Yet Another Sad Day For Baseball

[Ruzious]

Dude, not today. Please?

Deal with it - The Yankees needed his .182/.282/.311 post-season stats to get to the WS and win it - particularly his 3 for 22 hitting vs. Philly.

Remember the Braves got him to be that final piece to get them to the WS for 2 seasons. How did that work out? Well, never mind that - the man is a 1 man wrecking crew. You saw how many penants he won in Texas.

[DrungoHazewood]

I don't remember people complaining when PA almost bought a ring in '96-'97.

In fact, when people talk about 12 years, blah-blah-blah, those very-bought teams are exactly what some folks here refer to as the good old days.

Is it 1996 or 1997? I thought it was 2009. And maybe I'm not remembering things right, but I thought that the Yankees were able to outspend the #2 team in baseball by more than the Orioles' total payroll.

Yes, if the O's were able to spend a $quarter-billion a year on payroll we'd enjoy the team. But that's like saying it'd be fun if we all won the Powerball on consecutive days, or if we could all marry supermodels who happened to be rocket scientists. It has no bearing on reality.

The system is royally, completely screwed up, and the Yankees are exhibit #1.

[ChaosLex]

This is why I don't post anymore. Right here. This...

You come into a thread and spew the same nonsense with that "I'm smarter than the rest of you" smug tone despite the fact that your nonsense and this thread aren't even remotely related.

You're not smarter than the rest of us. You're constantly wrong. That in and of itself wouldn't be so bad, but you continue to act as if you aren't constantly wrong and you see more than the rest of us. This makes you a fool. You make this board LESS than it should be. I read this thread because I thought I could avoid hearing this nonsense, but I was wrong. What a joke you are...

And before anybody tells me to install complete ignore or whatever, I shouldn't have to do that. I'd rather just not participate. My choice... I'm not whining about my choice to just go away, but I wanted to write what I believe to be the truth here because I think it needs to be written. This guy is a joke. Ban me if you want. I honestly don't care.

At least you're leading the OH Fantasy League through August.

[Fan4Life]

It's funny that I am hearing all these complaints (on ESPN radio this morning and several posts here) about baseball for constructing an environment that allows the Yankees to buy championships. That baseball NEEDS to do something.....

The ratings for the playoffs and WS this year were up over last year in a year where nothing was up primarily do to economic reasons. Baseball is absolutely happy with how things worked out this season. They make more money with having the Yankees, Redsox, Cubs.. opps..... ok not the Cubs, in the playoffs than they will ever make if all the teams are really equally constructed. They don't NEED to change anything.....

[nadecir]

Is it 1996 or 1997? I thought it was 2009. And maybe I'm not remembering things right, but I thought that the Yankees were able to outspend the #2 team in baseball by more than the Orioles' total payroll.

Yes, if the O's were able to spend a $quarter-billion a year on payroll we'd enjoy the team. But that's like saying it'd be fun if we all won the Powerball on consecutive days, or if we could all marry supermodels who happened to be rocket scientists. It has no bearing on reality.

The system is royally, completely screwed up, and the Yankees are exhibit #1.

The system may be screwed up for us, but it works pretty well for most teams. Baseball is achieving record revenues ($6.5 billion in 2008), and attendance is at near all-time highs. Baseball players' average salary is at record highs, with an average annual salary of $3.26 million. 2009 baseball playoff television ratings have been very good, with the World Series ratings up about 38% from last season.

Here's Selig's quotes yesterday about the 2009 baseball season.

This was our greatest season, oh my goodness, without a doubt," he said, echoing words that he first relayed back in July. "Given the economic environment, given all the concerns everybody had -- beginning with me in February and March -- this is the season I'll always be the proudest of."

The fact that baseball's richest team, playing in the most expensive baseball stadium in the world ($1.5 billion to build) and with the highest player payroll ($201 million), won it all didn't seem to faze Selig this time around.

After all, the Yankees have been baseball's biggest spenders for more than a decade, but seven other teams had won the World Series since they last snared the title in 2000 by defeating the crosstown Mets in five games.

"I'm not the least bit concerned about it," Selig said. "We've had more competitive balance than we've had in our history. In the last five or six years, 20 of the 30 teams have made the playoffs. We had Tampa Bay in the World Series last year, Colorado in it the year before. It just goes in cycles."

It wasn't a good year to be an Orioles fan. The Orioles finished with with an AL worst 64 wins, one of the worst records in franchise history, and 39 games out of first place. We were 7-29 against the Yankees and Red Sox this season. The dreaded Yankees, with an all-star first baseman that grew up in the Baltimore area and one who turned down a chance to play for his hometown team, won the World Series. The Yankees' manager also spurned a previous Orioles' job offer.

You can argue that this has been one of the worst seasons to be a fan in Orioles franchise history. But, for the rest of baseball, the current system is producing some pretty good results.

[Fan4Life]

The system may be screwed up for us, but it works pretty well for most teams. Baseball is achieving record revenues ($6.5 billion in 2008), and attendance is at near all-time highs. Baseball players' average salary is at record highs, with an average annual salary of $3.26 million. 2009 baseball playoff television ratings have been very good, with the World Series ratings up about 38% from last season.

Here's Selig's quotes yesterday about the 2009 baseball season.

It wasn't a good year to be an Orioles fan. The Orioles finished with with an AL worst 64 wins, one of the worst records in franchise history, and 39 games out of first place. We were 7-29 against the Yankees and Red Sox this season. The dreaded Yankees, with an all-star first baseman that grew up in the Baltimore area and one who turned down a chance to play for his hometown team, won the World Series. The Yankees' manager also spurned a previous Orioles' job offer.

You can argue that this has been one of the worst seasons to be a fan in Orioles franchise history. But, for the rest of baseball, the current system is producing some pretty good results.

What he said.. and the post "before" him....

[DrungoHazewood]

The system may be screwed up for us, but it works pretty well for most teams. Baseball is achieving record revenues ($6.5 billion in 2008), and attendance is at near all-time highs. Baseball players' average salary is at record highs, with an average annual salary of $3.26 million. 2009 baseball playoff television ratings have been very good, with the World Series ratings up about 38% from last season.

Here's Selig's quotes yesterday about the 2009 baseball season.

It wasn't a good year to be an Orioles fan. The Orioles finished with with an AL worst 64 wins, one of the worst records in franchise history, and 39 games out of first place. We were 7-29 against the Yankees and Red Sox this season. The dreaded Yankees, with an all-star first baseman that grew up in the Baltimore area and one who turned down a chance to play for his hometown team, won the World Series. The Yankees' manager also spurned a previous Orioles' job offer.

You can argue that this has been one of the worst seasons to be a fan in Orioles franchise history. But, for the rest of baseball, the current system is producing some pretty good results.

I don't disagree with that at all. Baseball is perfectly happy with a system that is top-heavy for overall revenues, and sacrifices three teams for the good of the whole. Fake parity (i.e. all emphasis on and rewards for winning short playoffs) for 90% of major league baseball is far, far easier to implement and just as good for league-wide revenues as an even field for everyone.

It rocks as long as you don't live in or root for Baltimore, Tampa, or Toronto.

[DrungoHazewood]

It's funny that I am hearing all these complaints (on ESPN radio this morning and several posts here) about baseball for constructing an environment that allows the Yankees to buy championships. That baseball NEEDS to do something.....

The ratings for the playoffs and WS this year were up over last year in a year where nothing was up primarily do to economic reasons. Baseball is absolutely happy with how things worked out this season. They make more money with having the Yankees, Redsox, Cubs.. opps..... ok not the Cubs, in the playoffs than they will ever make if all the teams are really equally constructed. They don't NEED to change anything.....

They're not changing anything because this is how the system was designed. 27 teams couldn't be happier.

[DuffMan]

Be honest, who else enjoyed seeing Pedro drill Tex with a fastball to the leg.

[Funkhouser]

The system may be screwed up for us, but it works pretty well for most teams. Baseball is achieving record revenues ($6.5 billion in 2008), and attendance is at near all-time highs. Baseball players' average salary is at record highs, with an average annual salary of $3.26 million. 2009 baseball playoff television ratings have been very good, with the World Series ratings up about 38% from last season.

Here's Selig's quotes yesterday about the 2009 baseball season.

It wasn't a good year to be an Orioles fan. The Orioles finished with with an AL worst 64 wins, one of the worst records in franchise history, and 39 games out of first place. We were 7-29 against the Yankees and Red Sox this season. The dreaded Yankees, with an all-star first baseman that grew up in the Baltimore area and one who turned down a chance to play for his hometown team, won the World Series. The Yankees' manager also spurned a previous Orioles' job offer.

You can argue that this has been one of the worst seasons to be a fan in Orioles franchise history. But, for the rest of baseball, the current system is producing some pretty good results.

I'm glad everything's working out for MLB. I'm glad they're making money. I'm glad the richest team in the league won the World Series. So that means the Orioles will never win anything unless our good-soon to be great-players stay with us until the end. They won't, but we can only hope because we ain't got the money to pay them to stay. I mean, our home town superstar defected to the pin stripes. So what chance to the O's lineup have?

I'm going to look into the future here instead of the now because obviously if this continues, we are screwed. If the top 8 markets continue to play or win the World Series, which is likely, the rest of us will have to take a stand and boycott our teams. I know it will be impossible for a lot of you on this site. But unless you want more parity in this sport, you have to send a message to Bud Selig and the rest of the league. The MLB cannot be an 8 team league. The other teams cannot be there solely to support the big markets, nor to sellout their superstars to the big cities (sorry, B-more ain't a big city). Get everyone from Oakland to Tampa Bay and everyone in between to boycott their teams. That includes buying their merchandise and switching channels on the TeeVeeee. Unless we hurt them in their pockets, there's no way they'll give a hoot about us. Ask Bud Selig who the Orioles lineup is, and I guarantee he'll draw a blank. He doesn't care! He only cares that you show up and buy $8 Esskay hotdogs. And you know what? You will. Eventually, there's going to be an uprising and hopefully that will be sooner than later.

And as for Calvin up there who doesn't post anymore: man up and quit being the clinical optimist. The first step is to admit that the O's are a rich farm team, one that produces players for the big markets. Getting you to admit the truth is the first of many steps to help our beloved franchise.

[TiredofLosing20]

I hate to get involved in this argument because its been going on for too long, but the NFL lets more teams into the playoffs. Its 12 total teams vs. 8 for MLB. There would still be parity in the NFL, but without those two Wild Card spots, it would be many of the same teams year after year in the playoffs. The fact that more teams go to the playoffs and its one game vs. a series lets different teams succeed. In baseball we have fewer teams, so the same teams go on a regular basis and its a long series. The better teams are going to win in a series, anyone can win one game.

If MLB added a wild card spot to each league, or however we want to make it to add more teams, then I bet there would be more "surprise teams" going far. However, the playoffs would be way too long.

Comparing the NFL and the MLB never made much sense to me, they are too different.

I actually did a comparison between the MLB and NFL and took only the top 8 NFL records in each year to eliminate this particular argument.

Besides its not about parity anyway its about creating a level playing field. I don't know about you but I sure as hell respect the 1990's Yankee championships much more than this years.

[tvz1997]

At least you're leading the OH Fantasy League through August.

And at least Jtrea uses some punctuation.

[TiredofLosing20]

They're not changing anything because this is how the system was designed. 27 teams couldn't be happier.

Really, you think Oakland, KC, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Florida, Minnesota, San Diego, Washington, and others are happy? You think they are thrilled that they are constantly being raided by the big market teams for talent and have to work twice as hard simply because of geography and demographics?

[Bradysburns]

Yup.

I wish I could work up the ire and hatred that I used to have for them. But honestly, I just can't. I don't know why.

It could be that there's no fun in it when you're a fan of one of the worst teams in baseball. You just sound kind of petty. As fans of the O's, perhaps our Yankee hating credentials are diminished, because we're not even competitive at all with them. It's hard to argue against them when you have no credible alternative - yet. At least until our young guys develop.

On the other hand, it was EASY to find reasons to hate the Yankees in 95-98.

Trust me, once we get even semi-competitive with them again, the Orioles fans will again be among the best, most vociferous Yankee haters in the world. As we should be.

That said, I never have a problem working up some disgust for a purchased WS ring. It's actually almost embarrassing.

[DrungoHazewood]

Really, you think Oakland, KC, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Florida, Minnesota, San Diego, Washington, and others are happy? You think they are thrilled that they are constantly being raided by the big market teams for talent and have to work twice as hard simply because of geography and demographics?

Sure, because none of those teams have to directly compete with the Yanks and Boston. And they can all make money. Despite many of those teams not being run a whole lot better than the O's, all of them except KC and Pittsburgh have been in the midde of pennant races multiple times in the last decade. Most of them have played in the postseason.

Resources don't significantly hold back those teams. It's mostly brains. That's what I want for the AL East, too.