Over and over again, analysts have lamented Major League Baseball’s tanking problem. A tanking team, for those unfamiliar with the term, directs all of its resources toward building for the future. Instead of trying to compete for the playoffs, the team in question jettisons its veteran regulars in exchange for young talent. While this strategy […]
Baseball
What the Cavaliers Could Learn from the Brewers
American sports have become enamored with future value. This dynamic is probably best illustrated through the ‘Process’-era Philadelphia 76ers, the most hyped team in NBA history that has yet to play a playoff game. Even outside of Philadelphia, however, potential success has repeatedly taken precedence over actual results. When the up-and-coming Minnesota Timberwolves began to […]
Baseball Has More Home Runs Than Ever—And Is Better For It
The Major League Baseball (MLB) playoffs are in full swing, which means we get a full dose of meaningless baseballisms. Pitching wins championships! Bunt the runner over! Grumble grumble CLUTCH grumble FUNDAMENTALS grumble grumble. For more than a century, these dictums have outlined the way to win important baseball games; a “smart” team will string […]
The Dodgers are the Best Team No One Can Watch
Despite a horrific stretch of play over the past month, the Los Angeles Dodgers are sitting pretty with a 99-57 record, nine games ahead of their closest competitor in the National League West. Fangraphs’ projections have them ending the season with over a hundred wins and the best record in Major League Baseball. Those same […]
Does Major League Baseball Need A Salary Cap?
Major League Baseball is the last holdout in a sports landscape dominated by salary caps. The NBA installed one in 1984, and the NFL followed suit a decade later. The NHL was the most recent adopter, instituting a cap in 2005. If history is any guide, there will be an MLB salary cap within our […]
Cognitive Dissonance and Minor League Wages
In February 2014, three retired Minor League Baseball players brought a lawsuit against their former teams and Major League Baseball, claiming unfair pay practices. The case, Aaron Senne v. Office of the Commissioner of Baseball, is in the pre-trial phase, with no settlement in sight. The plaintiffs argue that MLB has violated the Fair Labor […]