Alright, a common complaint in this area is that the Jays have no chance to win against the payrolls of the Yankees and Red Sox. The complainers are not wrong, in fact they are head on. There is no salary cap in baseball and the team with the most money, usually does the best, it is not fair or really in the spirit of sport but it is what it is.
I think there are 3 plans to realign baseball.
1. By Payroll (locked in for 3 years)
2. Looking at moving to 4 uneven divisions in each league
3. Expansion to 32 teams and 4 even divisions in each league
1. By Payroll
The key hear is to lock teams into divisions for 3 years to avoid good teams cutting payroll to go into a lower division and then winning.
We can use the Opening Day Payrolls for the 2010 season for this and look to change a few things.
This format brings in 4 price categories, we are keeping 8 teams in the playoffs. League's are not taken into consideration for this format.
Top Division (4 Playoff Berths)
Ah the controversy begins already, the teams that spend the most will be facing the top competition and really I think it is ok that they get half of the berths. These will be the teams that will have the best players and make the most money for the league. This is a 12 team division.
1. New York Yankees ($206.333 million)
2. Boston Red Sox ($162.747 million)
3. Chicago Cubs ($146.859 million)
4. Philadelphia Phillies ($141.927 million)
5. New York Mets ($132.701 million)
6. Detroit Tigers ($122.864 million)
7. Chicago White Sox ($108.273 million)
8. Anaheim Angels ($105.013 million)
9. Seattle Mariners ($98.376 million)
10. San Francisco Giants ($97.828 million)
11. Minnesota Twins ($97.559 million)
12. Los Angeles Dodgers ($94.945 million)
Second Division (2 Playoff Berths)
This division will have 6 teams in the division
13. St. Louis Cardinals ($93.540 million)
14. Houston Astros ($92.355 million)
15. Atlanta Braves ($84.423 million)
16. Colorado Rockies ($84.227 million)
17. Baltimore Orioles ($81.612 million)
18. Milwaukee Brewers ($81.108 million)
Third Division (1-2 Playoff Berth(s))
This division also has 6 teams, but these teams do pay less, and should not be treated equally.
19. Cincinnati Reds ($72.386 million)
20. Kansas City Royals ($72.267 million)
21. Tampa Bay Rays ($71.923 million)
22. Toronto Blue Jays ($62.689 million)
23. Washington Nationals ($61.425 million)
24. Cleveland Indians ($61.203 million)
Fourth Division aka the Cheapskate Division (0-1 Playoff Berth(s))
I have decided that if these teams want to be in the playoffs their champion will have to face the third division runner up in a best of three playoff series to get into the playoffs.
25. Arizona Diamondbacks ($60.718 million)
26. Florida Marlins ($55.641 million)
27. Texas Rangers ($55.250 million)
28. Oakland Athletics ($51.654 million)
29. San Diego Padres ($37.799 million)
30. Pittsburgh Pirates ($34.943 million)
This situation particularly sucks for the Diamondbacks because they are half a million dollars from switching with Cleveland, but alas, I figure we need to reward the moderate spenders over the cheapskates.
So the playoffs?
The top division will have their own playoffs, so the #1 seed will take on the #4 seed, and the #2 seed to take on the #3 seed with the winners playing for the right to go to the World Series.
The next 4 spots are taken by the bottom three divisions, the 2nd Division 1st place will face either the 3rd division runner up or the 4th division champion, and the 3rd division champion will face off against the 2nd division runner up. The winner of these series will face each other for the right to go to the world series.
This alignment would hold until the end of the 2012 season, and than the divisions would be redrawn. As for scheduling, the teams would play 6 games against each of the other 29 teams, 3 home and 3 road that is 174 games.
2. Uneven 8 division
This is based on geography and with four teams in each division. You would have 4 division champions making the playoffs, no wild cards, but if MLB wanted too they could add 2 from each league. Scheduling? Very complicated, and I would let the MLB figure that one out.
AL East
New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Baltimore Orioles
Toronto Blue Jays (I tried, but I cannot justify putting a team based on geography in the east)
AL North
Detroit Tigers
Chicago White Sox
Minnesota Twins
Cleveland Indians
AL South
Tampa Bay Rays
Kansas City Royals
Texas Rangers
AL West
Seattle Mariners
Oakland Athletics
Anaheim Angeles
NL East
New York Mets
Philadelphia Phillies
Pittsburgh Pirates
Washington Nationals
NL North
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Colorado Rockies
Milwaukee Brewers
NL South
Atlanta Braves
Florida Marlins
Houston Astros
St. Louis Cardinals
NL West
Arizona Diamondbacks
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres
San Francisco Giants
3. Expansion to 32 teams
Two Expansion Teams: Charlotte, NC and Oklahoma City, OK
AL East
New York
Boston
Baltimore
Charlotte
AL North
Toronto
Detroit
Chicago
Cleveland
AL South
Tampa Bay
Kansas City
Texas
Oklahoma City
AL West
Seattle
Minnesota
Oakland
Anaheim
NL East
New York
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Washington
NL North
Chicago
Cincinnati
Colorado
Milwaukee
NL South
Atlanta
Florida
Houston
St. Louis
NL West
Arizona
Los Angeles
San Diego
San Francisco
Well what do you think? I personally love the payroll idea, and the expansion idea as well, but I am interested in what you the readers have to say.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Game Experience at the Skydome
This is to serve notice to all Toronto Blue Jay Game Day employees and all Toronto Blue Jay front office staff.
There are three main issues that I want to address here, because frankly I was disappointed with the game day experience for the 2010 season.
1. Ticket Service Fees and Ticket Prices
Heading into the 2010 season, the Blue Jays had a rebuilding phase program going, the team themselves were not expecting to do anything magical, now seven weeks into the season, the team is doing really well, but when the ticket prices went up this offseason it is outrageous. In 2005 with a BETTER Jays team on the field, I could buy 500 level seats for $9, it was the best deal in sports, now 5 years later with a team that has not made the playoffs since, and has only come close once or twice in those 5 years, and a rebuilding team, those same 500 level seats are $14. What the hell? No seriously, What the hell? A Worse team is charging more for the same seats? I don't quite get it. Now when I ordered these tickets I was living in St. Catharines, some two hours away from the dome, therefore I went to TicketMaster through the Jays site. Now I don't know if the Jays set these prices or if TicketMaster does, but it reflects piss poorly on both of them. The fee to order tickets online was it's usual price, but then they wanted either $5 to mail them (Standard mail, not express) or $2.50 for the privilege of printing your tickets at home. I had to pay $2.50 to use my own printer? Are you kidding me? Standard mail has been free in the past, there were only two options, either pay $5 or $2.50, what happened to customer service?
Now for 2 tickets, the total cost was $32, so I paid about $4 in convenience fees above and beyond the price of the ticket. It is discouraging to have to pay to use your own ink, and then you have print a page long ticket, that is awkward, and has lots of graphics on it, to drain your ink.
2. The Lines at the Concession Stand/Prices
Granted I was in the 500 level, and yes I realize that the experience may be different, but there were about 8 stands open for business, which was suitable, but the beer line was huge, if you wanted to spend $9.50 on beer, good luck, you will miss a third of the game. Now beyond that the lines were long, but they were moving quickly, and the service people were friendly, but the prices there are outrageous, yes I know stadium food is going to be more expensive, they have you over a barrel. But I mean there is the usual rip off, which is expected, and then there is the rip off that makes you want to bring in your own food. A bottle of Coke was almost $4, just a regular 541 ml bottle. Hotdog was like $5, and the worse part about it, the Hotdogs are not cooked in front of you in the 500 level. That is reason one not to have a Hotdog at a stadium. Reason two is they are better outside the stadium and they are cheaper.
If the Jays were not so profit driven in the concessions, people might come and buy more food there. But $14 is the minimum for two things and it is terrible. I went to a Minor League Park, and a Supreme Nacho was $4.75, and a Collector Cup Coke was $4, so that is $8.75 for the game, and plenty of profit there, and people will pay those prices.
3. Between Innings
There is nothing to do, seriously. The between inning items: Home Hardware Fastest Grounds Crew in the 5th, the 7th Inning Stretch, and Some Bruce Power animated Race, that is 3 out 18 inning breaks with nothing but commercials playing on the big screen. Before the game there is the FedEx game ball delivery, and the Move to better seats promotion, but really the rest of the time it is like watching a game on TV without the commentators or replays. Want to see that close call at first one more time, not in the Skydome. It is quite embarrassing that the Jays have managed to suck the energy out of their fans. There were 14,400 on a Friday Night in April when the Jays hosted the Angels (a playoff team last year), and really they won't be drawing huge numbers with their experience.
When I was kid, the first Jays game I went to, we were given seats right above the Jays Bullpen, front row in Left Field, what a great game, the Twins were in town, and it was just fascinating. That was in 1991, from that point until 1995 we could only get seats above the light stands in the 500 level, but the place was packed and energy was in the air so the game moved so quickly. I did not go to a Jays game regularly until probably 2003, when I started purchasing Flex Packs, and even then the service was better, concession prices were still stupidly high, but the team was worse, but that was alright because the game day experience was better.
Now the team is worse, and the experience sucks, in my eyes. Why go back? I love baseball, I love watching the best baseball, however it looks like the best fan experience is in Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, where they know how to treat their fans.
Blue Jays, you have been put on notice- fix your game day experience.
There are three main issues that I want to address here, because frankly I was disappointed with the game day experience for the 2010 season.
1. Ticket Service Fees and Ticket Prices
Heading into the 2010 season, the Blue Jays had a rebuilding phase program going, the team themselves were not expecting to do anything magical, now seven weeks into the season, the team is doing really well, but when the ticket prices went up this offseason it is outrageous. In 2005 with a BETTER Jays team on the field, I could buy 500 level seats for $9, it was the best deal in sports, now 5 years later with a team that has not made the playoffs since, and has only come close once or twice in those 5 years, and a rebuilding team, those same 500 level seats are $14. What the hell? No seriously, What the hell? A Worse team is charging more for the same seats? I don't quite get it. Now when I ordered these tickets I was living in St. Catharines, some two hours away from the dome, therefore I went to TicketMaster through the Jays site. Now I don't know if the Jays set these prices or if TicketMaster does, but it reflects piss poorly on both of them. The fee to order tickets online was it's usual price, but then they wanted either $5 to mail them (Standard mail, not express) or $2.50 for the privilege of printing your tickets at home. I had to pay $2.50 to use my own printer? Are you kidding me? Standard mail has been free in the past, there were only two options, either pay $5 or $2.50, what happened to customer service?
Now for 2 tickets, the total cost was $32, so I paid about $4 in convenience fees above and beyond the price of the ticket. It is discouraging to have to pay to use your own ink, and then you have print a page long ticket, that is awkward, and has lots of graphics on it, to drain your ink.
2. The Lines at the Concession Stand/Prices
Granted I was in the 500 level, and yes I realize that the experience may be different, but there were about 8 stands open for business, which was suitable, but the beer line was huge, if you wanted to spend $9.50 on beer, good luck, you will miss a third of the game. Now beyond that the lines were long, but they were moving quickly, and the service people were friendly, but the prices there are outrageous, yes I know stadium food is going to be more expensive, they have you over a barrel. But I mean there is the usual rip off, which is expected, and then there is the rip off that makes you want to bring in your own food. A bottle of Coke was almost $4, just a regular 541 ml bottle. Hotdog was like $5, and the worse part about it, the Hotdogs are not cooked in front of you in the 500 level. That is reason one not to have a Hotdog at a stadium. Reason two is they are better outside the stadium and they are cheaper.
If the Jays were not so profit driven in the concessions, people might come and buy more food there. But $14 is the minimum for two things and it is terrible. I went to a Minor League Park, and a Supreme Nacho was $4.75, and a Collector Cup Coke was $4, so that is $8.75 for the game, and plenty of profit there, and people will pay those prices.
3. Between Innings
There is nothing to do, seriously. The between inning items: Home Hardware Fastest Grounds Crew in the 5th, the 7th Inning Stretch, and Some Bruce Power animated Race, that is 3 out 18 inning breaks with nothing but commercials playing on the big screen. Before the game there is the FedEx game ball delivery, and the Move to better seats promotion, but really the rest of the time it is like watching a game on TV without the commentators or replays. Want to see that close call at first one more time, not in the Skydome. It is quite embarrassing that the Jays have managed to suck the energy out of their fans. There were 14,400 on a Friday Night in April when the Jays hosted the Angels (a playoff team last year), and really they won't be drawing huge numbers with their experience.
When I was kid, the first Jays game I went to, we were given seats right above the Jays Bullpen, front row in Left Field, what a great game, the Twins were in town, and it was just fascinating. That was in 1991, from that point until 1995 we could only get seats above the light stands in the 500 level, but the place was packed and energy was in the air so the game moved so quickly. I did not go to a Jays game regularly until probably 2003, when I started purchasing Flex Packs, and even then the service was better, concession prices were still stupidly high, but the team was worse, but that was alright because the game day experience was better.
Now the team is worse, and the experience sucks, in my eyes. Why go back? I love baseball, I love watching the best baseball, however it looks like the best fan experience is in Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, where they know how to treat their fans.
Blue Jays, you have been put on notice- fix your game day experience.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Phillies @ Blue Jays in Philadelphia?
The G20 Summit is in Toronto at the end of June, and the much anticipated return of Roy Halladay to Toronto since his trade in December to the National League's Philadelphia Phillies. This decision here with the Summit and the Blue Jays really in my opinion shows what kind of respect there is for baseball in this area. I am a baseball guy, and that may influence my decision, but the Jays are averaging just over 15,000 fans a night at home, and are atrocious at home as well with a home record of 7-10 compared to a 12-5 road record. The Jays estimate that about 90,000 fans over the three game series would come to watch the Phillies take on the Blue Jays, but Toronto just lost a lot of revenue, and disgruntled a lot of their fans, by making the decision to move to Philly.
The G20 Summit is awarded at least one year in advance, as the host city needs time to prepare for increase of police, protesters, etc, so if the Blue Jays and Major League Baseball knew of this, why would they schedule a home game for Toronto on the same weekend of the summit? Initially the Summit was going to go Huntsville, but it was deemed a non sufficient site to host the G20 (too small), and got moved to Toronto. Right then and there, the Jays should have been on the phone attempting to change home dates in Interleague play. This seems kinda stupid, I mean why would MLB not make this change immediately, as to accommodate the Summit and the Jays?
I really believe that if the Leafs were already scheduled at home the Summit might be moved, or the Leafs would find a way to be on the road during that time.
Baseball in Canada is a great thing, and the Jays are nice to watch, but 15,000 a night will not pay the bills, moves like this will frustrate the fans, and anger season ticket holders. It is time for the Blue Jays to assert their importance in this community, and for them realize how important Roy Halladay truly is.
Up next, I have a couple of options- I want to realign baseball, but I also want to address the fan experience at the Rogers Centre this year, one of those two on the weekend for sure.
The G20 Summit is awarded at least one year in advance, as the host city needs time to prepare for increase of police, protesters, etc, so if the Blue Jays and Major League Baseball knew of this, why would they schedule a home game for Toronto on the same weekend of the summit? Initially the Summit was going to go Huntsville, but it was deemed a non sufficient site to host the G20 (too small), and got moved to Toronto. Right then and there, the Jays should have been on the phone attempting to change home dates in Interleague play. This seems kinda stupid, I mean why would MLB not make this change immediately, as to accommodate the Summit and the Jays?
I really believe that if the Leafs were already scheduled at home the Summit might be moved, or the Leafs would find a way to be on the road during that time.
Baseball in Canada is a great thing, and the Jays are nice to watch, but 15,000 a night will not pay the bills, moves like this will frustrate the fans, and anger season ticket holders. It is time for the Blue Jays to assert their importance in this community, and for them realize how important Roy Halladay truly is.
Up next, I have a couple of options- I want to realign baseball, but I also want to address the fan experience at the Rogers Centre this year, one of those two on the weekend for sure.
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