Exposing Boros

[oriole^]

I think filihok and the Poet hit the nail on the head: what's ruining baseball isn't that there's money involved, but that the money is causing a destabilizing effect to what is happening on the field. When single players are making as much as entire small-market teams' payrolls, then there is no competitive balance.

Baseball isn't a business like any other. You don't have to apply to an authority in your field to start any other business. You aren't kept from opening a business in your city if there's one already there. If your competitors go out of business, you don't go out of business as well from having no one else to play against in any other business. And so on.

What's needed are solutions that have worked in other professional sports: meaningful revenue sharing and a salary cap - together with a salary floor...not to mention a commissioner's office with authority to enforce them, and (while we're at it) an ombudsman's position to insure that fan input is heard and given some credence within the organization.

[HoustonGM]

I think filihok and the Poet hit the nail on the head: what's ruining baseball isn't that there's money involved, but that the money is causing a destabilizing effect to what is happening on the field. When single players are making as much as entire small-market teams' payrolls, then there is no competitive balance.

This is caused by corrupt owners like Jeffrey Loria that pocket money and limit their teams to strict budgets.

And the results beg to differ with the idea that there is no competitive balance. Even with the douchebag of an owner that Jeffrey Loria is, the Marlins find a way to contend in some fashion nearly every year. Smart management is what keeps the parity of the league high. If all the teams wised up and improved their front office (I'm looking at you Seattle, Kansas City, Washington, San Francisco and Pittsburgh), the league would be even more balanced than it already is.

What's needed are solutions that have worked in other professional sports: meaningful revenue sharing and a salary cap - together with a salary floor...not to mention a commissioner's office with authority to enforce them, and (while we're at it) an ombudsman's position to insure that fan input is heard and given some credence within the organization.

Improved revenue sharing, fine. A salary cap, though, I'm against. It'll just serve to keep money in the pockets of the owners, instead of rightfully spreading it amongst the players, even with a salary floor. Let the market be free.

[kenny1234]

He has ALREADY lost "long term" as the whole business has estranged him from his Boss (who was the one who wanted to go to an arbitrator!).

For a 20-year old the first contract they sign can be critical - if he gets hurt in the next few years or just doesn't make it, then getting the largest signing bonus possible might be very important.

Again,sometimes a player wants more than top $ & it seems that Boras rarely takes that into consideration - an agent's role,IMO,is to AID the player & get him WHAT he desires - be it money,championships or even family stability - all I said is it SEEMS that Boras sometimes doesn't take into account secondary needs which usually parlay into "hometown" discounts...

But Boras doesn't make the final decisions - the player does. You are assuming that when a decision is made that looks like greed that it is Boras' fault - when to me it looks like Boras taking the fall for the player's choice. If a player signs for less money in their hometown - he is never going to thank Boras for convincing him that loyalty was important but it doesn't mean that Boras didn't take it into consideration. Also, maybe Boras doesn't care about loyalty or winning. Maybe he only negotiates about money. But the players know what he is like and they keep hiring him - so that would say something about their motivations as well.

[filihok]

This is caused by corrupt owners like Jeffrey Loria that pocket money and limit their teams to strict budgets.

It's quite possible that I don't know but is there a way to see team's individual financial information? I was under the impression that that is under tight wraps. A little transparence would help out too

[TheNamelessPoet]

Contracts of players and personel can all be seen here. as far as the team itself... I am prety sure you can get it but I havent found where yet

[kenny1234]

You won't get more than partial information on the team's finances - most of them are private businesses that are not required to publish their financial data. Also, most of the owners own more than one business and then the problem becomes identifying transactions that properly belong to one business or another. This is a large problem that other leagues (the NHL for one) has run into in determining total league revenues.

And how would transparency help the game? I don't think that it will ever happen - but also how much the owners make is just not interesting to me as a fan. I do agree with the idea of a salary floor and a salary cap - but both are required and don't have to create an environment that depresses player salaries.

[filihok]

How can you say what financial limits/guidelines/etc should be in place or not in place when we don't know anything of the financial situations...

[kenny1234]

How can you say what financial limits/guidelines/etc should be in place or not in place when we don't know anything of the financial situations...

You will never fully know the financial situations. The Yankees make money off of a variety of companies, the Rangers' owner made a pile of money on real estate deals related to their stadium. But you have the data that you need - the payrolls over the past 5-10 years basically define a minimum on the owners' total ability to pay.

[TheNamelessPoet]

I remember reding somewhere that the Yankees (the team itself) lost something like 30 million a couple years ago. BUT when you have the YES network among other things also pumping revenue in...it puts the team back in the red. BUT the team does not (I don't think) have to put YES network into the pot as far as revenue because it is a different revenue stream from a different company

[kenny1234]

Right - and that is why there is little point in trying to accurately calculate the amount of money that each team makes. As long as the teams are private entities it doesn't matter how much the team makes - what matters is how much the owners profit off the teams decisions - even if those profits flow through other companies (like YES).

[oriole^]

This is caused by corrupt owners like Jeffrey Loria that pocket money and limit their teams to strict budgets.

It's not just that.

And the results beg to differ with the idea that there is no competitive balance. Even with the douchebag of an owner that Jeffrey Loria is, the Marlins find a way to contend in some fashion nearly every year. Smart management is what keeps the parity of the league high. If all the teams wised up and improved their front office (I'm looking at you Seattle, Kansas City, Washington, San Francisco and Pittsburgh), the league would be even more balanced than it already is.

Again, it isn't just that. Money is involved, every bit as much as management ability; it's a factor, and a serious one. In fact, I'd say more so, because it (as much as any off-field factor) defines the range that you will inhabit, given a certain year.

It's not the only one, but it can't be overlooked.

Improved revenue sharing, fine. A salary cap, though, I'm against. It'll just serve to keep money in the pockets of the owners, instead of rightfully spreading it amongst the players, even with a salary floor. Let the market be free.

First, there's nothing "free" about baseball's market, regardless of what rules are being played under at this point. Second, revenue sharing - and I can't believe I'm making this argument - does remove some incentive that teams have to improve their players and their standings. Plus, the players need to share the wealth as much as the owners do.

How's this for an idea: set a percentage of baseball's overall revenue that will be given to the players in salary - define their total take up front. Then, manipulate the sharing, cap, and floor based on those amounts. That makes sure that balance for the whole of baseball is taken into account first - beyond that, the money they receive is commensurate with their contributions to keeping the game going in the right way.

[grasshopper]

Wow. still kind of funny. you driving along and Boros's Phantom IIc stuck on the side of the road. 90% peeps would stop to help. Oh well. You stuck on the side of the road and Boros stops to help. -.04%. That is correct. That guy is a negative on any contribution to society without a gain. But hey, he is cool.

My plea to all is be an *******. shoot people and steal their money. If you see a mercedes on the side of the road, take it.

We are entering one of those times that has happened only 5 times in the history of the US. Take everything you can and let god sort it out.

Or sit aside like me and watch.