What I find most interesting is not the randomness of a high-spending team winning a title, but if that win alone constitutes success? Are the latest era Phillies "successful?" Is reaching the WS or simply running deep into the playoffs regularly successful? The Braves? Are the Braves successful for one title in the 1990s or disappointing? If they don't win another title in ten years will be still praise their "progressive" player contract strategy? The Dodgers, with their 2020 fishbowl "championship" and $2b in the Roberts era? Financially, yes, I presume for all of the aforementioned teams. Baseball on-field success is hopelessly random, it seems. Since the Rangers won, baseball genuflects to their "formula" knowing full well nobody really knows. Which, of course, keeps us interested, I suppose.
What I find most interesting is not the randomness of a high-spending team winning a title, but if that win alone constitutes success? Are the latest era Phillies "successful?" Is reaching the WS or simply running deep into the playoffs regularly successful? The Braves? Are the Braves successful for one title in the 1990s or disappointing? If they don't win another title in ten years will be still praise their "progressive" player contract strategy? The Dodgers, with their 2020 fishbowl "championship" and $2b in the Roberts era? Financially, yes, I presume for all of the aforementioned teams. Baseball on-field success is hopelessly random, it seems. Since the Rangers won, baseball genuflects to their "formula" knowing full well nobody really knows. Which, of course, keeps us interested, I suppose.