MEGAN BROWN

The title ‘off-season’ is misleading for the period of time between the end of the World Series and the start of spring training. In Major League Baseball, there is no such thing as an “off-season.”

“Hot Stove” is the best term used to describe the period of time where no games are being played. The image I get when I hear “Hot Stove” is of a chef getting busy in the kitchen with flames up high mixing different ingredients to make the perfect dish. That term fits well with owners working around the clock bidding huge dollars on star players and complimentary pieces to take their franchises to the World Series.

The Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees annually have two of baseball’s highest payrolls, and every off-season they look to restock their team with new superstars. Much like the Super Bowl winners get a trip to Disneyworld, superstar free agents and World Series winners get a trip to New York- financed by the Yankees and complete with a pinstriped uniform. The Philadelphia Phillies are also getting to that expensive superstar status. These teams change players so often, teams should have a service available that supplies leaving players with movers to help them get their stuff together- perhaps complete with a trailer that bandwagon fans can hitch on to. Dedicated baseball fans tend to love to hate these teams because they attract the better players from the smaller franchises that offer the bigger contracts and endorsement opportunities, stripping the smaller market teams and cities of their stars.

But a team packed with talented players doesn’t guarantee wins. Baseball, or any sport, is not always about having the most talent, it’s about how these superstars can function as one unit, rather than singular personalities. That’s why some teams that lose a superstar don’t completely crumble- and the team that gets the superstar is not guaranteed to win.

After the Toronto Blue Jays traded their pitching ace Roy Halladay to the Phillies, the team went from an 85 wins in 2010 to 81 in 2011. While 81 wins isn’t good it’s also not much worse than 85.

Aside from wins and losses, ballpark attendance numbers are also worth noting:

Toronto Blue Jays
2010 (with Roy Halladay): 26^th in MLB  / 20,068 per game
2011 (without Halladay): 25^th in MLB  /  22,045 per game

Philadelphia Phillies
2010 (without Halladay): 2^nd in MLB  /  45,027 per game
2011 (with Halladay): 1^st in MLB  /  45,440 per game

This one stat may not seem hugely important, but the fans that come to a game spend big dollars- and that doesn’t even include the price of tickets to the game or box suites.

Successful teams with huge superstars also attract major media and fan attention while winning games. This isn’t just great for fans, the entire community benefits. Media attention creates a buzz, and a buzz brings people to town. Once in town people spend money.

Cities with teams that don’t have a top player and a winning record have less attraction power, and local businesses lose out on customers.

Players that have been with a franchise for years also become part of the community in other ways.

Fans form bonds with athletes who become representatives of their cities. Look no further than Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers. Fielder has been a cornerstone of the franchise since he came to the majors 5+ years ago. Milwaukee fans have seen him grow, and he has embraced them, most notably with his creative celebration to get the crowd fired up.

Fielder is a free-agent and can leave the team in search of more money and a bigger market. Other big name stars like Jose Reyes and Albert Pujols may relocate too.

Regardless of roster changes, this hot stove season will no doubt lead to some fired-up conversations.

Photo: Getty

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