Saturday, November 7, 2009

11/04/2009 - The Day MLB Died

This was no “victory” as the result of astute management skills but simply the end result of the single most gluttonous expenditure excess of the free agent era. An expenditure of $420,000,000 for three players whose combined yearly salary exceeds the payroll of many teams shows the inequities that exist in the current system. The reality is that no other team in the playoffs could have done this. Some may not have been able to sign any one of the three.

With NY we are not discussing figures that have other teams close or - pardon the pun - in the same ballpark. The discrepancies are huge percentage wise and also growth wise. NY is far from “build out” while other teams are approaching it. Other teams could certainly do what NY did if they could. The reality is they can’t - not the Red Sox. Not The Dodgers. No one else can approach the revenue stream to match NY.

When you consider payroll as a percentage of revenue there is nothing exceptionally unusual about what NY spends until you examine the extent of those revenues. The research on payroll and revenue is available with a simple search and I and others have posted it many times. Can Pittsburgh, Kansas City or Cleveland compete at a consistently high level in that type of economic marketplace? Can those teams afford the FA mistake and still be competitive? Occasionally a team will rise to the top but it will be short term since it is extremely difficult to maintain a high level of performance without a high level of revenue. The sustainability just is not there.

Now occasionally a team will make a short term burst and attempt to “buy” a championship which I believe Arizona and Miami did recently. Neither team had that financial sustainability so eventually fire sales resulted. You cannot spend more than you bring in without dire consequences.

Baseball teams are a franchise and like any other franchise they have competition among themselves and mutual collective interest. What is best for our business as a whole? In my opinion that collective interest is best protected by a hard cap. Let true management skill, coaching, astute use of FA talent and player development be the key ingredient and not the ability to overwhelm everyone with dollar signs. I guess to NY fans there is glory in the ability to have their team write a check. The sad thing is they can continue to do it on the same scale driving prices up for everyone until eventually only a few teams are viable.

51 comments:

Suo Mynona said...

Actually IMAs are one of the few places where gov't can be treated as a business, IMO. In most other areas the are different animals.

Middleboro had terms to sell it's product to Lakeville. Lakeville refused and/or National Development (current Lakeville Hospital Owner) did. Seller and Customer could not come to terms on a price and level of service. On Middleboro's side it was a pure business transaction on behalf of the Enterprise Account and it's stock holders (our resident rate payers)

I could go on and on. but will leave my harangue there for now.
****************

Entering into an IMA will be an issue presented by the Charter Study Committee (CSC) to the BOS. As of 2008 state allows the BOS to negotiate and memorialize an IMA with another town with out town meeting approval.

The CSC is will most likely be recommending a charter change to require town meeting approval to engage in an IMA. The reasoning is simple: It is the townspeople's resources not the selectman's. First the town would have to vote to seek a "home rule" petition from the state legislature. Then a vote on the charter change would have to be approved.

If you made it to the end of this you are wonk. Hopefully you will be able to place your vote of approval in the not so distant future.

Suo Mynona said...

Bogo do you now want to be called Quint or Brody?

bogofree said...

Quint....I can scratch my nails on the chalkboard and say "He was an ugly and toothless bastard but I killed 'em good." Have some nice sharkskin boots.

Interesting change proposed. An example of a mountain of work being done behind the scenes by committee.

Suo Mynona said...
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Suo Mynona said...

Hey Clark the Toothless Shark (aka BS.) Bogo and I are considering buying a copy of your book and donating it to the kiddy section of the library.

Would you sign a copy of it please?

The question remains in whose name do we make the donation? There are so many Clarking perfect candidates (yours truly included)

bogofree said...

All done from Amazon but unfortunately they are used since like BS (how appropriate) they are out of circulation. Have two books including one with pull tabs.
I thought they would cost a fin. LMBAO!

Suo Mynona said...

Bogo, speaking from the point of view of a teacher, can this book be used by ELS teachers?

bogofree said...

I'd need a 100 copies.

Suo Mynona said...

C'mon BS Ya gonna autograph your biography for us before we donate it to the library?

Family Guy said...

You guys are too much. Clark The Shark books. LMCAO!

Family Guy said...

Where has Limo been? He promised quite a post. I figure shark got him.

drive-by said...

Well Suo, you're obviously feeling better and back to good humor. Woke up with a killer cold only to hear the news that the House passed their version of Obamacare which I understand Pelosi will just have changed back to her original plans for a Senate vote. So royally pissed off over all the possible ramifications, I plan to vote all Dem incumbents out in the future. My negative option to the "public option".

The financial burden this healthcare plan is going to cost small businesses is only going to make it harder to recover from this sagging economy. Company paid benefits will also become a thing of the past, and the elderly will suffer from Medicare cuts.

drive-by said...

Quint was more of an old salt, weather beaten character. Just can't see bogo singing "I like to go swimmin with bow legged women," while spittin chew and swilling rot gut from a homemade still. No, bogo's more like Hooper....knows when and how to save his smart a$$.

I'll be the dummy who threw his wife's pot roast off the pier only to become the real bait for the Great White.

Suo as Brody? I can see that. JP would completely frustrate you as the stingy mayor who wants to keep the beaches open to fatten the town coffers.

LMCAO!!!

bogofree said...

Ah, Drive-By! I have Nancy Pelosi on my sidebar. Anticiapation. Talk about throwing something to a shark besides a pot roast. Even a shark would pass that up.

Hooper would be a better choice for me. I think Suo would make a fine shark since he seems to make a meal out of BB and BS. JP is perfect. Do they make sweat clothes with little anchors on them?

drive-by said...

Limo got the calling to leave the world behind for a spell and meditate on a mountaintop. He'll come back. He always does.

bogofree said...

Limo is waiting for some government sponsored ammunition.

Suo Mynona said...

Drive-By we know you are a real man because you can quote Jaws verse by verse -- The guy with the pot roast!

Imagine Clark The Toothless Shark trying gum Bogo to death; thinking "Damn I am a Basking Shark I knew I should have used Super-Poligrip"

Look at his proboscis on the Book cover! Is BS actually Basking Shark trying to pretend to be tough.

BS (Basking Shark?)

Bogo might present some evidence.

drive-by said...

One of the funniest scenes that was cut from "Jaws" is when Quint wanders into a music store on the island. A kid is squeaking away off key on his violin, trying to play Beethoven's "Ode to Joy". As Quint waits and waits, he becomes visibly annoyed by the grating, scratchy sound, then finally bursts into full basso profundo on key with an evil glint in his eye....scaring all the store's patrons to death.

I have all the anniversary editions of "Jaws" and twice a year we celebrate "Jaws" night. Steven Spielberg was Hollywood's golden young prodigy at the time. Guess I'm dating myself.

Also a great lover of all the mysteries of the sea. Picked up several good books on local sea wrecks at the CG Maritime museum on the Canal.

Too bad Roy Schneider and Robert Shaw are no longer with us. Great character actors.

"Here lies the body of Mary Lee; died at the age of a hundred and three. For fifteen years she kept her virginity; not a bad record for this vicinity." LMCAO

drive-by said...

Shivver me timbers, I still think 1623 is BS. The BS sure fits with his past little blog creations---Flying Monkeys, Lola, etc.

Suo Mynona said...

Pick up "Shadow Divers" it is a true story and an excellent read.
http://www.robertkurson.com/book.html

MSM Party Bus said...

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091108/NEWS/911080329/-1/rss01

Finally read an article with out George's favorite binky "howard" being quoted..

He read Bogo's blog and seen how you all gave Ed props LOL! so now ED is his go to guy..

LOL! see bogo the influence your site has...

Family Guy life came at me hard these last few days.. A lot of cake $$$ to be made..

anonymous said...

“A small casino with a little food and some rooms says ‘Go gamble and have hookers.’ ’’ Bond suggested"

I guess he will be right at home. If he said it! He must have done it...

Suo Mynona said...

The Journalist for the Cape Cod Times has better powers of observation than some

"Along Precinct Street....no trespassing signs dot the landscape outlining the 539-acre property owned by tribe investors."

anonymous said...

"The Journalist for the Cape Cod Times has better powers of observation than some"

If he did he would see that someone lost big time on his big gamble and got hosed by a hooker posing as Ms. Verbal Agreements...

anonymous said...
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anonymous said...

Did they get that from BB, Suo?

drive-by said...

anon 9:09 am

When you negotiate and propagate a deal and it suddenly goes south, most on both sides are going to view your motives with skepticism.

When you litigate a totally ludicrous lawsuit to get even with people that bucked you (even if they are dimwitted and obtuse), your image shrinks even further.

What glory is there in "power broking" in local politics in a small town where one can barely eek out a living. Higher aspirations. That would seem somewhat delusional given all the circumstances, don't you think?

drive-by said...

FYI-
I will be moving my portable residence to the corner of Wareham and North Main Street. It's important to be upwardly mobile. ;)

drive-by said...

Healthcare Bill on arrival to Senate: DOA from MI suffered en route. Someone please stop that Pelosi(wo)man from administering CPR. The Medical Examiner has arrived on the scene and can't get past her.

anonymous said...

The big question?

Is this what Georges average day is like?

George, Howard on line 1, I can't really understand him..

George, Her again on line 2, and she's very angry..

George, Ed on line 3, He's such a nice guy..

George, Richy on line 4, Wait he just hung up..

anonymous said...

George, Ritchie.. Line 4, I guess he talked to Howard and found out what he was supposed to tell you..

anonymous said...

George, Its that lady again.. The one that won't tell me her name.. Something about Clark ct and 100 teachers or something like that..

anonymous said...

George, Howard again line 1, He says if you don't pick up he's going to call Peter.. He's saying he's got a smokin quote for you..

Suo Mynona said...

Hey Blogger Shark (BS/Basking Shark) can you sympathaize in a smaller and comical way with how Salman Rushdie felt?

anonymous said...

George, All lines are lit up, everyone of them are on hold, something about that nut is writing on the internet again...

Howards talking rag, She is really..really angry now, ED is singing "To sir with love" and Ritchy still don't know what to say, he just wants to wait on hold... just in case.. Howard texts him..


George, don't fall off your chair, someone just called him a poltergiest.. LOL.

Suo Mynona said...

Drive-By,
With your new not-so-permanent address you will have a great spot for the parade. Just hope no kids flick their cigarette butts on your roof at night.

Suo Mynona said...

There are no local power brokers. Anyone who thinks they are one may suffer from delusions of granduer.

People in Middleboro are too smart for that stuff.

bogofree said...

Look what happens when I'm away for six hours.

Can a shark have a deer in the headlights look?

I have two sheds and Drive-By can use one. Plenty of room behind my fence for a latrine. Our compost pit is nearby so snacks are available.

bogofree said...

54% of the members of Congress are millionaires. General population is about 1%. Will Congress be exempt from any health care propgrams for the general population?

Suo Mynona said...

This is beffudling problem that clarks me off.

Why have the national October unemployment been released and Massachusetts will not disclose October figures until the 19th of November?

Here is a good website to view the carnage

http://lmi2.detma.org/lmi/lmi_lur_a.asp#3

LMAO said...

Maybe Roger is running their web site Suo.

bogofree said...

The BB concert is on the fast track. Rumors abound that it will be moved to the Riverside or Battis Field. BB has asked me to negotiate TV rights and ancillary agreements such as action figures. As an attendee I worry about potential consequences that may occur. This could end up like an English soccer riot. What should I be cautious about? I will probably have to assume security.

Suo Mynona said...

Bogo asked me to go with him. I graciously accepted as he promised front row seats

How many people get to see a self professed inaugural "world tour."

This could be better than when I saw Van Halen WARM UP band Black Sabbath in the 70's. We new we were witnessing the emergence of the next major force in rock music.

anonymous said...

www.middleborocasino.com
LMCAO

bogofree said...

Mike's latest is something else. Let the countdown begin for when that photo will be removed.

I'm getting the tee shirts ready for the concert. I figure $25 a whack for them.

Will the ladies of CFO be there? Will they be classified as groupies?

anonymous said...

Carl has been asked numerous times to take the pictures off that site where he doctored childrens photos.

Is that all right in his friends book?

Playing with Carls head shot ain't nothin..

Very funny picture though..

Then again thats just me.

LOL!

Suo Mynona said...

I plan on selling Bic Lighters.

Dang I forgot about fire ordinances.

I'll sell glow sticks instead. This could be BIG bogo.

I mean he has to be GREAT if he says it his world tour. Gerry Garcia watch out

Suo Mynona said...

I hear BB sold out in Clark CT

bogofree said...

Remember that Grateful Dead joke? What did the two dead heads say when they ran out of dope? "Hey, man. This music sucks."

anonymous said...

Limo you are a real sicko but a funny one.

anonymous said...
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