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“I don’t like teams that are spending money.  Unfortunately, if I don’t, I’m not going to be able to watch baseball because of all four that are left are way over the $100 million payroll threshold.” (CNN)

The New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies are the last four teams standing in the Major League Baseball playoffs.  They also account for four of baseball’s nine largest payrolls. Media outlets across the U.S. are questioning: Is this good or bad for America’s pastime?   

Joe Starkey of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review votes bad, with this scathing comment…

“The only thing a Yankees-Dodgers Series would reinforce is the inequity of Major League Baseball's idiotic economic system.” (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) 

Starkey’s comment was in response to a column by New York Times’ William Rhoden, who says,

“Baseball needs a World Series for the ages, one that reinforces its roots and, yes, its relative purity... It needs Yankees-Dodgers, for the good of the game.” (New York Times)

Joe Buck of FOX Sports has the view the teams don’t matter as much as the games themselves.

“This will by my twelfth World Series, and I’m smart enough to know whatever you think you want going in, it doesn’t usually live up to the hype, as the ones that kind of sneak in there and surprise you.  It doesn’t matter so much what markets, it’s more volume of games.  Once you get to a six of seven, that captures the country’s attention.” (FOX)

And it will also capture big TV ratings.  TBS broadcast the first round of the playoffs and had their best week ever.  Even though three of the four first round series were sweeps, ratings were up 11 percent from last year and 232 percent from the previous week. Bloomberg News says for television, everything is better when the Yankees are around.  

“Leading into the playoffs, what matters are the Yankees.  People disagree with that, but the ratings, they bare out.  Every year the Yankees are in it, the ratings go up.” (Bloomberg)

A writer for The East Valley Tribune in Phoenix has mixed feelings on the topic.  

“It's good for baseball when the Yankees and Red Sox are in the playoffs. They're the bell cows of the sport. When they're on television, ratings spike, and advertising sales soar. But their excellence shouldn't be defined by the number of zeroes on a player's paycheck. That's why it's hard to root for any of the four teams left in the postseason. They bought their way in.” (East Valley Tribune)

 
A columnist for The Cincinnati Enquirer says long-suffering Cincinnati Reds fans may be on the verge of giving up on baseball.  

“Cincinnati still wants to love professional baseball, but baseball is making it hard. High rollers are always welcome at MLB’s table. Everyone else better talk fast and own a good set of elbows.” (Cincinnati Enquirer)

 
Are you more or less likely to watch the post season because of all the big market teams involved?