In its presentation, MLB compared the Dodgers to the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League, a circuit that has a salary cap.
“The Cowboys are like the most recognized fan base or recognized sports team in all of sports,” Reds fan Kuffner recalled of the points MLB made. “They have to play by the same rules basically as everybody else in the NFL, whereas the Dodgers can go spend more money than the (Colorado) Rockies or the Reds. And they showed some slides of, over the last however many years, this is how many small-market teams have won, and this is how many big-market teams have won.”
But any conversation about competitive balance inevitably leads to the economic and structural elements of the sport. Asked what the league told fans about labor, Caplin replied, “We have not discussed labor and/or the upcoming CBA negotiations.”
That characterization is tenuous. A salary cap and spending were ultimately discussed during the presentation, participants said.