Nik

The cost (not just financial) to play is ridiculous: The problem: • Private equity is buying up travel ball • Kids “need” private lessons just to stay competitive • A decent glove is $400, a bat is $500 • Weekends disappear for tournaments and travel • Lower-income kids are getting priced out fastest • Year-round specialization is burning kids out early What I think needs to happen: • Little League needs a real, cost-competitive alternative to travel ball • Parents need to stop treating the travel arms race like it’s mandatory • More competitive local options that don’t require hotels every weekend • MLB and governing bodies should actually invest in affordable pathways • Keep kids playing multiple sports longer instead of forcing early specialization • Make rec leagues feel legitimate again instead of the “cheap” option

Owners are gonna hate this graph heading into the lockout. World Series champ was 19th in payroll, runner-up was 26th, and the Mets spent the most in the league and finished 74-88. Bottom teams just showed they can beat the top ones when it counts. This season already showed what happens when teams develop and manage well. Guardians made the playoffs with the lowest payroll and the White Sox got in on one of the smallest ones too, while a bunch of teams spending $170-200M stayed home. Competitive balance is already a thing under the current rules. A hard cap mostly just gives owners a cleaner way to control costs and call it fairness. Mets made it even more obvious. They spent more than the Brewers and Rays combined and still missed the playoffs. People were using Cohen as the reason you need a cap so big markets don’t buy everything, and his team just proved spending a ton doesn’t mean shit if you don’t build it right. Owners are still gonna lock everyone out on Dec 1 and push that $245M hard cap plus a floor anyway. They’ve already said the payroll gap makes it “not a fair fight,” even though the two teams that played for the title were both way under that number. Prediction is they hold the line through the winter, miss spring training, and only cave once they realize a shortened season actually costs them more than letting the Dodgers and Mets spend. The graph doesn’t help their argument, but that probably won’t stop them from trying.