What is the biggest thing wrong with Major League Baseball?

[El Supremo]

Look, I have hated the Yanks since I was born. My father was pulled into the mystique when he used to fly their charters. I never was. Because of their fucking money, they have ruined the best game ever invented.

[JonLP24]

1. I voted DH(other)

Just cause.

[El Supremo]

2. Oh fuck the DH!

It makes the game more exciting.

[Jack Rabbit]

19. So did I

Because it is a blight on baseball that makes the game less cerebral.

[Auggie]

3. That there isn't revenue sharing or a salary cap

[Howardx]

4. +1

[El Supremo]

5. There IS revenue sharing!

But not a salary cap.

[ticapnews]

8. There is revenue sharing, there is no salary cap/floor

The Yankees paid a huge "tax" on their roster, but the owners in places like Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Miami need not invest the revenue. I think I read something about the Marlins' owner pocketing $9 million in revenue sharing he received. If there was a cap (rather than a supposed luxury tax) and a floor, the Yankees wouldn't be able to spend hundreds of millions while the bottom feeders pay pennies.

[Auggie]

9. I stand corrected. Apologies.

I knew of the luxury tax but not that it was distributed directly to franchise owners.

[hughee99]

10. They are actually required to spend the money

but it just has to be spent on anything that "improves the franchise" or some sort of vague, bullshit language like that. They don't have to spend it "on the field". If a team gets $40 million in revenue sharing, they have to spend at least that much on the team (not just players salaries, but everything in total), BUT if the team also brings in 40 million, the owner is still only required to spend at least as much as they got in revenue sharing. Many of the most profitable teams for the owners are the ones getting the most money in revenue sharing.

In the end, teams can spend the money by hiring some politicians' brother for a 100K "assistant to the assistant traveling secretary" job, the owner's wife as a PR consultant, or they can get a 5 star chef to cook hot dogs in the luxury boxes, and MLB sees that as pretty much the same thing as putting good players on the field.

[Capt. America]

13. Correct! MLB needs more competitive balance=salary cap and salary floor.

[bigwillq]

14. Totally agree with that one.

You have to blame baseball, not just one team. The Yankees have not broken any rules as far as payroll is concerned.

[GOPisEvil]

6. It's "grandpa" - old, inflexible, resistant to change.

I love baseball, but the kids don't.

[Gemini Cat]

7. NYY

Yankees piss me off on so many many levels.
:mad: :argh:

[thatsrightimirish]

11. Fox Sports

I hate watching those people every postseason

[DinahMoeHum]

12. Other: El Supremo Is A DingBat. . .

:P:P:P


...but I do like the Texas Longhorns football team.
Can't get anymore Texan than a name like "Colt McCoy"

[Forkboy]

15. Without a doubt, the disparity in payrolls.

They could take a lesson from the NHL.

[madinmaryland]

16. Absolutely. And the NBA and NFL.

[Forkboy]

18. The NFL is ditching the salary cap next year.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/10836249

It'll end up just like baseball, with only big market teams able to compete. As Dallas and N.E. fans it won't be a problem for us, but what about teams like Buffalo and K.C.?

[madinmaryland]

25. They may ditch it for a year, but it will only be a year.

[joeybee12]

17. You could say it's the outrageous payrolls, but that also is the Spankmee's fault...

...and if you said steroids, again, this leads back to the Skankees.

And if you said Selig, again, that leads back to the Stinkees

[inthebrain]

20. No one could ever say the same about the Red Sox...

[joeybee12]

21. You are 100% correct! n/t

[BOSSHOG]

22. THE DESIGNATED HITTER AND

artificial turf and domed stadiums and not enough weekday afternoon games.

Why can't pitchers hit? They have more time for batting practice then anyone else on a team. The DH is a crutch invented by the AL for AL teams.

[El Supremo]

23. I really don't think any of those things are causing baseball much trouble.

Nothing like the payroll disparity, drugs or extended season are.

[BOSSHOG]

24. Agreed, but

I find it sad that finances and the crime blotter are on a sports forum. A geographic juggling of the schedule to cut down on travel days and a handful more of doubleheaders would take care of the extended season or, imagine this, shorten the season by 12 games.