Everybody is always crying that small market teams dont have a chance and that the MLB needs more parity! does anybody else realize that the only team from last years playoffs that made it this year is the New York Yankees!!! Thats right, 7 out of the 8 are new teams. Name another sport that can say that. not football or basketball and they have salary caps. And if NY hadnt rallied all 8 could have been new. Every team has a chance, its just about who gets it done and who doesnt. I guess the isnt a question but i just want to know what people think.

md the A's were in the ALCS last year

Money is one possible way to get to the playoffs and good management and players is another way. This season is another huge plus for MLB and another attendance record has been broken for the fifth year in a row. There is much more parody now in MLB than fifteen or twenty years ago when the same few teams were always chasing one another. Baseball is at the top of its game right now and I hope it continues. Great observation by the way.

I really hate to find myself agreeing with a Yankees fan (lol).

Bull $hit untill theres a salary cap teams Like the Royals and A's and Orials and a few others will NEVER have a shot in this "SO CALLED LEAGUE"..........

MLB=

M ore
L ies and
B ullShit

What a great point. So much for all those Beantowners who keep complaining about the Yankees. The salary cap gets so manipulated, specially in the NFL that I wonder if it's worth the trouble. You're right, every team has a shot and it's up to them to produce.

I hadn't noticed that. But if Yanks hadn't made it, it'd been Detroit, and they were in it last year. But still very interesting.

edit: now i see that sea and det would've had a playoff.

The Yanks, Red Sox, and Angels are all 1, 2, and 4 respectfully in payrol with the Mets being #3. So some does need to be said about purchasing a winning team. It's not always a guarentee, see the Mets, but it sure don't hurt.

I love seeing some smaller teams in the playoffs!

Great point. Didn't even realize. Small market teams don't make it because of their owners. Take a look at the Pittsburgh Pirates for example. You're looking at a team that has over 100 years franchise as a team, played in the first world series ever, and has a huge fan base across the country (which has to be dying). They've had history. Why on earth can't this guy make a contender. Kansas City's owner is an absolute cheap as@. He looks forward to collect the Robin Hood Tax every year.

That is interesting.

It does make you wonder. I think all the teams can compete, especially in the days of the luxury tax and profit sharing that is now going on, the main problem with these cellar dwellars is the man up top not wanting to part with the money to RETAIN talent, if you look on these rosters they are sprinkled with Pirates, Royals and Marlins prospects. If teams were forced like they should be to spend a certain percentage of what they bring in then they would be a little more competetive. I am not saying that anyone should be forced to give A-Rod 30 million from a small market but what they should be forced to do is at least try to make the effort to retain talent. The A's have made a living the past few years off using guys for five years and then trading them before they are FA elidgable. I am glad to see the new teams in every year, even teams I may not like at all (see White Sox, 2005) but I think it is good for baseball to have different teams each year.