2007 MLB Opening Day Team Payrolls* (with ranks)
#2 - Boston Red Sox ($143,026,214)
#23 - Cleveland Indians ($61,673,267)
#25 - Colorado Rockies ($54,424,000)
#26 - Arizona Diamondbacks ($52,067,546)
*Source: Cot’s Baseball Contracts
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May 20, 2008 - 12:43 pm
“She uses an odd, side-armed delivery, and puts both speed and curve on the ball. Her greatest asset, however, is control. She can place the ball where she pleases, and her knack at guessing the weakness of a batter is uncanny.” - The Chattanooga News
It was a bit of serendipity. Yesterday, as our own [...]
April 27, 2008 - 8:33 am
It probably comes as a surprise to no one that the Washington Nationals have a pretty abominable team once again this season, and that they are tied with the Texas Rangers for the worst record in baseball at 8-17. That is exactly the sort of performance we have come to expect from the Expos/Nats after [...]
April 9, 2008 - 2:08 pm
Bill Buckner was the surprise mystery guest who threw out the first pitch yesterday at Fenway’s Home Opener. As I’ve previously admitted, I greeted the late-breaking announcement with cynicism. Can’t we just get on with the pennants and the rings and the parades and leave all that crap behind us?
But then, noshing on my reuben [...]
March 7, 2008 - 12:43 pm
The baseball uniform is something of a curiosity. I think we can all agree that baseball did the world a favor by bringing us the baseball cap. But in what other sport are players required to wear a thick belt, tapered white stretch pants, a glorified pajama top, and stirrups?!
Nonetheless, some baseball [...]
October 11th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
If you look at the final standings, *per division*, and then note each team’s payroll, I think you’ll conclude that:
1 - Generally, yes, higher payroll correlates with higher *divisional* standing. This year four out of six divisions reflect that.
2 - The White Sox, Dodgers and Giants are this year’s outliers with their under-achievement. These teams along with your #23, #25, and #26 share the AL Central and NL West.
All this might be besides the point, but I think in a 162 game season, payroll counts for something.
In the end though, baseball’s six division structure along with a dynamic October playoff leaves the door wide open for teams like the Rockies to win the whole thing.
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October 11th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Paul, the lesson here is that spending a lot of money will often get you to the playoffs (see: Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, Phillies), but once you get to the playoffs, it’s a total crapshoot. Especially in a five game series.
The other lesson, of course, is that having a high payroll is no substitute for smart personnel decisions.
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October 11th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
There was an interesting article on SI.com debunking the notion that a 5-game series is a crapshoot. Since I had heretofore supported that notion, it really made me stop and think. Over the history of 5-game playoff series, only a small percentage have gone to a full five games and a large number do end in three-game sweeps.
Here’s the link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jacob_luft/10/09/things.learned/index.html?eref=sixtra_newsletter
There’s no doubt that the Indians have done a great job locking up guys like Grady Sizemore and Victor Martinez. Nevertheless, Sabathia and Blake (I think) only have one year left on their contracts, and Nixon, Lofton, Byrd, Borowski, and Gomez are free agents after this season. I feel pretty good about the Red Sox fielding a competitive team for the next several years to come, but if the Indians want to win their first championship since 1948 and don’t want to spend a lot of money, they should win this year.
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October 11th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Sarah, I can’t tell if you’re serious. Nixon, Lofton, Byrd, Gomez and Borowski are free agents? oh no! How ever will the Indians replace them?
Lofton, for one, wasn’t even on the team for most of this season, so the idea that Cleveland couldn’t win the division w/o him is obviously flawed.
And I don’t know how the Indians will replace Trot Nixon and his .251 avg., 3 HR, and 31 RBI. Or Paul Byrd and his 4.59 ERA and 1.39 WHIP? Or Borowski and his 5.07 ERA?
Let’s be serious. Cleveland needs to sign C.C. to an extension. And maybe Casey Blake. But the rest of those guys can and should be replaced.
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October 11th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
Yeah, they should be replaced, but they’ve somehow all come together to get the Indians this far, right? And it’s a lot of work to replace five guys! Not only could these guys be gone at the end of the season, what are the odds that such a motley crew could ever achieve these heights again?? Clearly the Indians must capitalize now.
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