Is It Time For MLB To Level The Playing Field?

Despite baseball drawing fairly well and boasting respectable overall income, there is a long list of issues that have plagued the game over the last couple of decades.  Some of those major issues include the various work stoppages and PED’s.  In fact, PED’s have created an interesting dynamic in that it has both saved and decimated baseball.  After the 1994 work stoppage, baseball was in need of a shot in the arm, if not a full-fledged defibrillation!  The answer came in the form of PED induced period where decades old offensive records fell like candy from the sky!  We ate it up and asked no questions.  We loved the excitement; we loved the home run chases!  We loved baseball again!  And then reality set in and we shamefully acknowledged that artificial stats and heroes are not what the great game of baseball is about.  How hypocritical of me, of us all! Now, PED’s and the race to stay one step ahead of testing has soured fans and torn the game apart!  MLB is making some strides in keeping up with technology and weeding out those who are out of compliance.  Though MLB is going in the right direction, they still have miles to go.

But I am not here to discuss PED’s today.  But with a little momentum from better testing and better patrolling of PED’s, perhaps this is the time for MLB to address another major issue.  An issue that football tackled a few years ago, with positive results; Salary Cap!  Yes, I said it, SALARY CAP!  It is true that I support a team, the Red Sox, that are historically one of baseball’s top spenders, but I am a big advocate for balance and a level playing field.  A Salary Cap!  Due to lack of time & space, amongst other things, I will NOT go into details around such a plan.  Maybe another day.  Perhaps when Bud Selig rings me up on my cell phone, looking for ideas.  (EDITORS NOTE:  Jimmy shouldn’t joke, because he leads a charmed life, where the subject of his last article responds to him, he may just get one.)  But not today.  Today, I am simply going to lay out some rationale as to why it makes sense and the benefits of a salary cap.

WE DON’T NEED NO STINKIN’ PARITY:

First, let me lay out one important point. The goal of a salary cap is NOT to create parity, but it is instead, a vehicle for every team to have an equal opportunity and framework from which to build their team.  Parity might be a bit more likely in a salary cap system than from a free spending system, but that doesn’t mean it actually is likely.  The thought of 30 teams going 81-81 is a pretty far-fetched, wouldn’t you agree?  The league should be much more competitive from top to bottom, though and would be much more entertaining, year in and year out.  Though I promised no details, I would be remiss if I didn’t state that a salary cap should not only have a maximum cap, but also MUST INCLUDE a minimum threshold to prevent teams from sandbagging.  Remember, this needs to generate or re-grow fan interest throughout baseball, in ALL markets!  Teams need to make a legit effort to stay competitive by playing within the guidelines.

(ALMOST) EVERYONE HATES THE HEAT:

A salary cap will all but eliminate a Miami Heat type scenario where a team recruits and buys their own personal all-star team.  (Though that method isn’t helping the Jays so far this season).  Some would argue that the Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox have been doing that for years, but as I said, there’s something more dramatic and satisfying when baseball is not a financially based, caste society.  Sure, the Pirates, Twins, Diamondbacks of the world are occasionally in contention, at least in cycles or spurts, but the baseball should not be defined by the Have’s and Have Not’s!  That is what we have today.  Your team either has an owner that has (seemingly) unlimited capital to pay the top tier players or your team’s hopes rely on the development of young, up and coming players or less expensive free agents that you hope will provide more value than the team paid for him.

PAY THE BILLS: (Beane and James)

With each team starting with the same stack of money, so to speak, to spread across their active roster, every team essentially has the same chance to succeed. A salary cap would put the emphasis on drafting strategy, scouting, farm systems and player development.  Wow! What a novel approach!  It would also put the spotlight on the people with superior baseball analytical skills.  People like Billy Beane and Bill James who have had great success diving deep into the numbers and reading between the lines on prospective players.  Organizations will place a high on value people that possess these skills and will hold them in high regard.  Evaluating talent and building a winning strategy, not money, will be paramount to success.  Organizations will need to find the best baseball evaluators, number crunchers, etc and will need to employ a sound talent evaluation system and talent philosophy in order to remain consistently competitive.  There will be no room for the laziness!  I like that!  Organizations will need to remain vigilant at all teams, to remain competitive.

NO GUARANTEES!

I am also in favor of only allowing a certain, small percentage of a contract to be guaranteed.  One, because players stay in shape and are more focused when they are being paid for performance rather than paid a guarantees sum for better or worse (production).   I realize this is a touchy issue, because a guaranteed contract still pays out when players are injured, but we (the common citizens) risk that same thing every day.  It’s not uncommon.

And That’s Why We Have Aflac

 There are many other reasons that a salary cap makes sense for baseball, including cost control or cost correction that may, MAY finally allow a family of 4 to (eventually) afford to enjoy a few games over the course of a summer without breaking their bank account.  (That assumes the owners would not gouge the consumer) But mostly, a salary cap makes sense because it levels the playing field for all teams.  Baseball is so much more exciting when every team, no matter whether a big market or small market team, has a legitimate shot!  Then we’ll see which teams really have the best organizations. It’s time we separate the (baseball-minded) men from the boys!

Tell Jimmy if you like the idea of a salary cap in the comments!

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