$200 M Payroll and what do you get?

[___ Eats It]

An early exit and a seat next to the Sox to watch the rest of the playoffs.

Sucks.  For both of us.

[smazza]

a chance to win a championship every year

steinbrenner still makes a profit

he knows what he is doing

[Velcro]

$200 M Payroll and what do you get?

the curse of A-Rod... no titles this century.

[Markeymark]

Baseball needs a salary cap.

[DENVERBULL]

Baseball needs a salary cap.

Ummm, it does.

[DENVERBULL]

Payroll doesn't guarantee crap.  Knicks had a higher payroll than the Spurs and Pistons combined.  Didn't make the playoffs.  Rangers have had the highest payroll in the NHL for years.  Didn't make the playoffs.  Mets have one of the highest payrolls every year.  Rarely make the playoffs.  

Payroll puts you in a better position to win, but it takes more than money.  There are plenty of owners in MLB that have more money than Steinbrenner.  They just don't spend it on their team.  Yankees usually spend their money wisely.

[Velcro]

Payroll does matter... when one team can spend 200 million and another team spends less that the first team's luxury tax bill.

If the gap was closer... like in other sports, then your argument may be valid... but when more than half your team is all-stars... the talent alone can win enough games to put you in position to compete for a title every year, whereas, a team like the rays, even with some talent, can't afford top notch talent.  

There is too much of a gap between the high and the average.

And my team spends a lot too.  We only do it because we have to do it to keep up.   And our payroll is still destroyed by the yankees.

[DENVERBULL]

If the gap was closer... like in other sports, then your argument may be valid....

Again, the Knicks payroll was more than the Pistons/Spurs COMBINED.  That's a big gap.

but when more than half your team is all-stars... the talent alone can win enough games to put you in position to compete for a title every year,

Not many Yanks made the allstar game.  I think the Sox had more.  But I hear you- most of them have made an allstar game at some point in their career. A lot of it comes down to the front office and selecting the right guys.  Yanks had the highest payroll throughout the 80's and they were the worst team in all of baseball.  I think the Mets had the same payroll as the Yankees in 1996 or 1997, Yanks won the series, Mets finished in the basement.  They spent the same, Yanks just did it more wisely.

whereas, a team like the rays, even with some talent, can't afford top notch talent.

I feel bad for the Rays being in the same division as the Yanks and Sox.  It's tough to compete against those teams.  But, their owner could definetely spend more money if he wanted to.  As could most owners.  If they spent more money, talent SHOULD improve, which would bring in more fans and sell more tickets and merchandise.  It takes money to make money.

And my team spends a lot too.  We only do it because we have to do it to keep up.

How much did the Sox spend this year?  You always hear about how much the Yanks spend, but you don't hear much about #2.  I don't think the Sox recent success is contributed to their increased payroll, but their improved GM and front office.  If pay roll was the only thing that mattered, the Yanks, Knicks, Rangers would win World Championships every year.

I'm a fourth generation Yankee fan and your a Sox fan so I don't expect us to agree on this stuff.  But hey, that's the way it's supposed to be right?

[ChiTownBull]

 We only do it because we have to do it to keep up.  

that is crap....

you don't have to do it....no one has to do it....it's just like when texas gave arod 25MM per season...everyone else said whoa....and the contracts haven't been as big.

If the sux didn't want to spend they don't have to spend.

do i feel bad for the rays....not really. Namoli is a cheap ass and when lamar did spend $$$ he made awful decisions...canseco...cashsteler (castilla)...alvarez...etc.

[Velcro]

it isn't crap... we need top players to play the game.  Think about it.  what would our team have been like without Manny?   David Ortiz leading the league in intentional (and unintentional) walks.  Varitek not catching for us.  

you can only do so much with home grown players.  I admire what Oakland and Anaheim have done, but the reality is the teams with the most money have SIGNIFICANT advantages over everyone else.  We can't sit back and not try and put together the best team money can buy or the Yankees would be walking away with the title.  They'd already have Manny/Varitek and damon this coming year along with Arod and the rest of your all stars.