Apparently, there's calls in the Wisconsin legislature for everybody's favorite payroll slashers, the Milwaukee Brewers, to open their financial books up to the public.
They ran a poll...82% of Milwaukeeans, and 84% of folks living in Milwaukee County say the Brew Crew needs full financial disclosure...just as some legislators are saying it's time for state involvement. They're ticked that the taxpayers did their part of the deal in helping to finance Miller Park, and now the maybe-just-finally-starting-to-be-competitive-again Brewers are trading key players and slashing payroll. (Of course, lousy attendance at Miller Park the last couple of years didn't help.)
The best part is the quote from chair of the Brewers' board, Bud's daughter Wendy Selig-Prieb: "We take great exception to any suggestion that the club and its ownership have failed to exhibit the promised or necessary commitment."
{Dr. Evil} Rrrrrrrrriiiiighhhhht. {/Dr. Evil}
Star wipe, and...we're out. Thrillin' ain't easy.
THE THRILL ACW-NWA Wisconsin Home Video Technical Director...& A2NWO 4 Life! (Click the big G to hear the Packers Fight Song in RealAudio!)
Originally posted by The ThrillThe best part is the quote from chair of the Brewers' board, Bud's daughter Wendy Selig-Prieb: "We take great exception to any suggestion that the club and its ownership have failed to exhibit the promised or necessary commitment."
Sounds like Tom Werner, former owner of the Padres (THANK GOD!) back in 1993. I'll always remember the quality the Padres got from Atlanta when they traded Fred McGriff. Melvin Nieves, future superstar! HA!
Of course, the 1993 fire sale did bring Trevor Hoffman to SD for Sheffield. One positive out of a very negative period.
Attempted murder... really. Do they give a Nobel Prize for Attempted Chemistry?
The Padres did win the division in 1996 and the pennant in 1998, so it could be argued that their fire sale actually paid off in a short period of time.
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True...but when the Padres had their fire sale they traded away the high-priced vets that weren't winning and thus weren't earning their keep. They unloaded guys like McGriff and Sheffield who were already established and earning superstar money. The Brewers moving guys like Richie Sexson and (rumoured) Geoff Jenkins isn't going to help because they're not earning any money right now. In order to win with young guys you need to get a team of youngsters that comes together and plays well all at the same time. Trading those guys away just because they may some day become expensive is just cheap.
Then again, if the taxpayers were willing to pay for the stadium on the expectation that Selig would build a winner, well, hard not to say they shoulda seen this coming...
The Toronto Maple Leafs are built for the playoffs. Of course they are. What Leafs fans don't realize, though, is "built for the playoffs" is just GM-speak for "short on skill, kinda slow, and can't score over an 80 game season".
2. Force owners reaping the monies from the luxury tax to spend that money on players and not be allowed to put it in ther pocket. On this one Steinbrenner was right.
If i were up there and had just ponied up for a stadium, I would be furious.
Originally posted by BigVitoMarkThe Brewers moving guys like Richie Sexson and (rumoured) Geoff Jenkins isn't going to help because they're not earning any money right now. ... Trading those guys away just because they may some day become expensive is just cheap.
$8 million for Jenkins next year (and about the same for Sexson) isn't exactly chump change. Not that I'm arguing with the rest of what you said.
Originally posted by DrDirt2. Force owners reaping the monies from the luxury tax to spend that money on players and not be allowed to put it in ther pocket. On this one Steinbrenner was right.
This is the key. It doesn't make any sense to ship millions in luxury tax bucks to Carl Pohlad for example so he can pocket it and slowly dismantle the Twins.
A minimum payroll is a great idea in theory, but look at the NBA. They have a minimum payroll, and you get teams like the Clippers that pay just that every year and continue to suck. If you impliment a minimum payroll it would have to be high enough to field a competitive team, and not every team would be able to pay it. The only way I think that really works is if they set a reasonable minimum payroll and start contracting teams that can't meet it. But then, doing that without putting a salary cap in place will likely skew salaries upward, making the financial situation in the game all the more messed up.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are built for the playoffs. Of course they are. What Leafs fans don't realize, though, is "built for the playoffs" is just GM-speak for "short on skill, kinda slow, and can't score over an 80 game season".
The NFL has a minimum salary level to go along with the salary cap. It can work even if the team does not try to be competitive. But the key is to have a hard cap like the NFL rather than a soft cap (which is a joke) like the NBA.
David Pinto's Baseball Musings has a great piece up on the Brewers today, with links to some fascinating information regarding the Brewers, particularly their revenue-sharing income.
Originally posted by Baseball MusingsHis family's Brewers just happen to be in the third quartile and just happen to have increased their net revenue-sharing receipts by more than any other team. It rose from $1.5 million in 2001 to $9.1 million in 2002 to an estimated $18 million in 2003, according to a financial analysis the Brewers provided to potential investors in July.
I agree. There's even a moment where Porcello kind of looks away as if to say, "Oh, shit." In this video of the game, the announcers try to argue that point as well. I also love how they are so very nonchalant about the brawl.