Steinbrenner "subsidizes" other teams because that's the rules of the league, not because he doesn't give a crap about money. The question then is "why"? I don't think the answer is, "because he can". I think it kills the hard core conservative family to pay the tax, but I think it would hurt a lot more if they didn't win. And if they continued to not win I don't think the salary would go that high for long. But like I said, I think this is not really the point. The Cubs don't need a Steinbrenner, but they don't need a Tribune Co. either. What I hope for is a Mark Cuban type. So far Ricketts has said all the right things, but it hasn't translated to action other than hiring a real statistical analyst. The draft was his first chance to make a good impression and that doesn't look so good, right now (not just b/c of the 1st rounder either). Why? Because he can, and because he has to. The Yankees are filthy rich. They make a ton of dough. MLB dictated that the big boys have to pay a tax if they go past a threshold, and that threshold doesn't come close to hurting Steinbrenner. Also, what exactly has Mark Cuban accomplished? Cuban took a nothing franchise and has turned them into one of the top 5 in the nba.