The rich get richer, the fans get dizzier

Sporting News, The, April 17, 1995 by Bob Nightengale

It sure is nice to see that absolutely nothing has changed in the world of baseball since we last were together.

The Expos still can't afford players who are good enough to make more than the minimum, and soon will be fleeing their country before they start using 40-watt light bulbs to save on their electric bill.

The Yankees still are the richest team in all the land, stealing All-Star closer John Wetteland from the Expos, and are now waiting permission to print playoff tickets.

The Braves, ensuring that they're untouchable, took All-Star center fielder Marquis Grissom off the Expos' hands, and already are taking sizes for their World Series rings.

The Tigers, who have this funny habit of spending money in the craziest places, shelled out $1.6 million apiece to Kirk Gibson and Alan Trammell.

The Royals, who are doing their finest Padres impersonation, unloaded Cy Young winner David Cone to the Blue Jays and center fielder Brian McRae to the Cubs. Now, they're telling everyone that first baseman Wally Joyner (scheduled to make $4.8 million this season), closer Jeff Montgomery $4 million), shortstop Greg Gagne ($3.5 million) and starters Kevin Appier ($3.8 million) and Tom Gordon ($2.635 million) are available.

The Rockies, quickly proving to be baseball's greatest expansion franchise, dished out a combined $35 million to outfielder Larry Walker (four years, $22 million) and starter Billy Swift (three years, $13.1 million).

The Athletics, emulating the NFL and establishing their own throwback to the glory days, brought back Dennis Eckersley, Bob Welch, Rick Honeycutt and Greg Cadaret No word yet on Catfish Hunter.

The White Sox, continuing their rent-a-right fielder program, signed Mike Devereaux and picked up starter Jim Abbott hoping to counter Jack McDowell's departure to the Yankees.

The Indians, showing they still can play with the big boys, countered by signing starter Orel Hershiser and designated hitter Dave Winfield.

The Blue Jays, scrapping the crazy notion they may rebuild, acquired Cone and as of Sunday were going after Mariners ace Randy Johnson.

The Orioles, led by the union's all-time favorite owner, Peter Angelos, are staying in the American League East race by acquiring starter Kevin Brown and relievers Doug Jones and Jesse Orosco.

The Marlins, who originally signed restricted free agents Grissom and Ken Hill, only to lose them when the owners changed systems, recovered in time to sign free agents Bobby Witt, Terry Pendleton and Andre Dawson.

The Cardinals, always regretting they traded Hill to the Expos for Andres Galarraga and then let the Big Cat get away, made up by stealing Hill back. Then they picked up All-Star third baseman Scott Cooper, a hometown hero, and moved Todd Zeile from catcher to third to first.

My God, we haven't seen this much action since the 1981 winter meetings when Jack McKeon and Whitey Herzog were wheeling and dealing.

Yet, at a time when we should be celebrating baseball's revival, baseball's woes have become magnified. Never before has there been such a disparity between the big-revenue and small-revenue clubs.

"It's starting all over again," Indians General Manager John Hart says. "This is what's wrong with baseball. The small-market teams have to sell their star players to survive, and those teams are being preyed upon by the big clubs."

Even the union is now acknowledging there are teams in trouble, and no one would be surprised to see the Expos and Brewers loading their moving vans within a couple of years. The Expos could be headed to Northern Virginia, and the Brewers -- whose hopes for a new ballpark were rebuffed by the local government -- have their eye on Charlotte, N.C.

"We're headed toward a two-tiered society," says Bud Selig, the Brewers' owner and acting commissioner, "and you've had to be blind not to see it.

"It's no accident that the first five or six deals this week have seen small-market teams trading some of their best and highest-salaried players to big-market teams, and it's just the start.

"This is exactly why we need a change in the system, and I guess that is what's so frustrating. the media may not want to believe it, and the union may not want to believe it, but it shouldn't be a surprise to anybody.

"We have got some clubs that aren't going to make it."

Certainly, there's no city more morbid than Montreal. The Expos were the finest team in baseball last season, and for the first time, they had folks actually interested in something other than hockey.

The strike hit. their debts rose. Fan interest plummeted. And now the Expos are nothing more than a mediocre team with a rock-bottom, $12-million payroll. the Expos are left with no choice but to move.

"I can't argue that anymore," says Expos General Manager Kevin Malone, one of the best in the business. "I care about the fans in Montreal, but the problem is the core of fans is too small.

"You have the best team in baseball, and then to have to disassemble it is discouraging. Every now and then, a small market can make a run, but it's hard to keep everything together."