They have allowed the game to become a subsidized business by taking money from teams with high earnings and giving it to small market teams who, in many cases, pocket the cash. If you can sell a lot of tickets at high prices along with watered down beer and cold hot dogs then that's life. If you can get fans to watch you on TV then all the better. The fact that Yankee and Sox fans love their teams whereas other fans couldn't care less is also life.
The Yankees won all of those World Series with a lot of home grown talent and some good value players. It was only when they started buying players again that they started to fall short of their goal. Smaller market teams like the Cardinals, Marlins, Twins and Royals used to win when they had good farm systems and good veteran players. The Sox won last year with a mix of cast offs and some purchased talent I grant you but they also traded Schilling and Jeff Bagwell out of their farm systems years ago and got one good started for a few years and slob of a set-up man in return.
Also to consider, you can get seats at a game in smaller markets but in markets where there is pressure to win like in Boston or New York, ownership will turn to whoever can pay the tab.
I think that players make far too much money but that's the game.
Actually it started when MLB was granted certain preferences that no other business can get, by the government. As long as it is a 'closed club' and exempt from several federal statutes it isn't a 'free market' buisness.
The fact that Yankee and Sox fans love their teams whereas other fans couldn't care less is also life
Whether the Yank's or Sox fans love their teams more or less than say Milwaukee wouldn't make a damn bit of difference, as the market in NY is so much larger the two teams could never be on equal footing.
Smaller market teams like the Cardinals, Marlins, Twins and Royals used to win when they had good farm systems and good veteran players
Therin lies the problem... veteran players. The smaller market teams cannot keep them, as the larger market teams buy them at very high cost. The odds of winning with a very young team are extremely low.
Also to consider, you can get seats at a game in smaller markets but in markets where there is pressure to win like in Boston or New York, ownership will turn to whoever can pay the tab
You lumped the Marlins into 'small markets', the last I heard the greater Miami area was huge. I used to travel to Miami on a monthly basis. I could walk up and get tickets at ProPlayer 5 rows behind home plate any time I wanted. You will have to have very good connections to get a seat like that in Stl.
So to end my screed, if the Yankee fans like the fact that Steinbrenner can purchase all of the good players, fine. Your kids can watch the Yankees play themselves when all of the others are run out of the market.