I guess this would qualify as "old news" at this point, but I just found it so oh well.
Jayson Stark of ESPN.com recently talked with Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig on the state of the game, and they touched on a few issues near and dear to the hearts of Brewer fans. Here is a rundown of a few key points:
On the Yankee's spending spree:
Every club has to do what they have to do, and I'm very comfortable saying that. I'm proud of the system we have. I think we've had more competitive balance than we've ever had. And we have labor peace now through 2011. So I'll continue to watch what happens in the system and make my judgments at the appropriate time.
snip
The fact of the matter is, we've had, up till now, more competitive balance than we've ever had. So I want to continue to watch things. And I'll make very strong judgments, but at the appropriate time. And now is not the appropriate time.
snip
I'm proud of the current system. We went through a lot of travail, a lot of anguish, to get where we are today. And we have more than $450 million in revenue sharing. We had Milwaukee in the playoffs for the first time since 1982. Minnesota is very competitive. Obviously, we know the Tampa story. I think there are enough illustrations around to prove the point. However, nothing in life stays the same. And I will very carefully watch what goes on. But we have till 2011 to make those judgments.
That probably isn't going to earn him any fans amongst proponents of a salary cap, but there is a lot of truth to what Selig is saying. Baseball has a very long history of gross inequalities between the clubs in terms of revenue and spending. In the old days, the Yankee's still outspent just about everyone in scouting (which coupled with the reserve clause allowed them to build dynasties) and were quick to buy players from other clubs who no longer wished or were able to pay their salaries. What Selig has achieved in the vein of revenue sharing in his tenure shouldn't be ignored either, even if it still isn't enough.
If we take Selig at face value here, he is waiting for the "appropriate time" to address these issues. He does have a CBA running through the 2011 season, and perhaps he's ready to take on the big market owners again then and push for more revenue sharing. There isn't much hope for a salary cap, given the power the union wields and the willingness they have shown to allow the game to be shut down rather than accept one. It's hard to say what his intentions are at the moment and if his vague hints at action here will ever amount to anything. The pace of change in baseball has often been glacial, unless spurred on by necessity, so perhaps Selig is waiting for necessity to drive events in the next few years.
… You know, the one thing I always say to the clubs, and now I'll say it to you, is we are a social institution, and we have enormous social responsibilities. And so we have to always keep that in mind when we're operating the clubs and operating our sport…
This was in response to a point made about players salaries and the disconnect it creates with fans who may themselves be struggling to get by. It raises a larger question, though, and it would be interesting to see how far Selig wants to take this. What is baseball's responsibility to the fans? Is it simply the responsibility of a business to it's customers? If that team plays in a taxpayer financed stadium, does the team have additional obligations to the fans? Does the league have a fundamental responsibility to ensure equal opportunity for teams financially?
The most sensational chapters of Selig's tenure as commissioner (94 WS being canceled, the steroid scandal) have already been written, and they'll loom large in how history remembers him. There is time, though, for him to leave a positive legacy that will not become fully realized until well after he is gone.