Is There Competitive Imbalance In Major League Baseball Because of Money?
Posted: Wednesday, February 07, 2007
by Nostalgia John
In most controversies, ignorance rules the day.
3-divisional set-ups have resulted in expanded playoffs since 1995. The Yankees won a trifecta from 1998-2000, outspending rivals by huge margins. Prior to the second season of that triple victory a Philadelphia sportswriter wrote that 7 "smaller market teams had no chance of playoff hopes."
Here are the facts.
In 1998, the winning Yankees were NOT the highest spending team, even in their division. Yes, thery were second, but 5 other ML teams were within 20% of them and the leading [and losing] Orioles.
In 1999, they outspent the O’s by 7 million. It was another year when 7 teams at the top were within 20% of each other. Those 7 "smaller market teams" identified by the sportswriter would, over the next 4 seasons, win one World Series, have two others combine for 6 playoffs and two more compete in the last weeks of the regular for a playoff spot. The other two have not, to date, been winning teams. To not be competitive for 8 seasons, while others in the same circumstances, pass them up (Like the Tigers and Twins) is NOT caused by the big spenders.
In 2000, the Yanks outspent everybody but now there were 8 teams within 20%. That year set an historical record for parity. Never before had every team finished above a 400 winning percentage while no team finished above 599. NEVER.
In the American League, the margin was even narrower 586-426. The huge spending Yankees were World Series winners but 5 th in the AL in victories during the regular season.
From 2001-2006 there have been 6 different World Series Winners, one that had never been in a series before, and Two that hadn’t won since World War One. Another team that hadn’t ever been to the fall classic got there and lost. AND that review does not even count the Diamondbacks of 2001 who had only been in existence 3 previous seasons.
Three of the winners were wild cards and three other wild cards were in the final round.
While it is impossible to compare formats, it still can be said that Baseball has never seen –NEVER-such an even playing field and a more democratic spread.
Those six World Series winners have come, in order, from the NL West, AL West, NL East, AL East, AL Central, NL Central. Every division has taken a turn.
Yet, this is in the face of the Yankees’ spending margin going off the charts. Only one team now spends within 30% of the Bronx bombers. They have only two World Series losing appearances to show for it.
After the 2001 season, the MLB top brass complained that player compensation had increased 113%. They did not mention that revenues had increased 134% in the same six year period.
CONCLUSION: The only competitive imbalance that there is ANY evidence for is in the American League East where the Yankees and Red Sox can spend and spend.
At that:
The Bluejays broke the string of 1-2 finishes for those two clubs in 2006, meaning that the wild card is plausible for them in the next few years.
One team is managed in a fashion that would have them finishing last in any division.
Yes, the Orioles are to be pitied
Otherwise, there is more threat that mediocrity has too easy a time in unprecedented parity than that a dominator can crush hopes in April.
I am indebted to the Doug Pappas article in the 2004 Baseball Prospectus for the impetus and all of the content through the 2003 season for this research.
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