then maybe there should be a more even playing field when it comes to the players’ salaries.

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