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The debate has raged on since 1996. The New York Yankees began an amazing run of six, count them, SIX, world series appearances. The Bronx Bombers won four of six championships, losing in 1997 to the Florida Marlins, and in 2001 to the Arizona Diamondbacks. After a one year hiatus in 2002, the Yanks made yet another World Series appearance, losing again to the Florida Marlins. That seven fall classics in eight years, resulting in four rings.

And George Steinbrenner bought every single appearance. Infact, most of the teams that have won it all in the last twenty years to a degree have bought their rings.

Since 1988, the team with the highest total salary in baseball has won the World Series only four times. Toronto did it once, in 1993. The Yankees did it the other three times. On the other hand, there have been only four teams that were in the lower half of player salaries that won titles. Two of those teams won prior to the 1994 strike, when salaries skyrocketed. The 2002 Angels won with the fifteenth highest payroll, and the 2003 Marlins came in at 25th. That was the lowest of any championship teams. But here's the catch to that. When the Marlins won in 1997, their total salary was 47.7 million dollars, seventh overall. Fast forward to 2003, their total payroll went up only one million dollars, to 48.5. Now, is that dumb luck on the part of Marlins ownership, or savvy spending?

On the whole and overall, teams that spend money, win money. Out of the last nineteen champs, fifteen of them were on the upper half of the spending spectrum. More important than that, teams that can generate money to spend win championships. What drives revenue in baseball? Ticket sales, media rights, and merchandising. In cities like New York and Boston, this is never an issue. You are dealing with a huge fan base spaced out over a wide area, and a brand logo that carries mass appeal. The Yankees, the Red Sox. Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, the Mick, Joltin' Joe, Yaz, Carlton Fisk, Reggie Jackson right up through today's stars. People will go to battle for tickets at these venues. Prices and jerseys go up into the triple digits, beers are 10 bucks, and these clubs hold their respective TV outlets by the unmentionables.

Let's take a ride down 95 south, to Philadelphia. Ten years ago, the Phils were on the bottom half of salaries, struggling to field a .500 team. With 25 dollars on any given night, you could ride down to the Vet, get good parking, a general admission ticket and have left

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