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Why is it that on this subject, all the so called believers in capitalism become socialists? The Yankees are successful largely because they practice capitalism, providing a good product, making a healthy profit, and reinvesting in the product, and developing more good product, in the form of home grown talent. Yes they buy and sell players, and sometimes it works, like now, and sometimes it doesn't, like in the 80s and early 90s. And see: Boston, 2nd in payroll.

That home grown talent includes Jeter, Cano, Hughes, Posada, Montero (r), Romine(r) and last but certainly not least Mariano Rivera.

If you believe in socialism, you're a football fan, with salary caps and rules tweaking every year "to make it fair." If you believe in freedom and individual achievement and capitalism, you're a baseball fan.

Do you support banning the known freeper football fans from FR?

Good post, and I agree with the whole capitalism vs. communism thing. But keep in mind that "competition" from the standpoint of sports is often at odds with the basic idea of capitalism because fans pay to see the competition on the field. As industries mature, it is natural for competitors to merge, disappear, enter new markets, change their focus, etc. Look at the auto industry or the North American railroad industry as perfect cases in point.

If you try to translate that into a world of competitive sports, you couldn't even get the industry off the ground -- because in sports, the competition is the product. How many people would be watching games in a 30-team league if the same three teams always finished at the top of the standings? Who would ever follow a team passionately if they knew that it could disappear overnight by getting run out of business or merged into another team with little advance warning? What if a team like the Florida Marlins decided one day that they'd be better as basketball players and move into a new "industry" (the NBA)?

The whole thing falls apart when you try to apply economic principles to professional sports. This is because a sports league is socialist by its very nature to a certain degree. "Managed competition" is what keeps a sports league in business, because when the product is the competition it's important for a league to have enough competitive teams to keep fans interested.

Oh come on. Really?

Because for the very SIMPLE reason that this is a GAME, not the real world.

It is called fair rules for everyone. By your definition, EVERY fair game would be “socialist”.

The basic rules are the same for everyone. Allowing the Yankees and others their huge payroll advantage is the same thing as allowing one player three Knights in Chess, or starting a game of Monopoly with an extra $5000.00. You are not “guaranteed” a win, but you enjoy a HUFGE advantage from the outset.

The Yankees MAY be “well run”, (ahem....at times), but by far the major reason for the advantage they enjoy in financial resources is from the sheer size of the New York market.

Good posting, Josh. I agree with your view regarding capitalism. ....I disagree regarding the “home grown” thing, though, because the Yankees have a long history of raiding top performers from other teams by offering so much money and all of the media coverage and endorsements, etc.

I have never liked the Yanks unless they are playing in the WS against a NL team.