I have never taken Gold Glove seriously. I still don’t. I think artificial turf players should be taken out of the equation and have their own ,perhaps a Grass Glove.
I’m not against some changes in revenue sharing, especially if it’ll shut up all of the “but it’s not faaiiiiiiir…” whiners. However, it had better include some checks and balances to make sure the money going to small market teams goes back into the teams and not the owners’ pockets. If the goal is leveling the playing field I’m fine with it, but not if it’s to make rich old guys richer while the teams stay happy with 75 wins a year.
I don’t like the idea, either, but something is going on here.
Is that figure (as of 11/7/09) correct? According to this site the only announced P&C Day is the Rays’ report date of Feb 19, 2010, which is 100 days away as of today (11/11/09).
I think a game with instant replay in baseball will take less time. More time is wasted with managers bitching and moaning and kicking dirt than would ever take place with an additional up in the booth making a quick timeout.
The other North American pro leagues have only made revenue-sharing work in combination with strong salary caps. The “luxury tax” is just too ineffective to constitute one. I would certainly agree with having a salary floor, too.
It is not good for the game, either as a sport or as a business, to have a franchise’ long-term competitiveness limited by the size of its market. Baseball has to fix that, and if it takes removing its antitrust exemption, then fine.
Except it isn’t. Teams have been able to be consistently competitive in small markets, such as the Cardinals and Twins. Sure it is harder, but not undoable with strong management and a bit of luck. Look at the Brewers attendance this year. Most teams will draw fans and make more revenue if they put a good product on the field.
At any rate, I’m not against sharing of the wealth, though I’d make it based on market size rather than revenue. You shouldn’t punish teams such as the Cardinals for making the most of their market. Likewise it needs to be done in a way that doesn’t drive artificially drive down salaries, which is my main issue with most salary cap/luxury tax proposals.
I’d also remove territorial rights. If the Rays want to relocate to New Jersey, they should be able to.
Is there any team that can stay in a bidding war with the Yankees for a Teixeira or an A-Rod? Is there any team outside of New York, Chicago, Boston, and LA that can be a playoff contender nearly as consistently as the ones there?
But how about if there were a real salary cap with real revenue sharing?
Well, the Rangers the first time he was a free agent. The Angels and Red Sox made competitive offers on Teixeria. However, most teams to not need to be as good as the Yankees to compete for a playoffs spot. For example, you could be an NL team or reside in the AL Central.
Well, what are we considering as a playoff contender? No matter how bout we just use actual playoff apperances.
The Cardinals have made the playoffs 7 times in the last ten years. Pretty good no? The Twins have made it 5 times and got to a tiebreaker game one other year. Oakland has made it 5 times as well.
The Mets have made it all of twice. The Cubs and White Sox 3 times a piece and the Dodgers 4. So yeah I think the answer to that question is a decisive yes.
Man the Colts, Steelers, and Patriots always dominate the NFL, The Lakers and Spurs in the NBA, and the Red Wings in hockey. It is the nature of sports that some teams will be better than some other teams, often over long period of times. It doesn’t mean anything is broken.
The Rays have the worst situation of any team in the sport. They are in a small market, in a bad stadium, and in a division with the Yankees and Red Sox. If they can win a pennant, then yes every team can compete. Should they be given addition resources? Perhaps, but let’s not act like they their current situation is impossible.
I want a salary cap to mitigate the yankee$’ and other$’ undeniable advantage in the free-agent market. I want to see the game’s economy foster the notion that Kansas City is not a farm team for the top spending teams.
I want replays decided within 60-seconds by a booth official.
Absolutely.
And it’s not the challenge flag that causes NFL games to drag on forever, anyway. It’s allowing each team three timeouts in each half of the game, plus a two-minute warning in each half. That’s 14 potential stoppages before anyone even scores a TD or a FG.
I think the umpires should be evaluated more closely, poor umpires should be demoted, and umpires as a whole should be encouraged—nay, ordered—to ask for help from their colleagues if they are at all unsure about a play, without any need for the manager to come out of the dugout to start bitching. To be quite honest, except in certain limited and unusual circumstances, i think managers should be banned from entering the field of play to argue with umpires.
I’m always amazed on those occasions when TV commentators can only determine the correct call after looking at a 10 slow-motion replays from 5 different angles, and yet have the gall to criticize the umpire for making the wrong call when he has one chance, from one angle, at real-time speed.
I think a perfect opportunity for replay, and for the umpire himself to call for replay, is when the umpire’s view is obstructed in some way on a play where an out is recorded by tagging the runner. Unless the umpire has a clear view of exactly when the runner touches the bag, and exactly when the fielder tags the runner, any call is going to be a guess. The umpire should be able to say, in effect, “I couldn’t see exactly when he got the tag down, because his body was obstructing my vision. We need to look at a replay.” This sort of thing is far less likely to happen on a force play, when the fielder simply has to gain possession of the ball while touching the bag.
This is mere speculation, but i sense that some umpires feel that getting any outside help—whether from their colleagues, or from replay—is some sort of slur on their character. I remember when cricket instituted replay for run-out situations, with the umpire being allowed to call for replay rather than making a decision, and i don’t think it had a negative effect on the game.
Gold Glove awards? Biggest joke ever. At worst, nothing but popularity contests, and at best an example of inertia, where the guy who won one before gets one again.
Kinda my point, ya know.
Almost a quarter of all teams make the playoffs. Not all playoff teams are equal, of course - the number who are good enough to win a Series year after year is pretty small.
Money isn’t the only factor, obviously. Smarts help too, and it’s hard to argue that all those franchises have been the most intelligently run in their leagues.
Yes, for brief periods the stars can align. But I was, if you’ll read back, referring to consistent competitiveness over the course of years. The Rays have had to dump Kazmir and Iwamura already, and are not realistically able to contend with teams with larger budgets. They were able to become briefly good because of very smart player selection and development (and many years of top draft picks 
) - and that is, in large part, a testament to the effectiveness of the salary-limit system on low-seniority players.
No wonder you don’t like stats; it must be frustrating dealing with them when you struggle at basic math.
Number of Major League teams: 30
Number of team in playoffs: 8
8/30 > one quarter
Do please try to cut back on the obnoxiousness, okay? Thanks.
And do also please note that you’re *supporting *my point, as painful as that must be for you.
Simple observation, is all. 
Guys, I know it’s baseball and everything, but please refrain from snippy comments directed at other posters. Potshots make for an acrimonious Game Room.
Thanks,
Ellen Cherry
Game Room Moderator
On that day, the 7th, I found a Feb 13 P & C report, which I calculated at 98 days. I was trying to make a little joke…good thing I stayed away from the Palin kids!!
Is this a pre-emptive warning for snippiness? Because we haven’t even begun yet.
Apparently Detroit is looking at moving Granderson (CF) and the Yanks are already talking to them. His numbers are great away Detroit though not so great in the Bronx. His defense is superb overall. He has power and speed. I have no clue what the trade would have to include but this is a salary dump by Detroit. He is locked in until 2012 with an expensive 2013 option year.
He kills the Angels, always a plus for a playoff hopeful.
He batted 180 against lefties and struck out like Babe Ruth. He seemed to think HRs were the answer and hit a bunch early. He was far from clutch this year. He was overpriced but he could still become better.