I wrote an article last week about the widening gap among team salaries that exists in Major league Baseball. You've heard it before, the same old rhetoric about team's success depending solely on their ability to spend a lot of money. Although I enjoyed arguing for that side, I don't really agree with it. The truth is that teams do not win championships and are not better year after year, simply because of money.
Many factors contribute to a team being consistently good.
The Yankees, a team I bashed in my previous article, are an example of this. The reason they are dominating baseball isn't so much about money as its about Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Roger Maris, and a 90-year tradition of being the greatest franchise in baseball. Besides, the Yankees have a rich history of molding star players through their minor league system, because they put more time and energy into drafting the best talent available. Players such as Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams, both integral parts of the four championships, were products of the Yankee farm system. On the flip side, some teams are consistently bad, not because of a lack of funds, but from bad decisions to release young talent.