| Another baseball season is on the way and-for | | | | |
| the most part-we all pretty much know which | | | | Of course, this has an affect on fan |
| teams will have a shot at the playoffs. Teams | | | | interest. When living in a city like Kansas |
| like the Pirates, Devil Rays, Royals, etc., | | | | City or Tampa, baseball is almost like a |
| have no shot at entering the playoffs and | | | | side-show, a sort of weird interest. Then |
| this is before the season has started. That | | | | other people will pretend such cities simply |
| is nothing short of a disgrace. | | | | have no passion for the sport while the lack |
| | | | of a real chance of winning is the real |
| For all the talk about "balance" in baseball, | | | | issue. Check out how fast New York fans |
| the economic disparity is still way too | | | | desert their teams if even an average year is |
| great. The New York Yankees, of course, lead | | | | being had; and New York is a big baseball |
| the "payroll party" with a ridiculous 208 | | | | town. |
| million dollar payroll based on the 2005 | | | | |
| numbers. The Red Sox, Mets, Dodgers, | | | | Commissioner Bud Selig has done a credible |
| Angels-while having high payrolls-are no | | | | job in at least doing something regarding the |
| where near the Yankees. | | | | payroll disparity. It has brought some |
| | | | balance to the league. However, much is to be |
| Many will point to the Chicago White Sox | | | | done. The league cannot just pretend people |
| winning the World Series last year. While it | | | | from certain areas "just don't like baseball" |
| is true the Sox were not among the top-tier | | | | when in past years they had loved it. The |
| teams regarding payroll, they did have a | | | | Royals had a large fan base for years. The |
| payroll around 75 million dollars... not too | | | | Pirates had a solid following for years as |
| shabby. Looking at the team payrolls from | | | | well. But when your heart is cut out, what do |
| last year, that number would put them in the | | | | you expect? When your team is among the |
| top 50% of team payrolls. However, the real | | | | bottom five spenders year after year, what |
| problem comes when trying to keep a team | | | | does one expect? |
| together. Keeping a team together for an | | | | |
| extended period of time becomes very hard. | | | | If this issue is avoided or at least not |
| The Florida Marlins are the "poster child" | | | | pursued with vigor, expect the same teams to |
| for that one. | | | | be in the playoffs. There will always be an |
| | | | exception here and there. To actually predict |
| Let's face it: When you are a team like the | | | | who is going to be in the playoffs and who |
| Yankees you can keep coming back. Not winning | | | | has no shot before a season starts is close |
| a world series becomes a "bad" year. For so | | | | to being fixed. That is known as wrestling. |
| many other teams getting to the playoffs is | | | | Or is it baseball? |
| like a dream. | | | | |