Pirates actually draw a crowd

[deliverance]

The Pirates can sell out when the Yankees are in town. Maybe they should take a page from the Yanks and start spending some money. The Pirates actually looked as if they played inspired baseball last night. Maybe you Pirate fans should get out there to Pittsburgh more often and then they might put a .500 team on the field.

[BaseballKid1827]

Pirates=One of the most profitable teams in the MLB.
Yankees=Not so much...

[BlueWhite23]

Deliverance, are you actually implying that an increase in attendence will result in a +.500 baseball team? I don't think so. Winning teams attract big crowds, not the other way around. I am a Pirate fan, but to be frank, they have sucked for the past 15 years, each of which they had under .500 teams. They can't "spend money like the yankees" because Pittsburgh is a small market, and the ownership has nowhere near that kind of funding, in turn they won't win many games, and as a final result...no one will come to the games. Face it--the franchise is one of the worst 5 in the MLB, as a whole, and it will forever be that way unless new ownership with lots of $$$ comes into play. Even if every single home game sold-out during the season, they would still find a way to lose at least 82 games.

[GoldenBoy11]

Three words for the Pirates: Billy. Beane. Moneyball.

[deliverance]

Yes, you are right bluewhite. The Marlins spend as much as anyone in baseball? Wait, no they don't, but they find a way to win. Of course, a crowd doesn't make a difference in whether they win or lose. It's the talent they get back in their trades. They should trade LaRoche to the Mets immediately for Delgado. Sounds like a good deal to me.

[nash112358]

The pirates will never be good with the ownership they have. They can't acquire, develop, or even spot talent. Take Bryan Bullington, the pirates first round draft pick in 2002, for example. He was drafted ahead of BJ Upton, Prince Fielder, Scott Kazmir, Nick Swisher, and Cole Hamels, but has never won a major league game. Last Friday the Pirates designated him for assignment again, which will probably end his tenure with the club. The state of baseball in Pittsburgh is pathetic. I gave up hope a long time ago and suggest the rest of you do the same.

[once a runner]

I don't think there is any doubt the Pirates have been poorly managed over the years. They always seemed to sign a big name has-been to try to fill some seats. They would give us the same B.S. about the player providing leadership and stability, but the real reason was to fool the fans into thinking that the front office is dedicated to winning. You would think that sometime in the last 15 years they could have at least had a winning season. Other teams that traditionally have low payrolls seem to have winning seasons on occasion.

With that said, a salary cap in baseball is sorely needed. It wouldn't necessarily make poorly run teams like the Pirates and Royals immediate contenders, but it would add some much needed balance to the league. Even though a variety of teams have won the WS in the last decade, the sport is marketed for the superstars. Where are the superstars playing? Of course they are primarily in the big market cities. Those are the teams that are featured on ESPN, FOX, stories in national newspapers, etc. Even if NY and Boston don't win every year, we know everything about them if we pay attention to Sportscenter. We even get up to date details on A-Rod's personal life.

If the league is too blind to see that the salary cap has benefited football and basketball then baseball will continue to descend in popularity. Yes, I know attendance at games is still very high, but other signs point to the decline (World Series ratings are nowhere close to what they were in the 70's and 80's, the rise of other sports like football and nascar, and steroid problems to name a few). Maybe someday those in charge of baseball will start planning for the long haul because right now I only see baseball on the decline.

[deliverance]

I agree a salary cap should be place in Major League Baseball. It is on the decline, but they have the advantage of playing a very long season while no other major sports are played.