Well, the one “big market” team was eliminated last night. Yes, the Milwaukee Brewers beat the LA Dodgers in four games, punching their ticket to the World Series.
Soon enough, either the Cleveland Guardians or the Tampa Bay Rays will join the Brewers.
It brings an interesting argument to the fore. All “small market” teams with much smaller payrolls than the Yankees, Mets and Dodgers will be in the Big Show.
Coincidentally, this years collective bargaining agreement of the MLB and its millionaire union players will expire. Effective December 1, the owners have threatened to lock out the players over a salary cap controversy.
The players argue that there is no need for a cap, since small market teams, with minimal salaries, have proven they can win. At least for this year, they are right.
But the wealthier owners claim a cap would prevent teams from acquiring the best talent money can buy.
The problem which no one recognizes, is that the fan, whether in LA or Kansas City, is left out in the cold. He will be charged more money to watch his team, whether in person or on TV, because ticket prices and TV/Cable/Streaming costs will increase.
The MLB has agreed for years to allow higher rates for cable and streaming services, shutting out more “free” broadcasts over the air, in its quest to make more of the Almighty Dollar for the benefit of of the owners.
And while there is a revenue sharing scheme to share the bonanza, there is no enforcement to require teams like the Pirates or the Athletics to spend it to get better players.
Ultimately, corporations like AT&T, Live Nation-Ticketmaster and Google AdTech have felt the wrath of monopolistic antitrust lawsuits, resulting in unintended consequences, for each monopoly. Perhaps, it is time for both the MLB AND the Players Association to feel that same wrath, since each entity acts like a monopoly, leaving the fans in the lurch.
Maybe it is time for the Department of Justice to look into the entire matter and step up to the plate.
Play Ball!
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