More from Red Reporter on why teams don’t need a salary cap. Talking about the Reds:
It infuriates me that this team (and it’s defenders) have continually picked bad players to run onto the field, watched these players fail, and then blamed that failure on a broken system that doesnt provide them enough money. I’m just a bookstore manager who watches baseball for fun and I can figure this crap out. It’s not difficult. Stop furrowing your brow at the Yankees. It’s not their fault that you cant tell a bad ballplayer from a good one. They just have the extra cash to cover it up when they make that mistake.
But what REALLY makes me angry is I’m not the first one to make this argument, and I wont be the last. It’s like shouting at the wind.
Spending money wisely is the key. The Marlins had an opening day payroll of $37 million and stayed in contention into September. When they move into a new stadium, They can go out and add $50 million worth of free agents or trade for a veteran, and likely put the team over the top. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Prince Fielder go there as a free agent. At least the Marlins show they can be a very interesting team with a low payroll, something the Reds haven’t accomplished.
The two most basic factors are money and good management (by management, I mean the operation of the whole franchise: the GM, the scouts, everybody). Teams that have both (Red Sox) win consistently. Teams that have neither (Pirates) lose consistently. Teams with one but not the other (Minnesota, Mets) win sometimes.
The last comment was good.
I’d like to see more attention paid to the marketing side of the equation. There is an assumption that being in a small city equates to a small revenue base, but I think many teams are in a position to establish regional or even national fan bases, again look at the Red Sox and the Braves.