Dodgers' Luxury Tax

[cardstatman]

Another media driven false fact is that the NL Central is often a weak division which is easier to win.

Since Houston left for the ALW in 2013, the NL Central is the 2nd best division in MLB. The AL East of course dominates.

It is the Guardians, Astros, Braves, and Dodgers who have cupcake division schedules and easy to win division titles year after year.
Baltimore usually plays by far the toughest division schedule.

AL Central
CLE ALC AL 13 1101 900 .550
MIN ALC AL 13 968 1036 .483
DET ALC AL 13 935 1064 .468
KCR ALC AL 13 937 1067 .468
CWS ALC AL 13 862 1141 .430

AL East
NYY ALE AL 13 1128 876 .563
BOS ALE AL 13 1066 938 .532
TAM ALE AL 13 1065 940 .531
TOR ALE AL 13 1027 977 .512
BAL ALE AL 13 954 1050 .476

AL West
HOU ALW AL 13 1097 906 .548
SEA ALW AL 13 1025 979 .511
OAK ALW AL 13 967 1037 .483
TEX ALW AL 13 963 1042 .480
LAA ALW AL 13 951 1053 .475

NL Central
STL NLC NL 13 1080 922 .539
MIL NLC NL 13 1060 945 .529
CHC NLC NL 13 1047 957 .522
PIT NLC NL 13 949 1053 .474
CIN NLC NL 13 926 1078 .462

NL East
ATL NLE NL 13 1062 940 .530
NYM NLE NL 13 1013 990 .506
WAS NLE NL 13 986 1018 .492
PHI NLE NL 13 985 1019 .492
MIA NLE NL 13 878 1123 .439

NL West
LAD NLW NL 13 1222 783 .609 0.0
SFG NLW NL 13 1006 998 .502 215.5
SDP NLW NL 13 972 1032 .485 249.5
ARI NLW NL 13 957 1047 .478 264.5
COL NLW NL 13 863 1141 .431 358.5

[Ike Hammett]

Another media driven false fact is that the NL Central is often a weak division which is easier to win.

Since Houston left for the ALW in 2013, the NL Central is the 2nd best division in MLB. The AL East of course dominates.

It is the Guardians, Astros, Braves, and Dodgers who have cupcake division schedules and easy to win division titles year after year.
Baltimore usually plays by far the toughest division schedule.

AL Central
CLE ALC AL 13 1101 900 .550
MIN ALC AL 13 968 1036 .483
DET ALC AL 13 935 1064 .468
KCR ALC AL 13 937 1067 .468
CWS ALC AL 13 862 1141 .430

AL East
NYY ALE AL 13 1128 876 .563
BOS ALE AL 13 1066 938 .532
TAM ALE AL 13 1065 940 .531
TOR ALE AL 13 1027 977 .512
BAL ALE AL 13 954 1050 .476

AL West
HOU ALW AL 13 1097 906 .548
SEA ALW AL 13 1025 979 .511
OAK ALW AL 13 967 1037 .483
TEX ALW AL 13 963 1042 .480
LAA ALW AL 13 951 1053 .475

NL Central
STL NLC NL 13 1080 922 .539
MIL NLC NL 13 1060 945 .529
CHC NLC NL 13 1047 957 .522
PIT NLC NL 13 949 1053 .474
CIN NLC NL 13 926 1078 .462

NL East
ATL NLE NL 13 1062 940 .530
NYM NLE NL 13 1013 990 .506
WAS NLE NL 13 986 1018 .492
PHI NLE NL 13 985 1019 .492
MIA NLE NL 13 878 1123 .439

NL West
LAD NLW NL 13 1222 783 .609 0.0
SFG NLW NL 13 1006 998 .502 215.5
SDP NLW NL 13 972 1032 .485 249.5
ARI NLW NL 13 957 1047 .478 264.5
COL NLW NL 13 863 1141 .431 358.5

The Cardinals carried a lot of that weight. Also, there are no really big spenders in this division. It's a division up for grabs if you try.

[Poojols]

Yes, baseball is broken. The only people who refuse that fact are either fans of those few large markets or complete idiots.

attendance has been up 3 years in a row (first time in decades) and we just had the best WS I've ever seen

well, someone is an idiot for sure!

After a comment like that, someone definitely is.

Watching one team buy all the elite free agents every year is so fun!

[Hofikebrucee]

lA has been a huge market since forever. When Fox and later when McCourt owned the team they sucked.

It took smart owners with deep pockets to develop the revenue that had been sitting there untapped.

The argument about the market is a bit odd given they’ve been good for about 8-10 years but LA has been a huge market far longer. The key to the dodgers is not money alone and I would go so far as to say their brain trust is far more valuable than their checkbook.

Baseball is broke. But not likely to be fixed. Strike or no strike. Lockout or no lockout. The brewers are in a horrible market and still can compete. If that’s possible why can’t the cardinals?

[cardstatman]

lA has been a huge market since forever. When Fox and later when McCourt owned the team they sucked.

It took smart owners with deep pockets to develop the revenue that had been sitting there untapped.

The argument about the market is a bit odd given they’ve been good for about 8-10 years but LA has been a huge market far longer. The key to the dodgers is not money alone and I would go so far as to say their brain trust is far more valuable than their checkbook.

Baseball is broke. But not likely to be fixed. Strike or no strike. Lockout or no lockout. The brewers are in a horrible market and still can compete. If that’s possible why can’t the cardinals?

With Dodger/Yankee money, the owner has to be stupid not to win.

Yeah, the Dodgers stopped their stupid and are actually using their unfair advantage. Congrats to them.

The system needs to be fixed we can't rely on all the largest markets being stupid in order to give the poorest 15 teams a fighting chance.

St Louis and Kansas City are the only metro areas smaller than 4.5M to win a World Series in the past 28 years (since MLB expanded to 30 teams).
Toronto and the New York Mets are the only metro areas larger than 4.5M not to win a World Series in the past 28 years.

[makesnosense]

lA has been a huge market since forever. When Fox and later when McCourt owned the team they sucked.

It took smart owners with deep pockets to develop the revenue that had been sitting there untapped.

The argument about the market is a bit odd given they’ve been good for about 8-10 years but LA has been a huge market far longer. The key to the dodgers is not money alone and I would go so far as to say their brain trust is far more valuable than their checkbook.

Baseball is broke. But not likely to be fixed. Strike or no strike. Lockout or no lockout. The brewers are in a horrible market and still can compete. If that’s possible why can’t the cardinals?

With Dodger/Yankee money, the owner has to be stupid not to win.

Yeah, the Dodgers stopped their stupid and are actually using their unfair advantage. Congrats to them.

The system needs to be fixed we can't rely on all the largest markets being stupid in order to give the poorest 15 teams a fighting chance.

St Louis and Kansas City are the only metro areas smaller than 4.5M to win a World Series in the past 28 years (since MLB expanded to 30 teams).
Toronto and the New York Mets are the only metro areas larger than 4.5M not to win a World Series in the past 28 years.

I always love the " Dodgers use their unfair advantage" They do not have an unfair advantage, but are the best run organization in baseball , if not of all sports.