Sometime on Wednesday night, Eastern Time in America, a Major League umpire will cry, "Play Ball!", and the 2008 World Series will commmence in Tampa. I'm sorry, Tampa? That means the perennially-lousy Tampa Bay Devil Rays are in the World Series. Hang on, what's that you say? They're now called just the Rays? And they are in the World Series first time of asking with their new name? Wow, that must have been some exorcism.
For the first ten years of their existence in the Major Leagues, the City of Tampa franchise were the worst American team in their division (the one time they weren't dead last in the American League East, Toronto finished below them). Then, this year, they won their division, then the American League pennant, and now are just four wins away from winning the World Series. How'd that happen?
Well, it's due to the fantastic American sporting concepts of player drafts and revenue sharing. What that means is that when pro teams in America select new players, the worst team gets first crack at the best of the incoming talent, not the rich ones, as happens in pro leagues in other parts of the world. With some smart decision-making, teams can quickly get out of a patch of poor seasons and become contenders in a hurry. Like the Rays.
And instead of the rich getting richer every year, all the teams share money from a big pile of money that their respective leagues generate.
Some may call it socialism, others an opportunity. Personally, I think it's great that fans of just about every (decently run) team can go no more than a few years without their team being a contender again. Unless you're a fan of the LA Clippers...or the Chicago Cubs.
Play ball!
For the first ten years of their existence in the Major Leagues, the City of Tampa franchise were the worst American team in their division (the one time they weren't dead last in the American League East, Toronto finished below them). Then, this year, they won their division, then the American League pennant, and now are just four wins away from winning the World Series. How'd that happen?
Well, it's due to the fantastic American sporting concepts of player drafts and revenue sharing. What that means is that when pro teams in America select new players, the worst team gets first crack at the best of the incoming talent, not the rich ones, as happens in pro leagues in other parts of the world. With some smart decision-making, teams can quickly get out of a patch of poor seasons and become contenders in a hurry. Like the Rays.
And instead of the rich getting richer every year, all the teams share money from a big pile of money that their respective leagues generate.
Some may call it socialism, others an opportunity. Personally, I think it's great that fans of just about every (decently run) team can go no more than a few years without their team being a contender again. Unless you're a fan of the LA Clippers...or the Chicago Cubs.
Play ball!
1 Comment:
I'm happy for that loser team to have the opportunity to not be so loserish. Go Rays!!! lol
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