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