Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
March 10, 2008
Saving Money

I can save Major League Baseball $14 million a year. That's roughly $450,000 per team per year, enough to pay for one first year player. How do I accomplish this feat? I'll take the job of commissioner for a mere $1 million per year.

MLB, I await your call.

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Posted by David Pinto at 07:25 PM | Commissioner | TrackBack (0)
Comments

And you'd do a better job.

Posted by: rbj at March 10, 2008 07:34 PM

No, he wouldn't. Remember, the commissioner's job, like any other, is to do what his bosses - i.e. MLB ownership - want done. It's not about the game of baseball, or the fan experience; it's about making more money (and, to be fair, providing more enjoyment; some owners are in it for fun and competition) for ownership.

By those standards, which are the only ones that count, Bud Selig has done an excellent job. He has limited the power of the union, which is the first step in controlling costs and increasing profit. He has presided over a number of changes that appeal to most fans (if not statheads); namely, the wild card and unbalanced schedule. But mostly, he's been in charge during the biggest revenue expansion the game's ever seen.

Is it any wonder ownership wants him back? That $15M is cheap for what he gives them.

Posted by: Subrata Sircar at March 10, 2008 08:31 PM

Subrata, that's the whole problem. Is the commissioner intended to be an owner representative, or someone who protects and improves the game of baseball? By all measures except for the one you mention, Selig's tenure has been a colossal failure.

Although the owners might be making more money, it is certainly not a result of an increase in baseball's popularity. In fact, baseball has gone from being America's game to probably about the third most popular sport in this country. Increased revenues are due to inflated ticket prices and local television deals. Their short term gain is being made at the expense of the game.

Every penny that filthy pig earns is a payoff. He awards ownerships to his friends, and then covers for them. The owners have some serious accountability in this steroid mess, yet they are suspiciously untainted.

Baseball is not just a business. Our government has given the sport special status, and therefore it cannot operate in the same manner as other public companies. Bud is not a CEO. He is supposed to answer to us, the fans. That unfortunate distortion of the role has ruined the game, and I doubt it will ever recover.

Posted by: dl442000 at March 10, 2008 09:12 PM
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