Free Agency destroyed MLB baseball.

[my2¢]

Yep, the game sure has changed with free agency, expansion, the DH, cable TV. What I found worse of all was back when they were playing most of the games on AstroTurf, especially in the National League which had more of the newer stadiums. Oh for the days of Dizzy Dean and Pee Wee Reese calling Saturday afternoon's Game of the Week.

​

 

[Harry Dresden]

Pheh....gave up on MLB when they went on strike in '81, slowed down a bit in watching and then when the went on strike again in '85...done.
And I get what you are saying 100%.
Just like NFL. Free agency took a chunk of the game away from the fans.
I too remember when I knew every damn player for the Cubs and the Steelers. Hell I knew half their stats and also knew most players in the AFC.

The last strike is what put the nail in the coffin.

Now we have big money teams and small market farm teams.

If you are a fan of a small market them, the best you can hope for is that your favorite star player will be a Yankee someday so they can win a World Series.

you nailed it.ALMOST.Baseball so much sucks now,same as the NFL your points are what backs up what i been saing that free agency is what put the nail in the coffin because that is WHY we have have small market teams that dont have a chance to to go to the world series anymore since they cant keep their good players. If this was the early 70's for example,there is NO WAY Johhny cuoto would have left the Reds. its very sad but true,these small market teams like the reds are just there minor league teams developing their players so the yankees or the dodgers and Giants can win a world series for the franchise they came out of now. could not have said it better myself.

i bet Yaz is turning over in his grave.....

 

[TTTigerWoods]

Pheh....gave up on MLB when they went on strike in '81, slowed down a bit in watching and then when the went on strike again in '85...done.
And I get what you are saying 100%.
Just like NFL. Free agency took a chunk of the game away from the fans.
I too remember when I knew every damn player for the Cubs and the Steelers. Hell I knew half their stats and also knew most players in the AFC.

The last strike is what put the nail in the coffin.

Now we have big money teams and small market farm teams.

If you are a fan of a small market them, the best you can hope for is that your favorite star player will be a Yankee someday so they can win a World Series.

you nailed it.ALMOST.Baseball so much sucks now,same as the NFL your points are what backs up what i been saing that free agency is what put the nail in the coffin because that is WHY we have have small market teams that dont have a chance to to go to the world series anymore since they cant keep their good players. If this was the early 70's for example,there is NO WAY Johhny cuoto would have left the Reds. its very sad but true,these small market teams like the reds are just there minor league teams developing their players so the yankees or the dodgers and Giants can win a world series for the franchise they came out of now. could not have said it better myself.

I am a Minnesota Twins fan- not exactly a big spender, a franchise whose playoff appearances over the past decade have been trademarked by perennially losing to the iconic New York Yankees....

I still support Free Agency to the bone. A free market is as a free market does.

 

[Votto]

Baseball sucked before free agency
Players got screwed, same teams always won

The way things are set up now, players get to make as much money as they like, the sky is the limit. Also, owners also make as much money as they care to. With big market teams dominating the playoffs, even the media makes out big as they have more fan interest from bigger markets.

The only ones now left out are the fans of small market teams. No one gives a damn about them.

Small market teams always got screwed
Especially before free agency. They used to have to sell their top players to big market teams (Yankees) just to pay their bills

The Yankees spend more on their bull pen than many teams spend for their entire team.

There is no way to compete against that.

 

[Votto]

Pheh....gave up on MLB when they went on strike in '81, slowed down a bit in watching and then when the went on strike again in '85...done.
And I get what you are saying 100%.
Just like NFL. Free agency took a chunk of the game away from the fans.
I too remember when I knew every damn player for the Cubs and the Steelers. Hell I knew half their stats and also knew most players in the AFC.

The last strike is what put the nail in the coffin.

Now we have big money teams and small market farm teams.

If you are a fan of a small market them, the best you can hope for is that your favorite star player will be a Yankee someday so they can win a World Series.

you nailed it.ALMOST.Baseball so much sucks now,same as the NFL your points are what backs up what i been saing that free agency is what put the nail in the coffin because that is WHY we have have small market teams that dont have a chance to to go to the world series anymore since they cant keep their good players. If this was the early 70's for example,there is NO WAY Johhny cuoto would have left the Reds. its very sad but true,these small market teams like the reds are just there minor league teams developing their players so the yankees or the dodgers and Giants can win a world series for the franchise they came out of now. could not have said it better myself.

I am a Minnesota Twins fan- not exactly a big spender, a franchise whose playoff appearances over the past decade have been trademarked by perennially losing to the iconic New York Yankees....

I still support Free Agency to the bone. A free market is as a free market does.

As a small market team, that is about the most you can hope for, just make the playoffs but never expect to go anywhere once you get there.

 

[rightwinger]

Baseball sucked before free agency
Players got screwed, same teams always won

The way things are set up now, players get to make as much money as they like, the sky is the limit. Also, owners also make as much money as they care to. With big market teams dominating the playoffs, even the media makes out big as they have more fan interest from bigger markets.

The only ones now left out are the fans of small market teams. No one gives a damn about them.

Small market teams always got screwed
Especially before free agency. They used to have to sell their top players to big market teams (Yankees) just to pay their bills

The Yankees spend more on their bull pen than many teams spend for their entire team.

There is no way to compete against that.

When was the last time the Yankees won the World Series?
KC and Houston are small market teams that learned how to beat the system

 

[rightwinger]

It is not an easy path for young players to reach free agency
Takes six or seven years in the majors to qualify

Mike Trout and Bryce Harper are still not eligible

Aaron Judge hit 52 HR last year and makes $600,000

 

[frigidweirdo]

That was the worst thing to ever happen to baseball was when the asshole owners brought free agency into the game in 1973. It used to be growing up i always got excited about the home opener.Back then EVERY team had as much of a shot at the world series as the next guy. But these days because of it,every year,you dont know half the players on your team if you are one of the smaller markets.

Back then,i ALWAYS knew the players from the other team that i was going out to see and that always made it a fun experience knowing a certain team had a group of players you were looking forward to see. Now these days,you dont know the majority of the players on the other team as well as not knowing at least half the players on your OWN team every new year.

Back then it would have been unheard of for Johnny cuoto after being in the reds organization for just four years to jump ship for another team so quickly or joe jacoby doing the same thing after only four years with the red sox going to the yankees. people like ted williams and carl yastremski must be rolling over their graves right now seeing how players now dont appreciate what it means to play for the red sox,

teams like the reds,padres,pirates,twins,and many other small market teams,they will never have the chance to be in the world series again because of fucking free agency. free agency needs to be abolished.

Communist huh?

 

[LA RAM FAN]

Pheh....gave up on MLB when they went on strike in '81, slowed down a bit in watching and then when the went on strike again in '85...done.
And I get what you are saying 100%.
Just like NFL. Free agency took a chunk of the game away from the fans.
I too remember when I knew every damn player for the Cubs and the Steelers. Hell I knew half their stats and also knew most players in the AFC.

The last strike is what put the nail in the coffin.

Now we have big money teams and small market farm teams.

If you are a fan of a small market them, the best you can hope for is that your favorite star player will be a Yankee someday so they can win a World Series.

you nailed it.ALMOST.Baseball so much sucks now,same as the NFL your points are what backs up what i been saing that free agency is what put the nail in the coffin because that is WHY we have have small market teams that dont have a chance to to go to the world series anymore since they cant keep their good players. If this was the early 70's for example,there is NO WAY Johhny cuoto would have left the Reds. its very sad but true,these small market teams like the reds are just there minor league teams developing their players so the yankees or the dodgers and Giants can win a world series for the franchise they came out of now. could not have said it better myself.

I am a Minnesota Twins fan- not exactly a big spender, a franchise whose playoff appearances over the past decade have been trademarked by perennially losing to the iconic New York Yankees....

I still support Free Agency to the bone. A free market is as a free market does.

you support it? what in gods name are you smoking? No way any true Twins fan would support it. as long as it is here to stay those good old days like 1987 and the year they lost to the dodgers in the 60's are overwith having to compete with the team that can buy themselves championships every year.only a FOOL would support this instead of the good old days of baseball.

 

[LA RAM FAN]

That was the worst thing to ever happen to baseball was when the asshole owners brought free agency into the game in 1973. It used to be growing up i always got excited about the home opener.Back then EVERY team had as much of a shot at the world series as the next guy. But these days because of it,every year,you dont know half the players on your team if you are one of the smaller markets.

Back then,i ALWAYS knew the players from the other team that i was going out to see and that always made it a fun experience knowing a certain team had a group of players you were looking forward to see. Now these days,you dont know the majority of the players on the other team as well as not knowing at least half the players on your OWN team every new year.

Back then it would have been unheard of for Johnny cuoto after being in the reds organization for just four years to jump ship for another team so quickly or joe jacoby doing the same thing after only four years with the red sox going to the yankees. people like ted williams and carl yastremski must be rolling over their graves right now seeing how players now dont appreciate what it means to play for the red sox,

teams like the reds,padres,pirates,twins,and many other small market teams,they will never have the chance to be in the world series again because of fucking free agency. free agency needs to be abolished.

Communist huh?

yep thats what MLB is alright. I would totally expect that out of you,the fact you have never made a post that contributed to anything.

 

[martybegan]

Baseball sucked before free agency
Players got screwed, same teams always won

The way things are set up now, players get to make as much money as they like, the sky is the limit. Also, owners also make as much money as they care to. With big market teams dominating the playoffs, even the media makes out big as they have more fan interest from bigger markets.

The only ones now left out are the fans of small market teams. No one gives a damn about them.

Small market teams always got screwed
Especially before free agency. They used to have to sell their top players to big market teams (Yankees) just to pay their bills

The Luxury tax mitigated the situation somewhat, allowing smaller teams to keep some of their better players after they are done with their Rookie contract.

However a lot of the bigger teams are now actively trying to stay under the tax cap, and thus the smaller teams are losing their extra income.

 

[LA RAM FAN]

Pheh....gave up on MLB when they went on strike in '81, slowed down a bit in watching and then when the went on strike again in '85...done.
And I get what you are saying 100%.
Just like NFL. Free agency took a chunk of the game away from the fans.
I too remember when I knew every damn player for the Cubs and the Steelers. Hell I knew half their stats and also knew most players in the AFC.

The last strike is what put the nail in the coffin.

Now we have big money teams and small market farm teams.

If you are a fan of a small market them, the best you can hope for is that your favorite star player will be a Yankee someday so they can win a World Series.

you nailed it.ALMOST.Baseball so much sucks now,same as the NFL your points are what backs up what i been saing that free agency is what put the nail in the coffin because that is WHY we have have small market teams that dont have a chance to to go to the world series anymore since they cant keep their good players. If this was the early 70's for example,there is NO WAY Johhny cuoto would have left the Reds. its very sad but true,these small market teams like the reds are just there minor league teams developing their players so the yankees or the dodgers and Giants can win a world series for the franchise they came out of now. could not have said it better myself.

I am a Minnesota Twins fan- not exactly a big spender, a franchise whose playoff appearances over the past decade have been trademarked by perennially losing to the iconic New York Yankees....

I still support Free Agency to the bone. A free market is as a free market does.

As a small market team, that is about the most you can hope for, just make the playoffs but never expect to go anywhere once you get there.

and like you said so well earlier before as well,you can only hope that a great player you develop ends up with the yankees or dodgers so they can win a world series for them.

 

[martybegan]

It is not an easy path for young players to reach free agency
Takes six or seven years in the majors to qualify

Mike Trout and Bryce Harper are still not eligible

Aaron Judge hit 52 HR last year and makes $600,000

Most players only get one shot at the really big contract, and even then some teams know they will be on the hook for the last few years for a declining player.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Pheh....gave up on MLB when they went on strike in '81, slowed down a bit in watching and then when the went on strike again in '85...done.
And I get what you are saying 100%.
Just like NFL. Free agency took a chunk of the game away from the fans.
I too remember when I knew every damn player for the Cubs and the Steelers. Hell I knew half their stats and also knew most players in the AFC.

The last strike is what put the nail in the coffin.

Now we have big money teams and small market farm teams.

If you are a fan of a small market them, the best you can hope for is that your favorite star player will be a Yankee someday so they can win a World Series.

Are you literate?

 

[Jarlaxle]

Pheh....gave up on MLB when they went on strike in '81, slowed down a bit in watching and then when the went on strike again in '85...done.
And I get what you are saying 100%.
Just like NFL. Free agency took a chunk of the game away from the fans.
I too remember when I knew every damn player for the Cubs and the Steelers. Hell I knew half their stats and also knew most players in the AFC.

The last strike is what put the nail in the coffin.

Now we have big money teams and small market farm teams.

If you are a fan of a small market them, the best you can hope for is that your favorite star player will be a Yankee someday so they can win a World Series.

you nailed it.ALMOST.Baseball so much sucks now,same as the NFL your points are what backs up what i been saing that free agency is what put the nail in the coffin because that is WHY we have have small market teams that dont have a chance to to go to the world series anymore since they cant keep their good players. If this was the early 70's for example,there is NO WAY Johhny cuoto would have left the Reds. its very sad but true,these small market teams like the reds are just there minor league teams developing their players so the yankees or the dodgers and Giants can win a world series for the franchise they came out of now. could not have said it better myself.

I am a Minnesota Twins fan- not exactly a big spender, a franchise whose playoff appearances over the past decade have been trademarked by perennially losing to the iconic New York Yankees....

I still support Free Agency to the bone. A free market is as a free market does.

As a small market team, that is about the most you can hope for, just make the playoffs but never expect to go anywhere once you get there.

You mean like the 201t World Series champion Royals?

 

[LA RAM FAN]

Yep, the game sure has changed with free agency, expansion, the DH, cable TV. What I found worse of all was back when they were playing most of the games on AstroTurf, especially in the National League which had more of the newer stadiums. Oh for the days of Dizzy Dean and Pee Wee Reese calling Saturday afternoon's Game of the Week.

​

yeah indeed,solid on ALL points there.could not have said it any better.the only one you mentioned i was okay with is the DH.as long as just the american league has it.Pitchers dont take any pride in trying to be a good hitter so might as well have the DH. pretty boring watching them come up and do what you expect them to do almost everytime,strike out most the time.its very very rare they get a hit so good move IMO. oh one more thing to add,yeah cable really ruined the game as well. I used to always get excited about them having the game of the week each weekend,oh the memories. excellent stuff there.

 

[Votto]

Pheh....gave up on MLB when they went on strike in '81, slowed down a bit in watching and then when the went on strike again in '85...done.
And I get what you are saying 100%.
Just like NFL. Free agency took a chunk of the game away from the fans.
I too remember when I knew every damn player for the Cubs and the Steelers. Hell I knew half their stats and also knew most players in the AFC.

The last strike is what put the nail in the coffin.

Now we have big money teams and small market farm teams.

If you are a fan of a small market them, the best you can hope for is that your favorite star player will be a Yankee someday so they can win a World Series.

you nailed it.ALMOST.Baseball so much sucks now,same as the NFL your points are what backs up what i been saing that free agency is what put the nail in the coffin because that is WHY we have have small market teams that dont have a chance to to go to the world series anymore since they cant keep their good players. If this was the early 70's for example,there is NO WAY Johhny cuoto would have left the Reds. its very sad but true,these small market teams like the reds are just there minor league teams developing their players so the yankees or the dodgers and Giants can win a world series for the franchise they came out of now. could not have said it better myself.

I am a Minnesota Twins fan- not exactly a big spender, a franchise whose playoff appearances over the past decade have been trademarked by perennially losing to the iconic New York Yankees....

I still support Free Agency to the bone. A free market is as a free market does.

As a small market team, that is about the most you can hope for, just make the playoffs but never expect to go anywhere once you get there.

You mean like the 201t World Series champion Royals?

That was a fluke.

The last small market team to win it all was Miami in the 1990's.

And what happened to the Royals after that year?

Yep, they fell apart.

 

[rightwinger]

Baseball sucked before free agency
Players got screwed, same teams always won

The way things are set up now, players get to make as much money as they like, the sky is the limit. Also, owners also make as much money as they care to. With big market teams dominating the playoffs, even the media makes out big as they have more fan interest from bigger markets.

The only ones now left out are the fans of small market teams. No one gives a damn about them.

Small market teams always got screwed
Especially before free agency. They used to have to sell their top players to big market teams (Yankees) just to pay their bills

The Luxury tax mitigated the situation somewhat, allowing smaller teams to keep some of their better players after they are done with their Rookie contract.

However a lot of the bigger teams are now actively trying to stay under the tax cap, and thus the smaller teams are losing their extra income.

There is a comfort zone for small market teams where they can keep an affordable payroll and still make a profit
Many are following the model of the Houston Astros. Keep a payroll of $28 million. Lose 105 games a year. Trade any player of value for promising minor leaguers. Do this for five years of misery

All of a sudden your team is stocked with blue chip players at low salaries. Add a couple of key free agents and you can beat the big spending Yankees in the playoffs and big spending Dodgers in the series

 

[martybegan]

Baseball sucked before free agency
Players got screwed, same teams always won

The way things are set up now, players get to make as much money as they like, the sky is the limit. Also, owners also make as much money as they care to. With big market teams dominating the playoffs, even the media makes out big as they have more fan interest from bigger markets.

The only ones now left out are the fans of small market teams. No one gives a damn about them.

Small market teams always got screwed
Especially before free agency. They used to have to sell their top players to big market teams (Yankees) just to pay their bills

The Luxury tax mitigated the situation somewhat, allowing smaller teams to keep some of their better players after they are done with their Rookie contract.

However a lot of the bigger teams are now actively trying to stay under the tax cap, and thus the smaller teams are losing their extra income.

There is a comfort zone for small market teams where they can keep an affordable payroll and still make a profit
Many are following the model of the Houston Astros. Keep a payroll of $28 million. Lose 105 games a year. Trade any player of value for promising minor leaguers. Do this for five years of misery

All of a sudden your team is stocked with blue chip players at low salaries. Add a couple of key free agents and you can beat the big spending Yankees in the playoffs and big spending Dodgers in the series

What baseball lacks is football's ability to have National TV contracts of significant value. This isn't baseball's fault, its just that football games are events, that will even get out of market people to watch, while baseball is a far more local phenomenon.

They also lack basketball's much smaller player requirements.

As a met fan I know how smaller market fans feel. We may be in a big market, but we share it with the Yankee juggernaut.

 

[rightwinger]

Baseball sucked before free agency
Players got screwed, same teams always won

The way things are set up now, players get to make as much money as they like, the sky is the limit. Also, owners also make as much money as they care to. With big market teams dominating the playoffs, even the media makes out big as they have more fan interest from bigger markets.

The only ones now left out are the fans of small market teams. No one gives a damn about them.

Small market teams always got screwed
Especially before free agency. They used to have to sell their top players to big market teams (Yankees) just to pay their bills

The Luxury tax mitigated the situation somewhat, allowing smaller teams to keep some of their better players after they are done with their Rookie contract.

However a lot of the bigger teams are now actively trying to stay under the tax cap, and thus the smaller teams are losing their extra income.

There is a comfort zone for small market teams where they can keep an affordable payroll and still make a profit
Many are following the model of the Houston Astros. Keep a payroll of $28 million. Lose 105 games a year. Trade any player of value for promising minor leaguers. Do this for five years of misery

All of a sudden your team is stocked with blue chip players at low salaries. Add a couple of key free agents and you can beat the big spending Yankees in the playoffs and big spending Dodgers in the series

What baseball lacks is football's ability to have National TV contracts of significant value. This isn't baseball's fault, its just that football games are events, that will even get out of market people to watch, while baseball is a far more local phenomenon.

They also lack basketball's much smaller player requirements.

As a met fan I know how smaller market fans feel. We may be in a big market, but we share it with the Yankee juggernaut.

I’ve been a Met fan for over 50 years. For most of that time they have been content to be second place in their Division and Yankees Lite
Since Fred Wilpon took over, they have been content to be a second division team with a huge TV contract