Cubs, Braves and revenues

Rambling thoughts on a Saturday:

* The Yankees long ago made popular the notion that superstar players will yield superstar results. No team can reach into the post-season effectively without a superstar guiding the way.

I would consider Alfonso Soriano a star in his own mind & effectiveness. Whether he is finally the answer to the Chicago Cubs' dream of a World Series remains to be seen. As talented as he is, he couldn't keep Washington from falling back below .500 last season, simply because he didn't have a supporting cast worth mentioning. Who do the Cubs have to help him carry the team? I really don't think Mark Prior & Kerry Wood are worth relying on much anymore as I don't see a magical end to their arm woes of the past three seasons.

Remember this from a Detroit standpoint: Frank Thomas and Alex Rodriguez carried their teams during the regular season, but who stopped them cold but the Tigers, a team that relied on everyone evenly.

* Will the Braves come back to form and begin winning division titles again? I am one for league parity (yes, a dynasty hater), but you cannot forget the fact that their pitching could have been on a one-year low ebb last season. Credit the change in pitching coaches from Leo Mazzone to Roger McDowell for much of that mess, plus a never-ending injury bug. But the Braves have proven to have ample resources in their farm system time and again. Atlanta is still a favored spot for players to be traded to or sign with, and this year may validate that fact even more.

* Wasn't it just ten years ago that we thought a $100 million team payroll was ridiculous? Now the Yankees are worth over $200 million in paychecks alone. Yet again, they didn't make the World Series. In fact, look at some of the participants from the past few years:

The Tigers. The Marlins. The Astros. Teams you wouldn't find leading a payroll list of having a $15 million player anchoring their roster, have found their way onto the fall stage. Commissioner Bud Selig has said for a few years now that revenue sharing is working. Most people scoff at that, but if you look deep into it and see it for what it's worth, he has a point.

So the TV ratings tanked last season - big deal. The hometown fans on both sides got to see great post-season action and fans were proud of both teams. It's still the fan who walks through the turnstile that matters most to the atmosphere of the ballpark - and consequently the mood of the players between the lines.

Feel-good moments abounded, in other words... and you didn't have to pay a U.S. Mint to see it.