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How Large is Your Market? - Page 2

© Bryan Walker

I do not believe that a team with more money to spend, like the Yankees, should be forced by Commissioner Selig to give money back to the smaller teams. Sure the Yankees have an advantage over most other teams: they get great fan support and great revenue. That being said, should the Yankees be punished because they are in a great market and utilize all of their available resources? I don't think so.

Now here's a catch-22 that "small-market" owners are quick to point out: if you have money, you can put great players on the field and fans in the seats thus generating revenue to pay more great players. But if you don't have the money to pay great players, how can you get fans in the seats? Well, small-market owners: welcome to owning a business. I'm not a marketing person, but if you want to generate income, shouldn't you work to sell your product? Get creative, go for broke, or something, but sell your products and don't ask for the money of another business owner. If my McDonalds franchise doesn't make money for some reason, should the owner of a successful franchise give me money from his so that the McDonalds industry as a whole makes it? If you put a bad team on the field and do very little in the community to boost the franchise, why should fans come out? Should they come out just because you put a sign up that says Major League Baseball (even if the players should be in the minor leagues)? The product on the field should be entertaining enough to draw people. Look at St. Louis. The Cardinals have paid a pretty large sum on Mark McGwire, but that investment has paid off in the droves of people coming to the ballpark just to see him play.

If owners in some mid-sized markets can put quality on the field (such as Cleveland, Colorado, Arizona, and Atlanta,) then we know it can be done in other mid-sized markets. In a market that is truly too small to support a team, maybe the existence of the franchise should be questioned. If the franchise can't be profitable with a reasonable appearance of competitiveness, then move them to a place that can. Montreal can't support their team? Move 'em to North Carolina. Kansas City Royals falling apart? See if Nashville can support the team. Dying in Milwaukee? Try a third team in New York.

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