Commentary: Baseball doesn't need salary cap to keep Yankees from dominating

By John McGrath | The News Tribune • Published December 26, 2008

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In case you missed it, the 2009 New York Yankees made some news the other day. They became greatest team in the history of sports.

Although opening day is still three months away, their 162-0 regular-season record, their relentless roll through the American League playoffs, their World Series sweep — three victories on the field, the fourth by forfeiture of their humiliated, unworthy opponents — is as inevitable as slush after snow.

"At the rate the Yankees are going," Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio told Bloomberg News this week, "I'm not sure anyone can compete with them."

The notion that the Yankees already have wrapped up their 27th world championship is shared by many baseball cognoscenti, who cringed Tuesday as the team signed free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira to an eight-year, $180 million contract.

Before outbidding the Red Sox and Angels for Teixeira, the Yankees paid $161 million for left-handed pitcher CC Sabathia, and $82.5 million for right-hander A.J. Burnett.

When a powerhouse can commit $423.5 million to three players, when it's on the hook for the four most lucrative salaries in pro sports — third baseman Alex Rodriguez is No. 1, shortstop Derek Jeter is No. 2 — what's the point in pretending anybody else has a chance?

"Frankly," Attanasio lamented to Bloomberg News, "the sport may need a salary cap."

A salary cap! Yes!

Thank you, Mr. Attanasio, for having the courage to enunciate the magic words capable of solving an Evil Empire dynasty that enabled the 2007 Yankees to claim third place in a five-team division.

A salary cap is precisely what baseball needs to restore its competitive balance, because only seven different franchises have been able celebrate a world championship since the Yankees last won it all in 2000.

The NFL salary cap has done so much for parity, it allowed the Patriots finish their 2007 schedule with a 16-0 record, a year before the Lions became one road game removed from going 0-16.

The NBA salary cap is working even better. It enabled the Celtics to take a 27-2 record into their Christmas Day showdown against the 23-5 Lakers, while the Thunder (3-26), Timberwolves (4-23) and Wizards (4-22) flexed their muscles in anticipation of dethroning the defending league champions.

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