AJAY

One of the big concerns I have is that I get disappointed when fans, baseball executives, players, and sportswriters often measure competitive balance in what I feel is the wrong way. I have seen a number of articles and statistical presentations that look at how many different teams of high and low payroll teams have gone to the playoffs, won championships, had winning records, had losing records, etc. While I appreciate all the data out there, I think this information is very useless to me. I really believe the true measuring stick of competitive balance is the FAN EXPERIENCE. Instead of looking at data regarding who wins and loses based on payroll, I prefer to focus on how fans feel about the game, how fans are made to feel about themselves and their community, and whether people feel they are being treated fairly by the game. To me, the psychology of being a baseball fan in a small market is a much bigger concern than any statistical review of how many different teams from different payrolls have gone to the postseason. I hate to repeat myself over and over, but I really miss the days when we felt "big league" rather than "small market". Baseball was so much more fun in the past before all this free agency nonsense started. The whole small-market fan experience just completely stinks regardless of what the data shows. I have posted many times on this board before, but I must say it again. I feel like MLB treats the smaller market fans like irrelevant lower-class citizens. The whole system is just incredibly demoralizing. I just want a level playing field more than anything. Even if the Brewers stink forever, I can live with it as long as they are playing on an even playing field. But this system of haves and have-nots is really eating me up inside because no other sport has this. I can't even verbalize how angry I am about all this. I know the world is not fair, but baseball is supposed to be entertainment and an escape from real life. It's a shame what the union and a few owners have done to kill the love for the game in so many cities.

First of all, there is no free market. If there really was a free market, you would have 5 to 7 baseball franchises in the New York area (instead of just the Mets and Yankees having exclusive territorial rights). In a free market, you also wouldn't have all the rules and restrictions about things such as roster size, scheduling, etc. because companies in free markets would be free to operate however they want. If it were really a free market, a team like the Oakland A's could even refuse to do business and not schedule games against the Yankees if they don't like the terms. Baseball has standard rules and a system in place for everything else, so therefore, the owners are well within their right to have rules about what teams can spend. The law allows for collective bargaining and ownership is well within their legal right to propose a salary cap. There needs to be more recognition that free market principles don't apply to the business of sports leagues, especially considering that the nature of the product is intended to be good competition rather than trying to drive each other out of business and stealing each other's customers. I also don't think the players "earned" anything. They bargained for the current system by being tough. The owners could also now be tough and fight for what is right. I do completely agree that profitability is often more of an issue than winning and losing for some owners. I am sure there are at least some teams which are content with losing games but being profitable. That is what scares me most. I just hope there are enough owners who are thinking about the fans and all the misery they have been through. The fans need a strong voice for a change. I especially feel pain for the people of Cleveland who have just about lost every star player who has put on an Indians uniform. Even if the team drafts well and has some success, how could anyone ever get invested knowing that everyone will be gone in a short time? The whole thing is just very insulting. Finally, I don't deny that Wendy Selig was not competent to run the Brewers franchise for all those years. However, that has nothing to do with my personal bitterness towards baseball economics. If a team owner makes poor decisions, that is unfortunate for them and their fans. But what I absolutely can't tolerate is when the system is inherently stacked against you too. As someone already mentioned, even well-run teams are being screwed. If a small market team has success, that means the star players are usually pricing themselves out of that team's future. It's just beyond ridiculous how bad things are.

Nate, I respect your opinion, but some of us have been waiting and waiting for real changes since the day Paul Molitor left for the money in Toronto back in 1992. Baseball has never felt the same for me since that day. I really deeply miss the game that I used to follow as a child. When I was a kid, you would enjoy having great players on your team. Now it seems like all people do is plan for a player's eventual departure and talk about trading him to the same old usual franchises. We have a hall-of-fame talent in Prince Fielder, and instead of enjoying him and being excited, everyone is mostly feeling angst about him leaving eventually. I just can't stand this anymore. There is always a dark cloud that is hovering over this franchise and many other similar franchises too. It's just not fun anymore. For me, it has been nothing but 17 years of very strong bitterness towards baseball economics and the players union. I get more worked up about talking about baseball economics than I do about any other social issue or political issue that is out there. I am not interested in baby steps because too many of us have been waiting forever and ever for real change. I want an all-out war and I am so ready to battle. I want to see the same fire and passion from the owners now. I don't want to hear talk about how the players union won't accept this or won't accept that. I want to instead hear talk about how the fans won't accept this nonsense anymore. Mark Attanasio, PLEASE DO SOMETHING !!!!!!

Bill Michaels of WTMJ is reporting that there is a lot of unhappiness with Ken Macha inside the clubhouse. http://www.620wtmj.com/sp...llmichaels/58492182.html

I am very disappointed by Selig's comments. There clearly is a severe competitive balance problem and I hate how people think that an occasional playoff appearance by a smaller market team somehow makes everything okay. The current economic system is extremely insulting and disgraceful. No other professional sport has anything this ridiculous. I am glad Selig sees the need to change the draft, but that alone is not addressing the real fundamental problem. I think the small to mid-market owners need to take strong control and be willing to go to war to get real changes that are meaningful. It's time for guys like Mark Attanasio to get mad, roll up his sleeves, and go to battle. We need serious changes and not just putting lipstick on a pig.

I forgot to mention that it also seems unfair that they win a championship despite winning only 83 games in 2006. It just seems like the gods are always helping them out.

I don't know about you, but I am so sick of the Cardinals and their perennial ability to field a playoff caliber club. What is it that they have figured out that other teams haven't? It just seems unfair that the Cardinals and their spoiled fans haven't had to endure a 12-15 year streak of losing records like the rest of us have. It seems like every crappy player manages to turn their career around after going to STL. Even when they miss the playoffs, they jump back into contention within a year or two. They always seem to trade for the Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolens, Chris Carpenters, Larry Walkers, Mark McGwires, Matt Holidays, Edgar Renterrias etc. at just the right time. It seems like they hardly give up anything in these trades either. I know Dave Duncan is one of the best pitching coaches and Tony LaRussa always manages to get the most out of his little guys. I know they also have the financial resources because they have very strong attendance and TV ratings . . but I wish I could figure out what their real secret is. Is there something about their draft philosophy? Why are their pitchers always good hitters too? Can someone share any insight on why everything always seems to go their way?

Today I am going to officially join the chorus of people who think Ken Macha needs to go. I do feel bad that he hasn't been given much to work with on the pitching staff. However, I still have several complaints. First of all, I am so sick of him letting Jason Kendall hit whenever the game is on the line. It frustrates the heck out of me. Second, it does seem like Macha is not always on the same page as his players. I have noticed that many times this season. Third, I do think there were times this season where his inability to call for a bunt has really hurt the team. Fourth, Ken Macha is incredibly DULL and BORING when it comes to presenting himself. The man has no charisma at all. He shows no emotion and doesn't seem to reflect what the fans are feeling. I know his personality and emotional expressiveness have nothing to do with his ability to manage a baseball team, but in terms of marketing and public perception, he just doesn't seem like someone who makes a good public face for the franchise. Sometimes in business, you need to sell your product and sell an image . . and Macha doesn't seem like the type of person who gets anyone in the fan base excited. Now just to be clear, I can not stand Ned Yost and have NO regrets about him being fired. I will never ever forgive Yost for costing us a division title in 2007. He was the most incompetent manager in Brewers history, and he should have been fired immediately after the 2007 season. I still believe to this day that he was secretely on the Cubs payroll and was trying to make the Brewers lose. Anyway, I say give either Willie Randolph or Dale Sveum a shot at managing in 2010 (unless there is a really attractive outside candidate somewhere).

I don't think there will be any beanings since the game was over already. I think there will be more admiration for the creativity instead http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

Oh my god, that celebration at home plate was HILARIOUS. I am sure it will be one of SportsCenter's top plays.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports is reporting that several Brewers were just put on waivers today and could be dealt if Doug Melvin likes the return. http://msn.foxsports.com/...among-Brewers-on-waivers

Gary Sheffield is about to burn bridges with yet another team. Personally, I have lost count on how many teams he has been on bad terms with. http://blogs.nypost.com/s...9/08/sheff_and_mets.html

A few days ago, Felipe Lopez made NO effort to field a ground ball that possibly could have been fielded with a little more effort. That play resulted in a big inning for San Diego. The TV announcers wondered if Lopez was hurt, and the people in the stands were booing him. There was never any confirmation of any injury. Lopez would not speak to reporters after the game. Ken Macha also played dumb and appeared to have no insight or interest in why Lopez did not field the ball. Macha almost sounded like he wasn't bothered, and I personally found this disturbing. I can understand to some extent if the team and the player want to hide an injury, but the whole situation seemed very mysterious and odd to me. If it were Lou Pinella or Jim Leyland, Felipe Lopez would have been chewed out and put in the doghouse for a while. I guess we will never know what they talked about behind closed doors, but it doesn't look good when players seem lackadaisacal and the fans get no answers or sense of accountability. Today, Felipe Lopez dropped an easy pop up because he was too lazy to get himself under the ball in a set fielding position. He tried to casually catch the ball on his side, and he failed miserably. Another run scored because of that. Daron Sutton was recently interviewed on Milwaukee radio about Lopez, and he stated that Lopez often has concentration lapses in the field. Does anyone have any insight as to what is the story with this guy. I love his hitting ability, but the defensive issues are really beginning to scare me. I know this guy has been moved around a lot from team to team over the past few years. Is this because of defense or something else? Do you think he is just hurt and can't move well? Any thoughts?

Do we really want to spend 3 million to win a few extra games this season? I still don't see us catching the division leaders.

Do we really want to spend 3 million to win a few extra games this season? I still don't see us catching the division leaders.

Do we really want to spend 3 million to win a few extra games this season? I still don't see us catching the division leaders.

Do we really want to spend 3 million to win a few extra games this season? I still don't see us catching the division leaders.

Do we really want to spend 3 million to win a few extra games this season? I still don't see us catching the division leaders.

Do we really want to spend 3 million to win a few extra games this season? I still don't see us catching the division leaders.

John Heyman of CNNSI is now reporting that the Brewers did claim him. It's also on twitter.

John Heyman of CNNSI is now reporting that the Brewers did claim him. It's also on twitter.

John Heyman of CNNSI is now reporting that the Brewers did claim him. It's also on twitter.

John Heyman of CNNSI is now reporting that the Brewers did claim him. It's also on twitter.

John Heyman of CNNSI is now reporting that the Brewers did claim him. It's also on twitter.

John Heyman of CNNSI is now reporting that the Brewers did claim him. It's also on twitter.