2010 MLB season

[BoylenOver]

Interleague play starts tonight. I really enjoy it. It's fun to see teams from one league playing in the stadiums of teams from the other league.

Bud Selig has done a lot of things that deserve scorn, but this has been one of his best decisions.

[BoylenOver]

What do you guys think about the recent release of financial documents showing the Marlins and Pirates have kept player salaries low in order to generate more profit?

For all the shit big-money teams get for spending their way to titles, I'd much rather see that happen compared to owners who care less about the product and the fans and more about the bottom line.

[MartyFunkhouser]

What do you guys think about the recent release of financial documents showing the Marlins and Pirates have kept player salaries low in order to generate more profit?

For all the shit big-money teams get for spending their way to titles, I'd much rather see that happen compared to owners who care less about the product and the fans and more about the bottom line.

I think there should be a salary floor to prevent this type of behavior. I agree this is a bigger problem than teams like the Yankees and Yankees East.

[Green Monstah]

I think there should be a salary floor to prevent this type of behavior. I agree this is a bigger problem than teams like the Yankees and Yankees East.

I assume you're speaking of the Red Sox...a team who has consistently spent tens of millions less than the Yankees each year and who was surpassed by (some years) three teams as the #2 spender in baseball. You should look up my breakdown I did of salaries in the last decade on CB. It will enlighten your dark mind.

[Green Monstah]

What do you guys think about the recent release of financial documents showing the Marlins and Pirates have kept player salaries low in order to generate more profit?

For all the shit big-money teams get for spending their way to titles, I'd much rather see that happen compared to owners who care less about the product and the fans and more about the bottom line.

Does it take financial documents to figure this out? What else would they be doing? The Pirates in particular are a scourge on major league baseball.

[MartyFunkhouser]

I assume you're speaking of the Red Sox...a team who has consistently spent tens of millions less than the Yankees each year and who was surpassed by (some years) three teams as the #2 spender in baseball. You should look up my breakdown I did of salaries in the last decade on CB. It will enlighten your dark mind.

I'm sure those salaries calculated things such as Daisuke Matsuzaka's money to even talk to him. Yes, the Yankees spend more but the Red Sox are really not any different than the Yankees. The only difference is they think they are different.

[Green Monstah]

I'm sure those salaries calculated things such as Daisuke Matsuzaka's money to even talk to him. Yes, the Yankees spend more but the Red Sox are really not any different than the Yankees. The only difference is they think they are different.

No, I think they're different. Dice-K was an embarrasment....but there are mitigating factors. I'm not sure about 2010, but the previous four years, there was actually a downward trend in payroll. Furthermore, we spend a lot of money developing our talent: we got Youk when he was in high-A or AA; drafted Pedroia; drafted Ellsbury; drafted Papelbon; Drafted Lester; Drafted Buchholz. That's the heart and soul of our ballclub from a production standpoint.

Furthermore, the Sox place a hard and fast cap on the amount of money they're willing to spend on players....which kept A-Rod (via the MLBPA) and Texeira both out of Fenway. We don't drop AJ Burnett money and CC Sabbathia money. We let Red Sox legends walk because they refused to accept offers (Nomar, Pedro Martinez, Johnny Damon). Erstwhile, the Yankees pay Jeter and Posada exorbitant sums of cash to stick around.

So, we're similar in that we have both been successful in recent years, but the Yankees are in a league of their own when you look at things without piss and vinegar clouding your judgment.

That being said, the MLB is a broken system and I think it needs serious repair. This will be to the detriment of my team, but will benefit baseball. Sadly, I think baseball will have to lose its TV deals and compete with the NHL for the bottom of the US-sports-market barrell in order for meaningful change to occur.

[MartyFunkhouser]

The Red Sox salaries this year is 160 million compared to 206 million for the Yankees. The Red Sox are 2nd in MLB in baseball in salaries. Yes that is a 46 million dollar difference, which is significant, but not nearly as significant as Red Sox fans would have you believe. You should factor in the negotiating fee with Dice-K because it was part of the cost of doing business.

It sure must be nice to be able to keep those home grown players unlike a lot of teams in MLB.

[Green Monstah]

The Red Sox salaries this year is 160 million compared to 206 million for the Yankees. The Red Sox are 2nd in MLB in baseball in salaries. Yes that is a 46 million dollar difference, which is significant, but not nearly as significant as Red Sox fans would have you believe. You should factor in the negotiating fee with Dice-K because it was part of the cost of doing business.

It sure must be nice to be able to keep those home grown players unlike a lot of teams in MLB.

What are you talking about? MLB rules keep young players with their original club for five or six years. I think we extended Lester and Youk (for a few million a year...more than they'd get in arbitration).

I agree, roughly 12MM per year should be added for Dice-Ks deal. How is a 25% difference between the top two teams not significant? It's huge. The Sox have to pay a substantially higher percentage of their revenue just to keep the competitive gap between the Sox and Yanks close. But it isn't purely a function of money spent (see Cubs and Tigers for demonstration that spending big doesn't equate to money). Would you like the Red Sox to simply cut payroll to 100 MM and let the Yankees run away with the league every year (esp. after all the best Tampa Rays will be wearing pinstripes in the next few years)? Just be glad someone else fights the evil empire.

[Parrot Head]

Here's a good article from the WSJ about the records of shottiness that have a chance to be broken this year, The Road to Baseball Infamy Gets Crowded.

Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Mark Reynolds is one of the more remarkable hitters in history. Two years ago, he became the first major leaguer to surpass 200 strikeouts in a season. Last year, he improved on that epic performance with 223 whiffs. This year, he's threatening to set a new mark yet again. Perhaps not since Babe Ruth broke the home runs record each year from 1919 to 1921 has the game seen such a display.

It also mentions double plays, horrible ERA and, sorry IPU, but of course, the Orioles.

[il Padrino Ute]

It also mentions double plays, horrible ERA and, sorry IPU, but of course, the Orioles.

*sigh*

I'm so accustomed to the ineptitude of the Orioles that I am no longer upset about anything bad that happens. As I've said many times on this and other forums, if the Os are within 5 games of first place at the end of April, the season will be considered a success.