Congratulations to the New York Yankees, they won their 27th world championship. They did it legally; they did it within the confines of baseball’s salary structure or what little there is. They’ll share some of their revenue with other teams in the sport and they’ll retain the services of many of their major players who are currently the cornerstones of this championship team. 

This win was good for baseball and I’ll tell you why; because you have a team that spent a total of $400 million dollars, collectively, in the past two off-season’s, win (some would say buy) the championship. That’s something that no other team in the sport could afford to do.   The Yankees opened up their Taj Mahal this season and christened it with seating prices that only the nouveau riche could afford, and they got it. The Steinbrenner’s had the foresight to build their own television network and sell their own advertising, and they did it. The Yankees have a philosophy; your business plan is based upon your baseball plan and your baseball plan is WIN and they did it and they will reap the rewards from it. And, in today’s baseball financial structure, no one will touch them.

The Tampa Bay Rays recently traded second baseman Akinori Iwamura to the Pittsburgh Pirates for right handed pitcher Jesse Chavez. Iwamura had an option for 2010 at $4.85 million, an option that the Rays were not expected to pick up. Iwamura’s replacement, Ben Zobrist, was already on the roster.  Zobrist had a breakout season hitting .297 with 27 homers and 97 RBI. Iwamura was owed a bonus of $450 thousand in the nearing days and the Rays wanted to avoid that payment as well. Why do I bring this up you ask? Because Iwamura, at $4.85 million, becomes the Pirates highest paid player. The Yankees Alex Rodriguez will make that much in just over 30 games.

Even if the Yankees don’t buy every player, just the good ones, their free spending has raised the bar for even mediocre players who are becoming arbitration eligible not to mention the astronomical prices being paid in the free agent market. Come on, how do you think Jeff Suppan got 4 year, $42 million dollar deal? Teams are being forced to spend millions on subpar players because the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels, Phillies and Mets are capable over overpaying to merely get what they want. Again, I don’t begrudge them their finances nor do I discourage their spending, quite the contrary, the more they spend the more damage they do to their own sport and that will only accelerate what’s needed, a true salary cap structure.

Prince Fielder’s off to a tremendous start in his young career, no doubt about it and he’s getting paid handsomely for his efforts as well. Here’s the conundrum, after only 4 full years in the majors, he’s already worth a contract nearing 5 years for $125 million, minimum. What’s wrong with that picture!

Remember when the Brewers “went for it” and traded for CC Sabathia last season? That one move put the Brewers $5 million in the red ($95million) according to Mark Attanasio. That’s the reality of the sport. Eventually, the schism between the haves and the have not’s will grow beyond a competitive proportion in both dollars and competitiveness, so much so that franchises will eventually fold rather than be relocated.

The NBA and the NFL are both looking to expand into Europe and China. Why? Because the money and the available cities have pretty much dried up here in the states. If you think that there are 4 to 5 cities out there that are looking to spend a billion+ dollars on a new stadium and tax the citizens in the process, you’re out of your mind. While the ratings are high, the advertising dollars are shrinking for teams that aren’t front runners and it’s the corporate dollars, the television revenue, the local economies, in that order, that keep sports afloat. Ticket prices merely open the gates anymore, that cash doesn’t pay the salaries.

Something’s got to give and it just might be your favorite team folding it’s tent, not relocating, just going away before someone will stand up and say stop it. The player's old argument, “I need to feed my family” is so hollow and insulting in today’s day and age. There are families starving, there are families that are one paycheck away from being homeless, there are people who have lost their pensions, their retirement, everything yet a team like the Yankees is getting $2,500 per season ticket for box seats.  Again, if you can get it, get it but in the grand sheme of things, it doesn't benefit the sport, it benefits the Yankees. 

I hope that the Yankees win the World Series for the next 5 to 10 years. I hope that the Yankees dominate for another decade. Not because I’m a Yankees fan but because I love the game of baseball and it’s deteriorating financially before my very eyes. So go you Yankees go! For only your success matters now, it’s the rest…Kansas City, Milwaukee, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Cincinnati and the likes…that will ultimately pay the price.  One will have to fall before baseball comes to their collective senses.

For you Yankee lovers, don’t misconstrue this column for Yankee bashing, I’m not. The crux of my concern is for the long-term financial stability of Major League Baseball. The hypocrite in me says that if Mark Attanasio spent $200 million this year and won a championship, I’d be giddy but in my heart I’d know it’s ultimately wrong.