Wealth Wins the World Series… Again

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Two thoughts on Major League Baseball and the World Series:

1. This disparity in baseball between the haves and have-nots is so great it’s hard to get too excited about pro ball. I love the sport and I love the Indians and will always be a fan, but it’s really hard to get worked up over the rest of the league. I’ve been a major fan most of my life, listening to games (the Tribe plus anyone I can hear), going to stadiums just to see baseball, knowing the stats of every player in the league. I just can’t do it anymore.

There have been 106 World Series. The largest market teams — New York Yankees and Mets, LA Dodgers and Angels, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox and Cubs, and Baltimore Orioles, which is 1/3 of all baseball teams — have appeared in the World Series 119 times and won 60 of them. You can pretty much bet that one of those 11 teams will be in the Series every year and better than 50-50 odds that one will win it. How is that equitable and fair?

2. The Indians were all over this World Series. C.C. Sabathia pitched for the Yankees; Cliff Lee pitched for the Phillies. They are the last two reining Cy Young award winners (best pitcher in baseball). Since this disparity is so great and the Indians can’t really do anything about keeping their own players once they approach/reach free agency, I’ve decided to feel more like a proud father than a jealous boyfriend when our players move on. Thome, Vizquel, Ramirez, Lofton, Lee, Sabathia, Martinez… they will always by my kids.