Buy or Earn a World Series?

[scs_paradise]

This came up in another thread but it got me wondering how many people would make the distinction between buying a world series and earning one. Personally I would feel bitter sweet about a world series win with a $200 million payroll. I would be ecstatic because I'm a huge cubs fan and it would just be amazing to finally win one, however I would feel dirty knowing that we did it in a way that is considered just short of cheating (I'm not sure if that is even the right wording but i think most of you get my point)

 

so the question is do you care HOW the cubs win a world series?

[Irrelevant Dude]

Nope.

[erik316wttn]

Just so long as they win, at this point I don't care.

[scs_paradise]

Nope.

 

So if we went out and bought the best player at every position, we were expected to win the series because our payroll is $100 million more than the next team, you would feel just as satisfied with that title as if we did it with an intelligent budget, good role players and the right mix of power and avg? Not even a little bit of the shine would come of the victory?

[Irrelevant Dude]

Nope.

So if we went out and bought the best player at every position, we were expected to win the series because our payroll is $100 million more than the next team, you would feel just as satisfied with that title as if we did it with an intelligent budget, good role players and the right mix of power and avg? Not even a little bit of the shine would come of the victory?

I wouldn't care either way, BUT I would prefer to win with a likeable group of guys (a team unlike the 2004 team). Whether the Cubs buy those players or develop them, it really doesn't matter.

[Roast]

Nope.

 

So if we went out and bought the best player at every position, we were expected to win the series because our payroll is $100 million more than the next team, you would feel just as satisfied with that title as if we did it with an intelligent budget, good role players and the right mix of power and avg? Not even a little bit of the shine would come of the victory?

 

No, thats what managment is supposed to do; go out and get the best players available at every position. I want a world series.

[scs_paradise]

Nope.

So if we went out and bought the best player at every position, we were expected to win the series because our payroll is $100 million more than the next team, you would feel just as satisfied with that title as if we did it with an intelligent budget, good role players and the right mix of power and avg? Not even a little bit of the shine would come of the victory?

I wouldn't care either way, BUT I would prefer to win with a likeable group of guys (a team unlike the 2004 team). Whether the Cubs buy those players or develop them, it really doesn't matter.

 

I guess the 2004 team is probably what scares me the most. I would have been happy to win that year but not as happy as the 2003 team. Perhaps is tied less to payroll and more toward likability. There is still a cheap feeling about winning the series with a team that has twice the payroll as the next team.

[NewUserName]

I would say as a fan it really doesnt matter to me. However I would also say that buying a championship has not been a very successful model. Building a strong minor league system that allows you to bring up replacement players and trade for value seems to have a lot more success than buying a championship.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

http://www.post-gazette.com/images3/20050515wadesptworld1_230.jpg

 

Who cares what it costs?

[synergy]

http://www.post-gazette.com/images3/20050515wadesptworld1_230.jpg

 

Who cares what it costs?

 

For real, I don't care how we win it. I just want to see 1 World Series in my lifetime. My grandma will be 88 years old this November.......she is a big Cubs fan and was born in 1918. She's still waiting........98 years is too long. I don't care if they have all time legends playing at each position. Just as long as they win 1.

[rocket]

we probably shouldn't be picky when it comes to how we win a world series

[wolf stansson]

I'm confused by this concept of either buying or earning a world series. The two aren't mutually exclusive. The Cubs are blessed to be one of the most financially profitable organizations in sport. They can spend money to bring in good players to win. It's just a matter of putting the right pieces in place. If they spend like the Yankees to do that, they would still be earning it because they paid a price to get there.

[scs_paradise]

I'm confused by this concept of either buying or earning a world series. The two aren't mutually exclusive. The Cubs are blessed to be one of the most financially profitable organizations in sport. They can spend money to bring in good players to win. It's just a matter of putting the right pieces in place. If they spend like the Yankees to do that, they would still be earning it because they paid a price to get there.

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you spend like the Yankees you spend more than just money, I think you sacrifice your dignity, your sportsmanship, your honor. That's all based off my belief that its not sporting to have a payroll twice as high as the nearest competitor, and some unwritten force is what defines sporting to me. I know that there are those that say if you can afford it you should do it, or if others aren't willing to spend you should, I just think sportsmanship is more than just following the rules.

[erik316wttn]

we probably shouldn't be picky when it comes to how we win a world series

 

The old saying "Beggars can't be choosy" comes to mind.

[Sammy Sofa]

Expensive players still have to work to win it all. I don't care how much it costs or how "big" the names are...get to and win the damn WS!

[sethuel1]

I would go so far as to say that if I had to arrange some visits to opponents from Jeff Gillooly and Shane Stant in order to get a Cubs World Series, I'd consider it.

[CubsBullsBears]

Who cares?? I think the Bulls outspent teams to win their titles. It cost JR 33M to bring Jordan back for 97-98 season.

[Sosa21MVP]

This came up in another thread but it got me wondering how many people would make the distinction between buying a world series and earning one. Personally I would feel bitter sweet about a world series win with a $200 million payroll. I would be ecstatic because I'm a huge cubs fan and it would just be amazing to finally win one, however I would feel dirty knowing that we did it in a way that is considered just short of cheating (I'm not sure if that is even the right wording but i think most of you get my point)

 

so the question is do you care HOW the cubs win a world series?

 

It is a lot more complicated than that. Spending money alone doesn't "earn" ANY team a darn thing. The Yankees have not won the World Series in 6 years. When they did win 4 out of 5 titles in the late 90's, they did it primarily with homegrown talent combined with above-average free agents but no superstar signings. Add up how many rings they've gained since making big splashes like Giambi, ARod, Randy Johnson, etc; the number is ZERO.

 

The team that wins the World Series every season has EARNED IT regardless of the payroll. Money spent foolishly is not rewarded; money spent wisely is rewarded and I maintain those rules hold true regardless if the payroll is $200 million or $50 million. If you spend wisely with what you have, there is no reason to feel tainted if you win a title.

[cubfan1955]

I havne't seen too many Yankee fans complaining about how much the Yankees spent for their championships over the last century so I'm pretty sure I could handle it.

[Scott G. F.]

A World Championship is always, always earned. Period.

[Caryatid]

Since the Yankees started their crazy spending spree, they've won exactly zero titles.

 

I'll take a World Series anyway I can get it-including if every other team simultaneously comes down with the measles.

[scs_paradise]

wow, I guess I'm really surprised by the number of people (all!) who don't care how we win the series as long as we do.

[goonys evil twin]

wow, I guess I'm really surprised by the number of people (all!) who don't care how we win the series as long as we do.

 

As long as they actually play the games, and the Cubs win them legally, I just want them to win one........... and then maybe a dozen more before I die.

[SquirminHerman Wedemeyer]

Hi all. I don't post much, but interesting topic...

 

I think the lines have blurred too much to make much of a distinction between "buying" or "earning/growing" a championship team. To wit, what would you say of the 04 Red Sox, who needed to bring in a hired gun in Schilling to get it done. Did they buy their championship, or just shrewdly find the final piece to the puzzle?

 

Free agency has made pro sports just a little bit less fun for me. I suppose it's great for ratings that your team can go from worst-to-first over any given offseason, but I'll echo the sentiment that it doesn't seem as "sporting" to me.

 

As a Chicago sports fan it was pretty exciting to watch as the Bears improved over the course of a couple years before winning a Super Bowl with mostly the same core group of guys. I mean, how long did that offensive line play together? (Covert, Bortz, Hilgenberg, Thayer, VanHorn - I can probably name 3 of the current OLine). Does that ever happen anymore? Ditto for the Bulls, though I'm not as big of an NBA fan.

 

So, I'd rather see the Cubs win a World Series in a similar manner but like others have pointed out, something about begging & choosing comes to mind.

[cubfan1955]

Since the Yankees started their crazy spending spree, they've won exactly zero titles.

 

I'll take a World Series anyway I can get it-including if every other team simultaneously comes down with the measles.

The Yankess have always had a bigger payroll than all of the other teams. Go back and look at their teams of the 70's that they bought, mostly from the A's Charlie Finley.