Staff Column
Philip Gray
is a broadcasting sophomore.
Blame MLB for Yankees' successes
An incredible, although not surprising, story of the first month of the Major League Baseball season is the New York Yankees.
After 21 games, the Yankees are tops in the Major Leagues with an 18-3 record. They are first in their division by four games and have won seven games in a row.
Not only are they winning games, they're dominating games. They lead the league in runs scored with 151. Second, with 130, is the Boston Red Sox. They're also second in the league in runs allowed with 65. They've scored 86 more runs than their opponents.
This is the best start ever by the Yankees. That's pretty good for a team with 27 World Series titles. Their franchise record for wins in a season is 114 and the league record is 116 wins. If they keep up this record pace they will end up with 139 wins.
Their hitting has been dominant. They've hit more home runs and drawn more walks than any other team in the American League. Their pitching has also dominated. The Yankees have allowed fewer home runs and fewer walks than any other team in the American League. Their starting rotation is 17-0, another best start in franchise history.
This is without two of their best players. Shortstop Derek Jeter is out six to eight weeks with a dislocated shoulder, and closer Mariano Rivera is on the disabled list with an injured groin.
This can't be fair. Can it?
The Yankees owner George Steinbrenner spends money without thinking twice to get the players he wants, usually the best players. The Yankees' salary, according to USA Today is $152,749,814. That's by far the highest in the league and more than 700 percent of the league's lowest, $19,630,000 for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
However, the Yankees aren't the ones to blame. If you're allowed to spend the money, then spend it. If the speed limit is 75, you're probably going to drive 75, maybe a little higher. Why not spend $152 million if the league allows it?
The problem isn't the New York Yankees, it's Major League Baseball. MLB attempted to fix the problem with the Collective Bargaining Agreement at the end of the 2002 season. Did it help? No.
According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, any team with a 2003 payroll number exceeding the "threshold" of $117 million would pay 17.5 percent on the excess. As they stand now the Yankees would pay $8 million to $9 million, chump change to Mr. Steinbrenner.
The agreement also includes the so-called "luxury tax," which is geared to increase competitive balance by discouraging overspending. This hasn't discouraged the Yankees' front office.
Another component of the agreement is revenue sharing. Teams are supposed to share 34 percent of their locally generated money. This money is to be shared equally throughout the 30-team league. One problem: there is no requirement that the teams spend their shared revenue on payroll.
Everyone loves to hate the Yankees, but how can you hate someone for following the rules?
The problem doesn't lie in the Bronx. it lies in Manhattan at the office of Major League Baseball. It's no longer those "Damn Yankees."
It's that damn league.
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