Optimist
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Features
    • Book Review
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Police Log
  • Print Edition
  • Projects
  • Classifieds
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
You are here: Home / Opinion / Editorials / MLB should go a step farther

MLB should go a step farther

September 4, 2002 by Optimist Editorial Board

Despite a close call, the baseball season is safe after players and owners finally settled baseball’s latest power struggle last week. And that’s a good thing, too.

Another strike would have destroyed the integrity of a game already besieged with steroid scandals, budget problems, commissioner incompetence and the New York Yankees.

One of the first concessions was when players agreed to begin mandatory steroid testing. This was a necessary move. The sport cannot survive if fans lose confidence in hitting, the one thing that draws them.

In the interests of competitive balance, the richest teams will be taxed on how much they spend each year. This purposefully hurts the Yankees more because owner George Steinbrenner has been buying championships since the mid 1990s.

The luxury tax, which we may call soft-core socialism, works here where it would not in a normal economic system. Whereas in America the rich employ the poor and middle class, in baseball the richest take from the rest thanks to a nifty trick called free agency.

As long as baseball refuses to play like the rest of the business world, such drastic measures are necessary.

The new collective bargaining agreement also allows baseball to take from the rich and give to the poor via revenue sharing. Such a process was already in place, but it was ineffective. Only time will tell if revenue sharing truly will be a benefit to small-market teams.

Two more things need to happen for baseball to avoid more problems when the deal runs out in 2006 or 2007.

Congress needs to revoke baseball’s antitrust exemption and treat the game like the business it is. This protects the consumers of the product from mismanagement and price-gauging.

And baseball also needs a payroll floor. Although a salary cap would be nice, the problem with the game isn’t that players get paid too much. After all, they ask for what the market bears.

But nothing keeps greedy owners from scuttling their own teams in the hopes of making millions, crying poor and selling out. Florida, Montreal and Minnesota have seen this, and it destroys the market for baseball in those areas.

Any agreement is a good agreement in baseball. The game plays on four more years, and for baseball fans, that’s all that matters. But serious problems will not go away, and unless they are addressed soon, it could be another strike.

Then we’ll all be out.

Filed Under: Editorials

Other Opinion:

  • Skipping class is a drug

  • Athletics have a lack of traditions leading to low engagement from students

  • Directionless but encouraged: My experience on The College Tour’s film set

About Optimist Editorial Board

You are here: Home / Opinion / Editorials / MLB should go a step farther

Other Opinion:

  • Skipping class is a drug

  • Athletics have a lack of traditions leading to low engagement from students

  • Directionless but encouraged: My experience on The College Tour’s film set

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist ·
2 Feb

BREAKING: Campus will be operating remotely in the morning. Any classes after 1 p.m. will be in person.

Reply on Twitter 1620939263557734401 Retweet on Twitter 1620939263557734401 Like on Twitter 1620939263557734401 Twitter 1620939263557734401
acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist ·
31 Jan

BREAKING: Campus will continue operating remotely Wednesday due to continued icy conditions.

Reply on Twitter 1620523455421779970 Retweet on Twitter 1620523455421779970 Like on Twitter 1620523455421779970 1 Twitter 1620523455421779970

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

7 days ago

The Optimist
ACU’s Alpha Psi Omega chapter raised money for the Living Waters Charity by putting on a show in the span of 24 hours. See more photos from our gallery: ... See MoreSee Less

Gallery: 24-Hour Musical tells the heartwarming story of Junie B. Jones - Optimist

acuoptimist.com

ACU’s Alpha Psi Omega chapter raised money for the Living Waters Charity by putting on a show in the span of 24 hours. This year, the department chose to perform the beloved children’s musical “...
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

The Optimist

1 week ago

The Optimist
Greek Life has started a partnership with Campus Director, a software company that works with universities all over the country. Read more: ... See MoreSee Less

Student life implements new software, updates rushing process - Optimist

acuoptimist.com

Greek Life has started a partnership with Campus Director, a software company that works with universities all over the country. The Campus Director software has an algorithm programmed to match rushe...
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Optimist Newscast Jan. 25, 2023

Tune in to this week's newscast for a look at Greek Life rushing, the annual ... [Read More…]

  • Women’s tournament run ended by first-round exit against UTRGV
  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 22. 2022
  • Optimist Newscast 2.16.2022

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • Podcasts

© 2023 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved