JP Morosi- MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: THE STANDARD BEARER OF PARITY IN PRO SPORTS

[weams]

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/just-a-bit-outside/baseball-joe/blog/major-league-baseball-the-standard-bearer-of-parity-in-pro-sports-122114

Major League Baseball arguably has the greatest competitive balance among the four major North American pro sports leagues - even though it's the only one without a salary cap.

This December has amplified those tidings of hope and joy across the national pastime.

According to STATS LLC, 21 of 30 MLB franchises have earned postseason berths over the past five years; the NFL, a supposed paragon of sports parity, has had 24 of 32 teams reach the playoffs during the same period.

[SteveO]

Seventeen of the last 18 World Series winners have had a payroll in the top 15

Fifteen of the losing teams were ranked in the top 15 in baseball

Here are the last 15 WS winners with there ranks in terms of payroll. From my perspective this pretty much shows you do not have to be at the top but with the exception of the occasional fluke, you better be spending near the top 1/3 or your not winning a championship.....hardly what I call parity

2014: San Francisco Giants, 7

2013: Boston Red Sox, 4

2012: San Francisco Giants, 8

20111: St. Louis Cardinals, 11

2010: San Francisco Giants, 10

2009: New York Yankees, 1

2008: Philadelphia Phillies, 12

2007: Boston Red Sox, 2

2006: St. Louis Cardinals, 11

2005: Chicago White Sox, 13

2004: Boston Red Sox, 2

2003: Florida Marlins, 25

2002: Anaheim Angels, 15

2001: Arizona Diamondbacks, 8

2000: New York Yankees, 1

[Aglets]

Major League Baseball arguably has the greatest competitive balance among the four major North American pro sports leagues - even though it's the only one without a salary cap.

This December has amplified those tidings of hope and joy across the national pastime.

According to STATS LLC, 21 of 30 MLB franchises have earned postseason berths over the past five years; the NFL, a supposed paragon of sports parity, has had 24 of 32 teams reach the playoffs during the same period.

Am I missing some context here?

How does MLB have better parity than the NFL if 70% of all MLB teams earned playoff births over the last 5 years, but 'only' 75% of NFL teams have made it?

I'm confused.

[Frobby]

Am I missing some context here?

How does MLB have better parity than the NFL if 70% of all MLB teams earned playoff births over the last 5 years, but 'only' 75% of NFL teams have made it?

I'm confused.

For one thing, the NFL has 12 playoffs spots open each year. MLB only has 10, and in 2010-11, there were only 8. So that's 21 MLB teams getting to the playoffs when there were 46 spots available, 24 NFL teams when there were 60 spots available.

However, I don't find the difference between the two to be very significant.

[TiredofLosing20]

Congrats baseball, you have achieved your version of parity which is not the result of a balanced playing field but instead due at least in part to the mismanagement of heavily unbalanced revenue streams. Kudos.

[Aglets]

For one thing, the NFL has 12 playoffs spots open each year. MLB only has 10, and in 2010-11, there were only 8. So that's 21 MLB teams getting to the playoffs when there were 46 spots available, 24 NFL teams when there were 60 spots available.

However, I don't find the difference between the two to be very significant.

Perhaps baseball should increase the # of divisions to 10 (with 3 teams each) and then they'd create more playoff spots and have even more parity!

Wonder how many teams with losing records have made the playoffs in MLB history.

I think it's probably zero?

[Frobby]

Perhaps baseball should increase the # of divisions to 10 (with 3 teams each) and then they'd create more playoff spots and have even more parity!

Wonder how many teams with losing records have made the playoffs in MLB history.

I think it's probably zero?

Thankfully, yes. The '73 Mets went 82-79 and made it to the World Series, where thankfully, they lost. That's as bad as it's gotten, I believe.

[Orioles0615]

Seventeen of the last 18 World Series winners have had a payroll in the top 15

Fifteen of the losing teams were ranked in the top 15 in baseball

Here are the last 15 WS winners with there ranks in terms of payroll. From my perspective this pretty much shows you do not have to be at the top but with the exception of the occasional fluke, you better be spending near the top 1/3 or your not winning a championship.....hardly what I call parity

2014: San Francisco Giants, 7

2013: Boston Red Sox, 4

2012: San Francisco Giants, 8

20111: St. Louis Cardinals, 11

2010: San Francisco Giants, 10

2009: New York Yankees, 1

2008: Philadelphia Phillies, 12

2007: Boston Red Sox, 2

2006: St. Louis Cardinals, 11

2005: Chicago White Sox, 13

2004: Boston Red Sox, 2

2003: Florida Marlins, 25

2002: Anaheim Angels, 15

2001: Arizona Diamondbacks, 8

2000: New York Yankees, 1

Yea its also tough to talk about parity when the Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals, and Giants seem to win the WS every year.

Not to mention over those 15 years there have only been 3 times when a team other than the Red Sox or Yankees have won the AL East.

[Birds08]

I couldn't disagree more with the "parity" notion. I agree with the comment above that had the higher revenue/spending teams actually spent their money wisely, most teams (including the Orioles) would rarely have a chance, and that chance would only come at the point in the cycle where they've lost so much that they're laden with high impact prospects much like the Rays of 5-7 years ago. Part of my disappointment of losing to the Royals comes from the fact that once the Red Sox and especially the Yankees wise up (which it seems is slowly starting to happen), the Orioles will never have a chance. So statistically seeking, yes, there has been parity. But it's easy to find statistics to support any argument. The "poor" teams have to work that much harder and smarter in baseball to achieve that parity...Sorry for the rambling rant.

[CTFan]

Even using the words "parity" and "baseball" in the same sentence is ridiculous. When you can buy players at auction, and have more money to spend, there will never be parity. The AL East is the worst in terms of balance.

[srock]

Championships and playoff berths is one metric.

A better would be WINS compared to payroll.

[LookitsPuck]

Perhaps baseball should increase the # of divisions to 10 (with 3 teams each) and then they'd create more playoff spots and have even more parity!

Wonder how many teams with losing records have made the playoffs in MLB history.

I think it's probably zero?

Good. The NFL is really the MFL. The Mediocre Football League. What a joke.

[LookitsPuck]

Yea its also tough to talk about parity when the Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals, and Giants seem to win the WS every year.

Not to mention over those 15 years there have only been 3 times when a team other than the Red Sox or Yankees have won the AL East.

Parity isn't about winning the WS, it's about having different teams make the playoffs and different teams being competitive every year.

The playoffs are a crapshoot. The 2012 Ravens say hello.

[weams]

Parity isn't about winning the WS, it's about having different teams make the playoffs and different teams being competitive every year.

The playoffs are a crapshoot. The 2012 Ravens say hello.

I think we can all agree that having wildcards assure that multiple teams get hot and can advance that would not be figured to do so.

[ledzepp8]

Thankfully, yes. The '73 Mets went 82-79 and made it to the World Series, where thankfully, they lost. That's as bad as it's gotten, I believe.

Didn't the Cardinals win the WS a few years ago after only winning 83 games in the regular season? Yep...2006.