Lords of the Realm

[TroutBaseball]

I just finished reading this book. Has anyone else read it?

It's a fascinating look at the history of the business side of the game.  The Players Association was able to run over the owners because they were unified and the owners had the wrong incentives and couldn't unify.  Say what ever you will about Selig and Manafort, they have unified the owners to the benefit of the sport and the owner's pocket books.

 

The best parts of the book were about Marvin Miller, the rest got a little long in the tooth for me but also explained with great clarity why the Padres sell off in the early '90s made sense.

[jsnpritchett]

Just now, TroutBaseball said:

I just finished reading this book. Has anyone else read it?

It's a fascinating look at the history of the business side of the game.  The Players Association was able to run over the owners because they were unified and the owners had the wrong incentives and couldn't unify.  Say what ever you will about Selig and Manafort, they have unified the owners to the benefit of the sport and the owner's pocket books.

 

The best parts of the book were about Marvin Miller, the rest got a little long in the tooth for me but also explained with great clarity why the Padres sell off in the early '90s made sense.

I just recently read the first 50 pages or so and will probably go back and finish it soon (got distracted by another book).  I liked what I read so far.

[TroutBaseball]

When the Padres sold off in the '90s they were trying to get their payroll below $38 million (inflation adjusted). This year there are three teams with payrolls less than $32 million despite receiving $110 million a year in revenue sharing.

[Inside Pitch]

29 minutes ago, TroutBaseball said:

I just finished reading this book. Has anyone else read it?

It's a fascinating look at the history of the business side of the game.  The Players Association was able to run over the owners because they were unified and the owners had the wrong incentives and couldn't unify.  Say what ever you will about Selig and Manafort, they have unified the owners to the benefit of the sport and the owner's pocket books.

 

The best parts of the book were about Marvin Miller, the rest got a little long in the tooth for me but also explained with great clarity why the Padres sell off in the early '90s made sense.

Yes, and I've lobbied for others to read it as well.  Baseball and Billions by Andrew Zimbalist is similarly excellent.  Away Games is a really great look at how twisted teams were in Latin America

[Angel Oracle]

1 hour ago, TroutBaseball said:

When the Padres sold off in the '90s they were trying to get their payroll below $38 million (inflation adjusted). This year there are three teams with payrolls less than $32 million despite receiving $110 million a year in revenue sharing.

This is truly a baseball crime with those 3 teams.   It doesn’t cost anywhere nears $70 million for non- player expenses!

Let me guess: Pirates, O’s, and A’s?

Memo to those three owners:

Sell your freaking team!!!

Edited March 23, 2022 by Angel Oracle

[TroutBaseball]

1 hour ago, Angel Oracle said:

This is truly a baseball crime with those 3 teams.   It doesn’t cost anywhere nears $70 million for non- player expenses!

This is on top of what they make from ticket sales, local TV revenue, merchandise, Playoff TV, and MLB properties

[TroutBaseball]

Top 3:

1) Dodgers - $270,158,333
2) Mets - $249,099,999
3) Yankees - $235,940,714

 

Bottom 3:

28) Guardians - $35,600,000
29) Pirates - $35,250,000
30) Orioles - $30,316,666

[Lou]

6 minutes ago, TroutBaseball said:

Bottom 3:

28) Guardians - $35,600,000
29) Pirates - $35,250,000

29a) David Price - $32,000,000

29b) Trevor Bauer - $32,000,000
30) Orioles - $30,316,666

Fixed 

[Angelsjunky]

No, but are you Lord of the Manor?

[Lou]

15 minutes ago, Angelsjunky said:

No, but are you Lord of the Manor?

I am king of the county. You?

[Angelsjunky]

54 minutes ago, Lou said:

I am king of the county. You?

Queen of the castle.

[Angel Oracle]

3 hours ago, Angelsjunky said:

Queen of the castle.

But are you the key master?

[Tank]

6 hours ago, Angelsjunky said:

No, but are you Lord of the Manor?

I’m the king of my domain.

[halomatt]

9 hours ago, Tank said:

I’m the king of my domain.

[RallyMo]

On 3/23/2022 at 1:07 PM, TroutBaseball said:

I just finished reading this book. Has anyone else read it?

It's a fascinating look at the history of the business side of the game.  The Players Association was able to run over the owners because they were unified and the owners had the wrong incentives and couldn't unify.  Say what ever you will about Selig and Manafort, they have unified the owners to the benefit of the sport and the owner's pocket books.

 

The best parts of the book were about Marvin Miller, the rest got a little long in the tooth for me but also explained with great clarity why the Padres sell off in the early '90s made sense.

 

On 3/23/2022 at 1:10 PM, jsnpritchett said:

I just recently read the first 50 pages or so and will probably go back and finish it soon (got distracted by another book).  I liked what I read so far.

 

On 3/23/2022 at 1:39 PM, Inside Pitch said:

Yes, and I've lobbied for others to read it as well.  Baseball and Billions by Andrew Zimbalist is similarly excellent.  Away Games is a really great look at how twisted teams were in Latin America

Yes!!!! Excellent stuff.

Follow up a reading of it with Jon Pessah’s “The Game.”

https://www.amazon.com/Game-Inside-Secret-Baseballs-Brokers

It’s a perfect companion to Lords of the Realm and picks up where LOTR leaves off (ignoring the addendum).

I’m sure there’s some funny thing to say about Mordor here.