Is it time for the MLB to introduce a salary cap?

[Robert Plankton]

divisions are getting taken over by teams who pay the most for their players, boston and new york have been dominating their divisions for years now, and the other teams dont have a chance. is it time to introduce a salary cap and even out the playing field?

 

[bunky]

I don't see it happening & some say it will even out the playing field & I disagree in some way because both basketball & football both have salary caps & why is it that the same teams(Patriots, Cowboys, Steelers, Colts(football) & Lakers, Celtics(basketball) seem to always field a winning team if each team is allowed the same amount of $$$ to spend? I wouldn't mind seeing a salary cap but it won't happen in baseball

 

[masybab02]

nope. I should think the us currency would be devalued first and then, saleries, wages and prices would fall accordingly Everybody would have an easier time counting. lol

 

[John K]

Yes, i totally agree, a salary cap is definately what MLB needs. Boston is the best case for a salary cap. Prior to 2004 and the purchase of the team by John Henry they were mired in mediocrity. Whe he arrived with his deep pockets the outrageous spending began. No need to even comment on the Yankees, we all know that since George purchased the team how he purchased players through free agency. The N.L. is not exempt from the over spending, just look at the Cubs * even though it's not got them anything except a few division titles* and the now the Phillies, and the Mets.

 

[B-Easy]

Out of the major sports baseball is the only one without a salary cap, and yet still has the most parody

NFL- Tons of repeats and reoccuring champs (steelers, pats, cowboys)
NHL- Redwings pretty much every other year
NBA- Lakers, Bulls, Spurs
MLB- After the Yankee dynasty of the 90s, no repeats.

 

[[email protected]]

I'll vote for salary caps on the day that ticket prices are capped.

Not to mention confiscatory parking fees and outlandish prices at the team merchandise stores, etc. etc

And why should a small warm beer cost $ 8.00 and $ 9.00?

And besides, I have yet to see someone twisting an owner's arm to make him pay ridiculous player salaries.

 

[Ace]

yes for two reasons your reason like the dodgers and the other reason is the economy is bad

 

[Veritas et Aequitas ()]

No. MLB needs to force teams to spend more though. I also wouldn't mind them constricting the league either. I know this would put my favorite team in danger but honestly I think if a team can't handle the market they are in maybe they should move or be eliminated. I actually know there are bigger problems with why the Rays don't have great attendance but that's a long story and I will spare you. But still they are one of the better teams in the league, yet they rank near the bottom in total attendance and average attendance. Only a tad better than the pathetic Nationals. For long I have been making excuses especially for my team but there comes a time when reality sets in.

 

[The Sophisticated One]

NO, if teams want to spend their proffits let them!!! I am twins fan, a very small market team, and we have succeeded without a cap!! It can be done, who cares if the yanks and saux spend, its not like the yanks have won anything recently!!! Teams like the rockies and rays have made world series appearances and they are hardly big market clubs!!!! Money don't always buy championships....... just ask the Yanks fans!!!!!

 

[Max]

No there shouldnt, Y should we limit how much money a player can make. i say this b/c every player would take a signifigant pay cut if one was implimented. Its not like the big market teams are dominating anyways. The Rays went to the world series last year and in the last few years teams like the tigers and marlins hav won the world series. As the Yankees have shown us, it doesnt matter how much talent u can buy, its about chemistry.

 

[Chipmaker]

No.

A salary cap would introduce more problems than address those it would purport to "solve", and does more to make great teams mediocre than it does bring poor teams upward.

2008 playoff teams and ranking (among 30) of season payroll:

4. Red Sox
5. Cubs
6. Angels
7. Dodgers
8. White Sox
12. Phillies
15. Brewers
(25. Twins, who lost a playoff game to the White Sox)
29. Rays

The top three payrolls missed out.

What about 2007?

1. Yankees
2. Red Sox
4. Angels
8. Cubs
13. Phillies
23. Indians
(24. Padres, who lost a playoff game to the Rockies)
25. Rockies
26. Diamondbacks

OK, the top two are here, but there sure are a lot of budget-minded teams as well.

Finally, take a look at champions in the NBA and NFL for the last 20, 30 years. There's a lot of repeaters, and the trophies don't get passed around a lot. That's not the case in baseball.

 

[Chris]

As a Red Sox fan I love the idea of a salary cap, it has done a lot of good for the NFL, it does even the playing field for all teams, plus it will prevent teams from just buying the best players. It will never happen though because the players union in baseball is to strong, they always win out, look at the drug testing battle, if the government had not got involved the union would have never allowed it to happen.

I must also point out the dominance by the Sox and Yankees of the AL East is incorrect, remember the Rays won the division last year and beat the Sox in the playoffs to go the WS.

 

[blu]

As player salaries go up, so will ticket prices.
The salary cap induces a degree of parity in other sports ... why is baseball different?
As far as the union ... owners have to be firm and prepared to restructure the entire league if the players enforce a work stoppage for an extended period of time. If the owners threatened to start over w/ minor leaguers that union would disolve fast.
The players strike already did something 2 world wars couldn't do ... cancel the WS. The players justify their expected salary by: Well, if so n so is making "x" amount, I'm better than him and the contracts get bigger.
Any fan that continues to support the exorbitant player salaries while ticket prices go up is doing a disservice to those that remember when admission was affordable for a family of 4.
The salary standards are already too high for many teams to even max them selves out if there was a cap ... that's how bad it is.

jx- The owners pay the ridiculous salaries because the fan pays the ridiculous prices. The best thing that can happen to baseball is a fan boycott.

 

[Floyd]

It's a moot point because the players' union will never ever let it happen. Remember 1994?

 

[Brian]

Probably, but what the catalyst to make it happen? Hockey had to nearly go under for a cap to be implemented in that sport.

 

[jenna - TBraaays fan!xo]

i totally see where your coming from - & i agree, especially being a rays fan, in the same division as the red sox & yankees.

i think this should of been done a while ago.

 

[nas88car 300 nice race #9]

yes and that should of been done about 10 years ago