▲ MLB's Milwaukee advances to the World Series for the first time in 44 years
For the first time in 35 years in Major League Baseball (MLB), a World Series (WS) matchup has been set between teams with lower-tier payrolls.
The Milwaukee Brewers, the National League champions who defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series (NLCS), will play a best-of-seven World Series starting today (September 24, Korea time) against either the Cleveland Guardians or the Tampa Bay Rays.
Regardless of who wins the American League Championship Series (ALCS), it is a "rebellion of the low-payroll teams."
According to the Associated Press on September 17, it is the first time since 1991 (Minnesota Twins vs. Atlanta Braves) that both league champions belong to clubs in the bottom 50 percent of the league in terms of payroll size.
On the other hand, the high-spending Dodgers, New York Mets, and New York Yankees all failed to reach the World Series stage.
As of opening day this season, the Mets ($358.4 million), Dodgers ($323.3 million), and Yankees ($320.8 million) swept the top tiers in payroll.
In contrast, Milwaukee was at $125.9 million (19th), Tampa Bay at $90.5 million (25th), and Cleveland at a mere $75.5 million (30th).
The combined payrolls of these three "small-market" clubs do not even reach the payroll of a single top-tier team.
Coincidentally, this World Series between "low-spending" clubs comes ahead of the expiration of the new collective bargaining agreement (December 1) between club owners and the players' union.
The owners are advocating for the introduction of a "salary cap" (a luxury tax or payroll limit), including a floor, to ensure competitive balance among teams, while the players' union maintains its stance that this is entirely unacceptable.
If the two sides fail to reach an agreement, a lockout starting December 2 is likely, making disruptions to next season inevitable.
This World Series matchup runs counter to the owners' argument for introducing a salary cap under the pretext of "competitive balance."
However, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred continues to emphasize the rationale for introducing a salary cap.
"Exceptions like this World Series participant do not mean competitive balance," he argued, adding, "Statistics show that large-market clubs have an overwhelmingly high probability of reaching the postseason and advancing to later rounds."
On the other hand, the players' perspective is different.
Bruce Meyer, the union's deputy executive director, countered, "You shouldn't believe the owners' complaints that they don't have the resources to compete. They all have the resources to compete."
Agent Scott Boras also pointed out, "While outstanding talent (high-salaried players) certainly increases the probability of success, baseball ultimately comes down to how you play in the moment."
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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