Buffalo Boy's Blog

I just hope Uncle Don realizes how hard it is to put a hat on in tribute to him a day after the fact that they signed another player to a ridiculously, irresponsible contract.

Mark Teixeira signed an 8 year $180 million dollar contract. Where does it end? Word has it they may go after Manny next. Are there enough positions on the field for all these players, never mind the egos that are filling the clubhouse.

If this madness continues I have a great idea for Major League Baseball, its called a HARD SALARY CAP! $50 million a team ought to do it. You go over that cap and we not only penalize you dollar for dollar the amount you go over, but you also must cough up your first, second and third round draft picks in the following years draft to the last place team overall.

Sure the players won't like it, but what the hell. If they can find a league that is willing to spend $50 million per team on its players go play for that league, in the mean time, I think MLB is the highest paying league in the world even with a hard cap and the players and Yankees can go screw themselves if they don't like it.

No, buying a World Series like the Yankees do every year doesn't guarantee them anything, we have learned that this past year with the Tampa Bay Rays making it to the World Series and the Florida Marlins winning two World Series. But what it does do, is it gives you a chance every year. It makes those roster mistakes like Carl Pavano or an Injury to Cheng Ming Wang seem easier to swallow because they can absorb mistakes and injuries that their $250 million annual payroll provides them in organizational depth that no other organization can afford.

Behind one all-star is another all-star. Behind Mark Teixeira is Nick Swisher at first base if Teixeira should go down. They have replacements for the replacements who are not just AAA kids, they are proven veterans and in many cases all-star caliber. Name another team in the league that can boast a catching tandem of Jorge Posada and Ivan Rodriguez? Two hall of famers who with rest and split duty will more than definitely put up huge numbers as a platoon.

Its time for the hard cap, Mr. Selig needs to recognize this and do the right thing for the sport and for the interest of fans. If you are a fan of 75% of the teams in baseball, you look at the offseason and automatically eliminate the top 10 free agents because your team can not compete payroll wise with the top five teams in baseball. So 25% of the teams are basically allowed to spend while the other 75% of the league watches as they grab up any talent that is worthy of buying tickets to go see. Every once in a while you'll get a team like Atlanta, Detroit, or Anaheim that will step up and grap one guy, but for the most part, its the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers and Cubs doing the buying. That makes for a rather boring and uncompetitive offseason for the rest of the fans of this sport.