Setting the record straight....

So, I had some people comment to me about my recent blog about the New York Yankees and people were asking me if I agreed with the fact that Major League Baseball should have a salary cap. This has been a topic of debate for the last decade or so, and is often as talked about as steroids in the game. The biggest problem that many see with this is the lack of balance between the big and small market teams. Revenue sharing in big markets such as New York and Boston have kept those cities interested in the game. Popularity is more of a reason for the game NOT to impose a salary cap. That's right...I said NOT.
The teams like the Yankees and Red Sox have huge payrolls, and also have a huge fan base that is widespread throughout the country. So if a cap were put in place, those teams would likely see a decline in on-field performance which in turn would drive some fans away from ballparks. Whether you like it or not, baseball needs the high market teams to be as competitive as possible to spark fan interest. It would make no sense to put a cap that will negatively effect highly populated markets. As long as the big market teams can compete, fan support will not be a problem, so the purpose of a salary cap would not make a lot of sense being that those clubs produce much of the game's revenue.
On the flip side, teams like Kansas City and Pittsburgh have no chance in being able to resign their top players. Those franchises would benefit from an imposed salary cap because then they will be able to compete with the larger markets to land top players. This is the biggest reason for many fans wanting the salary cap in place. However, when it comes to the issue of competitive balance, I believe that baseball has it.
Since 2002, the World Series has seen ten different teams make it to the October classic. Only the St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox have made it multiple times (twice each) in that time frame. Even this year shows that the balance is still there. The Rays are ahead of the Red Sox AND Yankees in the division currently and the Florida Marlins are once again in contention just a few years removed from a World Series title in which they relived the 1997 season of winning the World Series then promptly dumping all their players to cut their salary. This proves that with that right scouts and management personnel, teams can achieve success without loads of money.