In 2005, seven MLB teams had more than 90 wins. The Yankees paid the most per win at $2.2 million followed by the Red Sox ($1.3 million); the Angels ($1 million); the Braves ($960,636); the Cardinals ($921,068); the World Champion Chicago White Sox ($759,373) and the Cleveland Indians ($446,263).
Those numbers are from The Washington Post (3/29/06), but I don’t know what point they are making. Obviously, more than $2 million seems like a lot of money just to win a baseball game. I assume the math is based on player salaries only, not team operating costs.
If these numbers imply that MLB owners who spend the most win the most, they are misleading. These seven winningest teams are not the seven higest-paid teams.
Consider the Kansas City Royals. Their team salary for 2005 was just over $36,000,000 – a bargain compared to some of the teams. But the Royals won only 56 games. It cost them nearly $643,000 per win, far more than the Indians.
Just like in real life, there are forces at work in professional baseball that move players and teams that have nothing to do with money.
