The Idea of a Salary Cap Overrated?

Enter the Economic Crisis of 2008 that will leak over to 2009 and possibly many years to come. Families have lost jobs, gone out on the streets, and starve in the freezing snow of December. Governments have been bailing out banks and other companies in order to avoid bankrupcy. Mothers and fathers are scared for their children: they wish their children to find a job instead of living on the streets. Many are fighting for that extra cash.

And now enters Mark Texeira, CC Sabathia, and AJ Burnett, who each got lucrative offers from the "Dark Side" New York Yankees and will be pitching in the new "Death Star" that was built this year. A total of $423.5 million was spent on these three superstars, after the Yankees paid a 26.9 million luxury tax. If you were living under a tree, you would've never have thought that there was an economic crisis occuring in the United States.

Even MLB teams will be struggling to contend with the multiple superstar New York Yankees. With a smaller payroll than the Yankees, many teams feel bullied and are out-bid in each player they target. The only "superstar" left out there is Manny Ramirez, and his off-the-field troubles are many reasons why teams are fleeing from the idea of signing him.

This hasn't been a quiet topic. Milwaukee Brewers owner, Mark Attanasio, wrote to Bloomberg News, ""At the rate the Yankees are going, I'm not sure anyone can compete with them. Frankly, the sport might need a salary cap."

To Phil Sheridan, a writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Yankees represent the worst of America. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/phil_sheridan/20081224_Phil_Sheridan__Yankees_do_harm_to_sports.html

But why has this idea of a salary cap emerged so quickly and urgently? Because the people that hate the Yankees beforehand are even more pissed off now at them, causing them to voice their opinions. These opinions, however, are only hitting the surface and many don't really understand why at points, the salary cap is overrated.

First off, let's think at the basics. In both the CC Sabathia and Mark Texeira signings, the only true contenders out there to acquire these magnificent ballplayers were Los Angeles and Boston, two big-time teams with lots of money. In the CC Sabathia signing, the Los Angeles Dodgers were interested, but failed to put out a true offer to Sabathia, showing him that the Dodgers were truly interested. In the Mark Texeira signing, small payroll teams like the Nationals and the Orioles were interested, but Texeira was never interested in playing with poor teams.

Note (and I'll say it in Bold): Texeira didn't listen to Baltimore or Washington's offer not because the money was bad, but because he didn't want to be stuck in a losing team for 5-8 years.

And many MLB fans forget that the Yankees lost salaries from Jason Giambi, Carl Pavano, Andy Pettite, Bobby Abreu, and etc. Add that in plus a new stadium and the TV network ratings from YES network, you get a whole lot of cash. Even with the signings of the Three Amigos, the Yankees have a smaller payroll than last year.

Finally, it is absurd to think that the RedSox paid 50 million to Dice K to speak to him, but they are getting mad at the three signings the Yankees made? Give me a break!

To many small-teams, they should follow the example of the Tampa Bay Rays, who had a one-third of a payroll the Yankees had, and out-beat the Yankees and everyone else in the AL to the World Series. History has said that the teams with the big superstars doesn't translate into winning a championship.

I believe in a salary cap because it will level out the playing field for MLB. However, in all three signings the Yankees have made, there has never been a point where smaller teams were bullied by cash. Until that happens, that is the perfect time to have a salary cap. Many a whining and complaining that MLB needs to do something only because it is an reaction to what the "most hated" Yankees did.