Comments on: Parity in Professional Sports

By: Bandit

Bandit — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 16:32:17 +0000

OK - Who did the Royals get in return for Jermaine Dye, Johnny Damon, Mike Sweeney (who they didn't trade) and Carlos Beltran and why did they sign Grudzelenik and Mientkiewicz (except to draw big in the Polish community) and Reggie Sanders and why do Angel Berroa, Andy Sisco, Runelvis Hernandez, Ambiorix Burgos and the departed Jeremy Affeldt just suck beyond belief? It's not just luck. Having Bo Jackson hurt his hip and end his career was bad luck. Never producing players who can contribute and not being able to get prospects who can play is poor development and evaluation.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 16:46:33 +0000

Bandit: Right. Doing those things incredibly well can transform any franchise into a winner. The problem is that poor teams have much less room for error than rich ones, which can compensate for mistakes by buying free agents. The Yankees' run in the late 1990s-early 2000s was based on doing a great job developing a core group of homegrown players and supplementing that with free agent acquisitions.

The Kansas City Royals couldn't have held onto Jeter, Williams, Rivera and company so would have to keep catching lightning in a bottle. So rich teams not only get to capitalize longer on their success but can cover up for it by paying for great finds other teams can't afford.

By: Bandit

Bandit — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 16:41:01 +0000

either start spending a whole lot more money or have extraordinarily good luck in developing talent.

I think you mean do a better job developing and evaluating talent. If you look at the Marlins, A's and Twins they seem to have been successful either witht heir own homegrown players or trading for prospects. The Pirates and Royals don't seem to be able to do either.

By: Herb

Herb — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 16:08:41 +0000

Major league Baseball, Football and Basketball is nothing more than an overpaid bunch of pre madonnas that are not the "Idols of American Youth" they make themselves out to be.

Anyone who is a "Fan" of these so called sports is proof that P.T. Barnum was right.

By: geezer

geezer — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 23:43:11 +0000

Charles Austin: I think the 7 year snapshot is primarily about how the wild card has affected baseball's post-season since it was instituted.

Even though my Mets got beat fair and square, I'm thoroughly in favor of the wild card, and one only has to look at the Tigers to strengthen the case. The Twins beat Detroit for the Division title by one game, yet the Tigers were clearly the better team for most of the season. The playoffs would've been a joke without them, and they're probably going to eat the Cards a new sphincter.

With 8 teams in playoff baseball, all 8 have to be assumed to be talented. My theory is that a wild card team is hungrier, with something more to prove. That's an element that stats can't quantify.

Go Detroit--good for them, good for their city.

By: Leo

Leo — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 17:47:52 +0000

Shayes is going to get them on steroids again, but that plane crashed........

By: charles austin

charles austin — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 14:22:27 +0000

Why pick seven years to make the argument? Could it be that the data doesn't really support the argument if we pick a slightly larger sample size? This seems like cherrry picking statistics in support of a conclusion.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 13:38:56 +0000

M1EK: True enough for the first team in 1997. Of course, the Braves have had a pretty mediocre payroll since Ted Turner sold off the team.

By: M1EK

M1EK — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 13:32:49 +0000

"By contrast, the 1992 expansion Florida Marlins never won a single division title, had losing seasons almost every year, and won two championships."

One of those years, they bought their way to the title. (Briefly had a Braves-level payroll, in other words).

By: DC Loser

DC Loser — Sat, 21 Oct 2006 13:31:28 +0000

Baseball's long season also makes for unpredictability. Injuries, losing streaks, all those intangibles add it. Playing 162 games is much tougher than a 16 game NFL schedule. Look at the Mets this season. They led the NL East from the third day of the season till the end. Didn't help them against the resurgent Cardinals, who barely played .500 ball during the season.