Major League Baseball - 2019 Season

[throatybeard]

Baseball has a problem with having so many truly sorry teams. Just today there's an article on si.com saying MLB needs to relegate teams to the minors because they don't deserve to be in the big leagues. Not players, entire organizations. While that seems extreme I do agree something needs to be done. The luxury tax is clearly not working and the parity is just not there as it needs to be. The small market teams cannot compete on a regular basis.

Having so many teams, I'm talking about you Baltimore, Detroit, Seattle, Pittsburgh and Miami, is a glaring problem and a disservice to fans in those cities.

Detroit and Miami are not small markets. The Marlins are run terribly. Seattle's payroll is in the top half of the league. Baltimore sucks this year but has made the playoffs this decade.

And the Kansas City Royals, who do suck this year, won the American League in 2014 and the World Series in 2015. Not competing this year does not equal inability to compete.

The big-market small-market problem is far, far less dire since advanced metrics came in. All thirty clubs have access to the same player development tools now.

[budwom]

Detroit formerly had a smart general manager, now they have a nitwit.

[DUKIECB]

Detroit and Miami are not small markets. The Marlins are run terribly. Seattle's payroll is in the top half of the league. Baltimore sucks this year but has made the playoffs this decade.

And the Kansas City Royals, who do suck this year, won the American League in 2014 and the World Series in 2015. Not competing this year does not equal inability to compete.

The big-market small-market problem is far, far less dire since advanced metrics came in. All thirty clubs have access to the same player development tools now.

I agree that is isn't simply a small market vs large market problem. As you pointed out Seattle's payroll is in the top half and there are invariably teams every couple of years who have a lower than average payroll that have great seasons. However, as I pointed out earlier, baseball's payroll disparity is enormous. Take a look at the NFL model. The cap is such that every team ends up making it there whereas in baseball you have the top team spending $227 million (cap is $206 and only 3 teams exceeded it) vs the bottom spending $62 million. It's just not a model that allows for parity.

[Duke79UNLV77]

As a fan of a big market team that hasn’t won the World Series in over 30 years, I’m ready for the unfair advantage finally to put them over the top!

Actually, despite their high payroll, the current Dodgers roster is all homegrown talent and guys (like Turner and Muncy) who weren’t big names when acquired.

[duke74]

As a fan of a big market team that hasn’t won the World Series in over 30 years, I’m ready for the unfair advantage finally to put them over the top!

Actually, despite their high payroll, the current Dodgers roster is all homegrown talent and guys (like Turner and Muncy) who weren’t big names when acquired.

And we Mets fans are still pissed at the loss of Turner...bad move at the time, even though as you note he wasn't a "big name."

[Duke79UNLV77]

And we Mets fans are still pissed at the loss of Turner...bad move at the time, even though as you note he wasn't a "big name."

Cousin It has been terrific! He barely ever looks really bad on a pitch or makes himself an easy out and is a pretty good third baseman, too. Muncy is even more of a where did that come from story. Rich Hill, too, when healthy. The scouting and player development has been great. The only problem is they keep running into other truly great teams in the World Series.

[YmoBeThere]

As a fan of a big market team that hasn’t won the World Series in over 30 years, I’m ready for the unfair advantage finally to put them over the top!

Actually, despite their high payroll, the current Dodgers roster is all homegrown talent and guys (like Turner and Muncy) who weren’t big names when acquired.

Fan since the mid-70s. Ron Cey was our neighbor and Campy was a couple hills over...

[Duke79UNLV77]

Fan since the mid-70s. Ron Cey was our neighbor and Campy was a couple hills over...

Cool! Fan since 77. I have all of the players’ autographs from that era. LaSorda would tell stories to groups of kids for as long as they could stay.

[YmoBeThere]

Cool! Fan since 77. I have all of the players’ autographs from that era. LaSorda would tell stories to groups of kids for as long as they could stay.

Not to mention the mellifluous tones of Vin as he regaled the airwaves of baseball days gone by, but certainly not forgotten.

And as you noted, it has been 31 years...

[weezie]

... Not competing this year does not equal inability to compete...

I'm the first to bemoan Detroit's miserable, humiliating situation but if anybody seriously thinks that this original charter American League team should be court martialed to the minor leagues, I'd be happy to join the fracas.

Heck, I've got my 1991 miniature wooden giveaway bat right here on my desk. I love picking it up when anybody strolls into my office to ask me a dumb question.

[throatybeard]

Man that's great.

--I forget how long the at bat is, seven minutes.
--I always feel so bad for Eckersley.
--It's weird seeing McGwire looking like a baseball player instead of like Magnus ver Magnusson.

[throatybeard]

I'm the first to bemoan Detroit's miserable, humiliating situation but if anybody seriously thinks that this original charter American League team should be court martialed to the minor leagues, I'd be happy to join the fracas.

Right? Contracting the league is a nuclear option. And this is supposed to happen because a few teams are around .333 this particular year?

There used to be some awful teams, year-on-year. If they'd done that in the old days, there hardly would be any league to speak of.

[duke74]

Fan since the mid-70s. Ron Cey was our neighbor and Campy was a couple hills over...

Not that it matters (at all), but my father was a big Dodgers fan. When they abandoned Brooklyn (in part I think to Robert Moses - just another "shining" moment for him) and the Mets were created in 1962, it was obvious for whom I would rooting. I remember doubleheaders at the Polo Grounds in 1962 (was 10 at the time) with him. When Shea opened in 1964, we then migrated (we were/are Queens residents).

BTW, I miss Shea. If the Wilpons wanted to recreate Ebbetts Field, they should have bought the Dodgers. All I know is that my dad was convinced that wherever O'Malley ended up, it was going to be very hot.

[budwom]

Not that it matters (at all), but my father was a big Dodgers fan. When they abandoned Brooklyn (in part I think to Robert Moses - just another "shining" moment for him) and the Mets were created in 1962, it was obvious for whom I would rooting. I remember doubleheaders at the Polo Grounds in 1962 (was 10 at the time) with him. When Shea opened in 1964, we then migrated (we were/are Queens residents).

BTW, I miss Shea. If the Wilpons wanted to recreate Ebbetts Field, they should have bought the Dodgers. All I know is that my dad was convinced that wherever O'Malley ended up, it was going to be very hot.

I too was an abandoned Brooklyn fan, and used to attend all those Polo Grounds doubleheaders...I must've seen Sandy Koufax (someone who always lurked at ACC Tournaments) shut out the Mets half a dozen times.

[left_hook_lacey]

Making the drive up to the nationals game tonight. Anybody been to that stadium? Looking for suggestions on restaurant/bars to hang out at near the stadium as we'll have some time to kill.

[accfanfrom1970]

Making the drive up to the nationals game tonight. Anybody been to that stadium? Looking for suggestions on restaurant/bars to hang out at near the stadium as we'll have some time to kill.

Only been a couple of times. There’s a kind of outdoor center made of mostly shipping containers that has a variety of food stands and bar/ outdoor seating. Walking distance about a block? Haven’t been this year, hope it’s still there. I like Blue Jacket Brewery, they have good food too. They’re a drive away though, or a long walk.

[left_hook_lacey]

Only been a couple of times. There’s a kind of outdoor center made of mostly shipping containers that has a variety of food stands and bar/ outdoor seating. Walking distance about a block? Haven’t been this year, hope it’s still there. I like Blue Jacket Brewery, they have good food too. They’re a drive away though, or a long walk.

Thanks.

[Jim3k]

The salary disparity is alarming. However, Cleveland, Minnesota and Tampa are all competitive this year in smaller markets. The luxury tax has seemed to have some moderating impact on team spending - I know that a year or two ago the Yankees made a very conscious effort to stay under the cap in order to reset it going forward.

And though it is certainly a lesser problem, there have also been complaints about teams horsing shared revenues rather than spending them to put out a decent team (or at least invest in scouting, player dev, etc). There also needs to be a salary floor to keep these teams honest. It can be a 2-3 year average.

Did you intentionally omit the Oakland A's from your list of competitive small salary teams? The A's are No. 25 on that list. And yet...there they are in the hunt for the second WC. Pius, in the past two nights they have managed wins over the first place Astros--one in a slugfest and the other (over Verlander) in 13 innings. They are not chopped liver with a .574 average and 1/2 a game out in the second WC chase. That also means they are a mere 2-1/2 from the first WC.

No one wants to play the A's; but no one wants to write about them, either.

Of course, this could all vanish instantly. They play two more against the Astros today and tomorrow followed by three at home against the Yankees next week. Fun to watch.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Did you intentionally omit the Oakland A's from your list of competitive small salary teams? The A's are No. 25 on that list. And yet...there they are in the hunt for the second WC. Pius, in the past two nights they have managed wins over the first place Astros--one in a slugfest and the other (over Verlander) in 13 innings. They are not chopped liver with a .574 average and 1/2 a game out in the second WC chase. That also means they are a mere 2-1/2 from the first WC.

No one wants to play the A's; but no one wants to write about them, either.

Of course, this could all vanish instantly. They play two more against the Astros today and tomorrow followed by three at home against the Yankees next week. Fun to watch.

I just took a quick glance at the standings and listed three teams that had 70 or more teams in what I would consider small markets. I think that at the time the A's were just below 70.

I also struggle sometimes with calling the A's "small market." They spend like a small market team and draw like a small market. But they do have the resources of the fairly large Bay Area economy. Granted, they share it with the Giants and it is a long way from San Jose to Oakland. But their TV contract is in the middle of the pack, so there are a lot of potential eyeballs to watch their games. They are definitely more small market than large market, but I think they are less small market than people think. Of course, I live 3,000 miles away so my perspective is far from perfect.

[BlueDevil2K]

Making the drive up to the nationals game tonight. Anybody been to that stadium? Looking for suggestions on restaurant/bars to hang out at near the stadium as we'll have some time to kill.

Too bad you didn't get to see much offense.