Yankees win their 27th World Series

The Los Angeles Times ^ | 11/05/2009 | Bill Shaikin

[bmwcyle]

You can't win without him.

[freethinker_for_freedom]

That’s a story I got from a WW2 vet back when I was a youngster. He probably believed it himself.

[Straight Vermonter]

If the deck is so heavily stacked in favor of a few teams, there's no competition. We know the end result, so why watch?

Let's see if your statement holds true.

Previous to this year, in the 6 division era there have been 90 division winners. Of these 33 titles have gone to teams from the 10 teams in the largest markets (11 were the Yankees), 33 have gone to teams the mid-sized markets but the smallest markets have won 24 division titles.

So yeah they very smallest markets do a little worse than the two largest segments but it is hardly true that they can't compete and it is beyond foolish to say that only a few teams can compete when clearly the second tier of teams has been just as successful as the first tier.

Cleveland & St Louis (2 mid-market teams) have won 13 division titles between them since 1994; Baltimore & the Mets have won 0 titles between them since 1994. Well run teams can compete, poorly run teams with all the money in the world cannot.

[Teacher317]

Usually your logic is far better than that, SV. A HUGE reason for the seeming parity is that the two largest markets compete directly for one division (the rest being evenly spread out, one per division, coincidentally), and that those Cards you mention are in a division with no dominant "big market" team (Cubs? Yeah, right.), and they Cards have consistently spent more than their market size. Thus, the small-market teams automatically get one division title every year. Reduce your figures by those 15 automatic titles for those 15 years, and you get only 9 out of 90 small-market teams that won over the big market team in their division. A 10% chance to compete, just because your town is smaller. Gee, great sport. Funny how Pittsburgh can win big in every other sport, but never has a chance in baseball.

A fairer test is to see how often a team outside of NY-BOS-CHI-LA wins their division. Since those cities host 7 of the 30 teams, if it's a reasonably level playing field, then the other teams should get near to their 77%. Let's see: 2009, only 2 of 6 divisions had the non-major market team win (MIN-not-CHI and PHI-NYM)... in 2008, it was 2-of-6 (TB-BOS and PHI-NYM)... in 2007 it was 3-of-6 (CLE, PHI, AZ)... '06 was actually close, up to 4-of-6... '05 3-of-6... '04 was 3-of-6...

So when 3-5 smaller guys go up against one bigger guy, one team gets past 'em less than half of the time (17-of-36). In other words, the one big market team wins about half of the titles, and the other, smaller guys in the division share the remaining half. That seems competitive to you? In the face of the NBA and NFL having, just in the past 2 years, division champs from Indy, Miami, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Charlotte, Seattle, Green Bay, San Antonio, Cleveland, Orlando, Denver, Portland, Phoenix, Detroit, New Orleans, and Salt Lake City? Sorry, but that's a large portion of the nation that gets to enjoy regular success, because of a level playing field. NY-CHI-BOS-LA can have their tired baseball titles. The majority of the country is leaving them behind. (They can't compete with the NFL, despite having TEN times as many games, and often in the same stadiums! That's pretty telling.)

[Upstate NY Guy]

We know the end result, so why watch? ... There's nothing interesting about it. The point's been made and proven.

But the money would not be there (in MLB or any other sport) if the interest was not there. You seem to be saying there is too much money in MLB and not enough interest. I do not understand. Doesn't interest = advertising revenue = money?

Which is it? Too much money or not enough interest?

You are supposedly not interested in MLB but you go to a posting about the Yankees and post replies.

[nascarnation]

Well the team was sold by Dick Jacobs (who died in June)when he became ill. Dick was a Cleveland guy all the way and a great owner.
Now the team is owned by the Dolans, who are much more budget conscious.

[Straight Vermonter]

A HUGE reason for the seeming parity is that the two largest markets compete directly for one division

No LA is the second largest market (3 times larger than Boston)

21,199,865 New York Mets, New York Yankees
16,373,645 Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers
9,157,540 Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox
7,608,070 Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals
7,039,362 Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants
6,188,463 Philadelphia Phillies
5,819,100 Boston Red Sox

(the rest being evenly spread out, one per division, coincidentally), and that those Cards you mention are in a division with no dominant "big market" team (Cubs? Yeah, right.),

You dismiss the Cubs but they are a large market team and they won a division title only 1 year ago, with the best record in the NL! Also Houston is a larger market team.

and they Cards have consistently spent more than their market size.

Amazing how that investment leads to winning, what a concept!

Thus, the small-market teams automatically get one division title every year.

Already proven incorrect.

Reduce your figures by those 15 automatic titles for those 15 years, and you get only 9 out of 90 small-market teams that won over the big market team in their division. A 10% chance to compete, just because your town is smaller. Gee, great sport. Funny how Pittsburgh can win big in every other sport, but never has a chance in baseball.

OK, so the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, St Louis Cardinals, Colorado Rockies, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Milwaukee Brewers have NOT competed recently? Every one of those teams has gone to the playoffs in just the last 5 years!

Pittsburgh is roughly the same size as St Louis, Denver and Tampa all of whom have been in the world series in just the last 3 years! Are you kidding me?

It's the same arguments all the time and they simply do not hold up to even the most basic scrutiny.

[winstonwolf33]

ENJOY!

[Straight Vermonter]

BTW, you should look at NBA title winners. Aside from San Antonio it is basically ONLY the big market teams winning. Boston, LA, Detroit and Chicago have won 22 of the last 30 titles.

[Pyro7480]

BOOOO!!!!

[Reagan Man]

Thanks for the ping. Great pics.

Yankees are #1... AGAIN!

[Russ]

Those pictures should have been accompanied by a mandatory Barf Alert!

[LeonardFMason]

PROOF you can buy championships. Good for the Yankees. Truth is, with the money they spend, if they don’t win the WS they are MISERABLE FAILURES in my book. If they don’t win it all, spending the most money year in and year out, they are abject losers.

[DogBarkTree]

As a diehard Phillies fan, my hat’s off to the Yankees. They were the better team in this Series!

As a big Yankees fan I salute you. You are a credit to your fan base. The Phillies played a good series. You have a strong young team that will be a force to deal with for many years to come.

[seoul62]

Oh dear you sound like my Late Irish Grandmother and her use of that word. I shudder to think what you would call me-*(Mother: Japanese and Father: Irish)* Drumroll please on the ugly and hurtful names that I have been tagged with in my life: Chink, Jap, Gook and Jap-Mic. Yes, I am sensitive on this matter because these names hurt.

[baseballmom]

Well, I can’t say it didn’t hurt - big time. We wanted the Yankees, the best team in baseball and we got them.

They are really a fantastic team and they just beat us.

Enjoy your series win. It’s an awesome feeling.

Time to retire my tagline.

[LibFreeUSA]

I heard this would be Matsui’s last year with Yanks. Is this true? Heck, I’m sure ‘we’ could find a spot for him:)

[freethinker_for_freedom]

Sorry about that but I was using “Jap” as used in the old war movies I referred to.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Awww, that's sweet.

Thanks for making this evening necessary. :-)

[CatQuilt]

beautiful images!!!