Post by Captain America on Apr 6, 2015 16:38:45 GMT -5
Now let's see how the NL teams did. Basically, this shows which teams have more or less done well with their in-game finances over our 19 seasons thus far.
Keep in mind the Diamondbacks have only been around for 13 seasons.
14. San Francisco Giants
Market Size: Big
Highest Revenue: $110,860,629 (2013)
Lowest Revenue: $77,657,834 (2006)
Highest Payroll: $124,042,319 (2002)
Lowest Payroll: $37,241,082 (2005)
Average Revenue: $95,715,106
Average Payroll: $101,286,620
# of Seasons With Profit: 3
Total Revenue: $1,818,587,010
Total Payroll: $1,924,445,765
Grand Net Total: -$105,858,755
We start the NL list with the league's biggest revenue cash cow...the Giants. The Giants have made the most in revenue of any team in all of BBSBL. A big market and only 1 losing season in 19 years will certainly help the cause. The Giants though also lead BBSBL in highest average payroll and largest total payroll, hence why they are past -$100 million. So while they make the most of any team, they've also spent even more money over the years. Spencer has always found ways to get in-game cash and avoid probation, and I'd expect him to continue doing so in the future and avoid any problems.
It must be nice to have so much revenue and be able to really spend big, but because of Spencer's big time spending each season, that's why he is last among NL teams in net profit.
13. Colorado Rockies
Market Size: Average
Highest Revenue: $90,313,986 (1997)
Lowest Revenue: $49,055,391 (2014)
Highest Payroll: $109,745,993 (2008)
Lowest Payroll: $30,036,630 (2001)
Average Revenue: $71,312,196
Average Payroll: $76,546,249
# of Seasons With Profit: 5
Total Revenue: $1,354,931,723
Total Payroll: $1,454,378,726
Grand Net Total: -$99,447,003
Meh. I've never had a great market or a particularly good revenue stream over the years. I've tried to load up on salary when I've felt I could afford to do so, but with in-game cash now worth so much more than ever before, it will be more difficult and costly to do in the future. 2008-2011 of course were very rough for my team financially as I lost $23 million or more in each season and lost over $30 million in 3 of those seasons. Hopefully, those days are now behind me, but it will take time to build up revenue again. Now if only I had some stadium money to eventually increase my market size 2 or 3 levels...that would be nice.
12. St. Louis Cardinals
Market Size: Average
Highest Revenue: $76,079,746 (1997)
Lowest Revenue: $53,220,339 (2014)
Highest Payroll: $84,109,130 (2008)
Lowest Payroll: $52,672,822 (2013)
Average Revenue: $63,455,746
Average Payroll: $67,515,126
# of Seasons With Profit: 5
Total Revenue: $1,205,659,173
Total Payroll: $1,282,787,384
Grand Net Total: -$77,128,211
Poor Bosoxi. All this time, he's been stuck in tough divisions and the Cardinals remain one of just 3 teams to never experience postseason baseball thus far. Not having great revenue or the ability to really stretch payroll though have limited the Cardinals in a way. Their revenue has never been over $80 million and their payroll has only been above that number once. Yet despite that, the Cardinals have only come out on the positive end in 5 seasons. However, to be fair, the Cardinals have only lost over $10 million once in 2008. So in reality, the Red Birds have basically had a lot seasons of losing a small amount of money, which all add up in the end.
Hopefully, for Bosoxi's sake, the next 20 seasons will be more kind to the Cardinals than the first 20 have been.
11. Arizona Diamondbacks
Market Size: Big
Highest Revenue: $96,196,680 (2012)
Lowest Revenue: $57,512,159 (2008)
Highest Payroll: $105,734,505 (2013)
Lowest Payroll: $27,692,324 (2002)
Average Revenue: $71,421,180
Average Payroll: $72,116,257
# of Seasons With Profit: 5
Total Revenue: $928,475,340
Total Payroll: $937,511,336
Grand Net Total: -$9,035,996
The expansion Diamondbacks are next, with very good financials in their first 6 seasons. Then, they would go on to lose money in every season since and are currently in financial probation. The Diamondbacks' revenue though has gone way up in recent time, so at least making money now isn't a problem for them. Darell has shed a lot of salary lately and this should probably lead to better financials in Arizona going forward. Again, keep in mind these numbers are only within 13 seasons.
10. San Diego Padres
Market Size: Good
Highest Revenue: $75,562,587 (2005)
Lowest Revenue: $42,431,500 (2001)
Highest Payroll: $106,984,476 (2010)
Lowest Payroll: $19,596,956 (2000)
Average Revenue: $59,521,066
Average Payroll: $58,422,883
# of Seasons With Profit: 11
Total Revenue: $1,130,900,249
Total Payroll: $1,110,034,771
Grand Net Total: $20,865,478
And now we are in the positives. The Padres' financials haven't always been great and until very recently, they had one of the worst markets and revenue streams around. But after their stadium renovation, their financials should be in a lot better shape going forward. Greeme of course has invested a significant amount of money into international players, so with all that money committed, those players will need to produce. Look for the Padres to possibly rise on this list in the future.
9. Cincinnati Reds
Market Size: Slightly Above Average
Highest Revenue: $84,314,751 (1996)
Lowest Revenue: $37,933,377 (2006)
Highest Payroll: $97,631,178 (2014)
Lowest Payroll: $27,839,664 (1997)
Average Revenue: $61,760,354
Average Payroll: $59,278,312
# of Seasons With Profit: 8
Total Revenue: $1,173,446,712
Total Payroll: $1,126,287,928
Grand Net Total: $47,158,784
In their first 12 seasons, the Reds had just one season with a winning record. But since their only postseason appearance in 2008, the Reds have had winning records in 6 of 7 seasons. Times have certainly changed in Cincinnati. The Reds have won more games and now are making more in revenue than ever before. Benefiting significantly by accumulating $100 million in stadium money within the league's first 2 seasons, Stutter deserves credit for eventually doing stadium renovations that led to an increased market. That certainly helped him stretch his payroll more and not surprisingly, the Reds have done better ever since. Had he done those renovations sooner, maybe the Reds would have competed earlier as well.
The Reds though have lost over $10 million in each of the past 2 seasons, but with the team likely to rebuild in 2 or 3 seasons at most, the Reds' financials should get better with time.
8. Seattle Mariners
Market Size: Good
Highest Revenue: $99,842,157 (2008)
Lowest Revenue: $67,148,465 (2002)
Highest Payroll: $131,592,438 (2009)
Lowest Payroll: $28,437,428 (2000)
Average Revenue: $86,939,909
Average Payroll: $81,497,843
# of Seasons With Profit: 11
Total Revenue: $1,651,858,258
Total Payroll: $1,548,459,000
Grand Net Total: $103,399,258
The Mariners are among 8 NL teams over the $100 million mark. At the beginning of the league's existence, Nanz did a great job with his finances and didn't have a losing year financially until 2003. Everything in Seattle generally speaking was good until 2008, when the Mariners lost over $24 million and then it got even worse in 2009 when their payroll stretched to a previous record $131,592,438 that the 2013 Red Sox would later break. The Mariners lost nearly $34.5 million in 2009 and were pretty much forced to rebuild with such poor financials.
The Mariners then had 3 seasons in the positive, including in 2012, when Chris returned to take over the team after Nanz left. In 2013, as the Mariners won the AL pennant, they also lost over $10 million, which was followed by losing over $30 million last season that put them in financial probation right now. It will now be up to the new GM Jacob to get them out of this financial mess the Mariners are currently in. But overall, with a few notable exceptions, the Mariners have done pretty well over time.
7. Chicago White Sox
Market Size: Huge
Highest Revenue: $109,737,932 (2003)
Lowest Revenue: $67,084,258 (1997)
Highest Payroll: $118,247,920 (2002)
Lowest Payroll: $48,117,773 (2006)
Average Revenue: $89,545,032
Average Payroll: $83,381,787
# of Seasons With Profit: 12
Total Revenue: $1,701,355,594
Total Payroll: $1,584,253,943
Grand Net Total: $117,101,651
The White Sox had a great run under Waldo from 1998-2004 when they won 7 consecutive AL Central titles. From 1996-2004, they only had 3 seasons in which they lost money. Between 2002-2005, the White Sox' revenue was one of the best in the league and topped out at $109,737,932 in 2003. Since Waldo's disappearance, Crazy Mike has had trouble finding similar success with the White Sox. Financially though, they've been in very good shape with only four seasons of losing money under Crazy Mike's watch. The White Sox' worst financial season was last year when they lost over $18.5 million, but with the team's payroll down roughly $25 million right now, the financials should improve.
With a huge market, Crazy Mike can afford to stretch his payroll more than most other teams can. The White Sox have been 2nd in the NL in both average revenue and total revenue. It's a nice luxury and he should take advantage of it more often.
6. Texas Rangers
Market Size: Huge
Highest Revenue: $78,217,924 (1996)
Lowest Revenue: $63,187,681 (2012)
Highest Payroll: $107,759,818 (2000)
Lowest Payroll: $26,005,334 (2011)
Average Revenue: $68,856,105
Average Payroll: $60,968,771
# of Seasons With Profit: 12
Total Revenue: $1,308,265,987
Total Payroll: $1,158,406,636
Grand Net Total: $149,859,351
It's somewhat amazing that the Rangers are this high on the list because during his 13 seasons here as the longest tenured Rangers GM, Dan did not do too well at all with managing his finances. He lost almost $40 million in 2000 that set the Rangers back quite a bit. He rarely traded for in-game cash either. He'd then have 6 more seasons of losing money until he announced his departure after the 2009 season. Max then inherited a financial mess, but did well with tearing the team apart and improving the financials quite a bit before his eventual disappearance. The Rangers haven't lost money since 2008 and with a current payroll under $42 million, that trend should continue this season.
The Rangers benefit from a huge market, but with poor fan loyalty, and a lack of ticket sales for years, it's still somewhat tough for them to make money. If the team starts winning more often though, maybe things will get better in Texas.
5. Cleveland Indians
Market Size: Slightly Above Average
Highest Revenue: $107,752,113 (1996)
Lowest Revenue: $66,281,719 (2002)
Highest Payroll: $115,693,112 (2009)
Lowest Payroll: $23,882,796 (1999)
Average Revenue: $87,176,179
Average Payroll: $78,076,774
# of Seasons With Profit: 10
Total Revenue: $1,656,347,395
Total Payroll: $1,483,458,703
Grand Net Total: $172,888,692
For the most part, the Indians' financials have been pretty good. In their first 10 seasons, the Tribe only lost money in 3 of those seasons. Like the Reds, the Indians benefited tremendously from earning $100 million stadium cash over their first 2 seasons in the league. DRowe would eventually do stadium renovations that improved his market and fan loyalty. This would help the Indians compete a lot more as they won their 4 consecutive AL Central titles from 2008-2011.
After having payrolls under $90 million in every season through 2006, the Indians then had to start paying more players and would stretch their payroll over $100 million 5 times since then and over $110 million in 3 of those seasons. The Indians faced some financial problems by then, but their increased revenue certainly limited the damage. Now that the Tribe are in a rebuild, look for their financials to improve more and more.
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
Market Size: Huge
Highest Revenue: $83,839,838 (1998)
Lowest Revenue: $64,094,264 (2007)
Highest Payroll: $98,020,813 (2008)
Lowest Payroll: $29,581,526 (2002)
Average Revenue: $72,962,817
Average Payroll: $63,229,404
# of Seasons With Profit: 16
Total Revenue: $1,386,293,512
Total Payroll: $1,201,358,666
Grand Net Total: $184,934,846
Like the Rangers, the Dodgers have both a huge market, but poor fan loyalty. So despite playing in the 2nd largest market in America, the Dodgers have yet to break $80 million revenue. The Dodgers have not had a winning season since 1998. But low payrolls and slightly above average revenues have turned into just 3 seasons where the Dodgers lost money.
The Dodgers were close to probation a couple times in 2008 when they lost over $25 million and 2009, when they lost over $12 million, but over the past few seasons, the Dodgers have done better financially.
It would be smart for Dale to do some stadium renovations to improve his fan loyalty a few levels. He has the funds in his stadium account to do it and it would help his financials quite a bit. More money won't be earned if the fans aren't showing up to Chavez Ravine. But all in all, the Dodgers have rarely experienced financial problems and 16 seasons of making a profit speaks for itself.
3. Chicago Cubs
Market Size: Huge
Highest Revenue: $108,180,957 (2007)
Lowest Revenue: $59,196,851 (1998)
Highest Payroll: $103,498,012 (2014)
Lowest Payroll: $31,985,151 (2010)
Average Revenue: $88,868,573
Average Payroll: $73,127,713
# of Seasons With Profit: 16
Total Revenue: $1,688,502,883
Total Payroll: $1,389,426,541
Grand Net Total: $299,076,342
Play is arguably one of the top 3 BBSBL GM's that knows to win a lot despite having a low payroll. He's had just 3 seasons of losing money so far and one of those seasons was by a difference of less than $500k. Play's revenue has been by far one of the best among NL teams over the years and he has earned over $83 million in revenue in every season since 2000.
Play has won division titles with $100+ million payrolls and has also won division titles with $55 million and $75 million payrolls. Money has never really been an issue for the Cubs, who have the 3rd highest average revenue and 3rd highest total revenue in the NL. Again, Play has done a great job with managing his finances, but a couple other teams have been even better.
2. Oakland Athletics
Market Size: Big
Highest Revenue: $106,667,298 (2007)
Lowest Revenue: $73,243,692 (1997)
Highest Payroll: $109,300,590 (2006)
Lowest Payroll: $30,203,448 (1997)
Average Revenue: $87,433,301
Average Payroll: $64,719,055
# of Seasons With Profit: 15
Total Revenue: $1,661,232,717
Total Payroll: $1,229,662,043
Grand Net Total: $431,570,674
Broph was right in predicting he'd be way up on this list, but alas, his A's are in 2nd place. Like the Marlins and Cubs, the A's have been very successful with lower payrolls as well. They have not lost money since their last championship run in 2006. They've lost over $10 million just once in 1999. And the A's have always made at least $70 million in revenue in every season.
The A's big market has definitely helped the cause, but Broph is one of the best in being successful without putting a dent on his finances. His +$63,924,838 in 2002 has to be one of the highest profits for a team in a single season. That number is simply impressive in itself. Look for the A's to continue to be near or at the top of this list for years to come.
1. Anaheim Angels
Market Size: Huge
Highest Revenue: $94,810,575 (2011)
Lowest Revenue: $66,237,354 (2008)
Highest Payroll: $91,231,778 (2011)
Lowest Payroll: $27,746,496 (2003)
Average Revenue: $76,502,440
Average Payroll: $52,920,963
# of Seasons With Profit: 18
Total Revenue: $1,453,546,352
Total Payroll: $1,005,498,291
Grand Net Total: $448,048,061
But it's the Angels who take the [HASH]1 spot over the A's. Despite only making over $90 million in revenue just twice in 2011 and 2012, the Angels have just ONE season where they lost money. That was in 2001 and they only lost $-4,454,241 that year. Having a huge market is awesome, but also having good fan loyalty has helped keep the ticket sales flowing.
While JMich and Greg both had very limited amounts of success during their respective times here, they've always been making money in Anaheim. Sure, stretching the payroll past $80 million only twice helps the cause, but this ranking is about making in-game money and not necessarily actual team success.
Now under their 4th GM in Habes, maybe the Angels will soon be able to take more advantage of their huge market and put together some solid teams after they're done with their current rebuild. But one thing is for sure...no team has been better at earning money so far than the Angels of Anaheim.
I'll try to update this at least once every 3-5 seasons going forward. Hope you all enjoyed the data I put together and maybe even learn something from all this!
Keep in mind the Diamondbacks have only been around for 13 seasons.
14. San Francisco Giants
Market Size: Big
Highest Revenue: $110,860,629 (2013)
Lowest Revenue: $77,657,834 (2006)
Highest Payroll: $124,042,319 (2002)
Lowest Payroll: $37,241,082 (2005)
Average Revenue: $95,715,106
Average Payroll: $101,286,620
# of Seasons With Profit: 3
Total Revenue: $1,818,587,010
Total Payroll: $1,924,445,765
Grand Net Total: -$105,858,755
We start the NL list with the league's biggest revenue cash cow...the Giants. The Giants have made the most in revenue of any team in all of BBSBL. A big market and only 1 losing season in 19 years will certainly help the cause. The Giants though also lead BBSBL in highest average payroll and largest total payroll, hence why they are past -$100 million. So while they make the most of any team, they've also spent even more money over the years. Spencer has always found ways to get in-game cash and avoid probation, and I'd expect him to continue doing so in the future and avoid any problems.
It must be nice to have so much revenue and be able to really spend big, but because of Spencer's big time spending each season, that's why he is last among NL teams in net profit.
13. Colorado Rockies
Market Size: Average
Highest Revenue: $90,313,986 (1997)
Lowest Revenue: $49,055,391 (2014)
Highest Payroll: $109,745,993 (2008)
Lowest Payroll: $30,036,630 (2001)
Average Revenue: $71,312,196
Average Payroll: $76,546,249
# of Seasons With Profit: 5
Total Revenue: $1,354,931,723
Total Payroll: $1,454,378,726
Grand Net Total: -$99,447,003
Meh. I've never had a great market or a particularly good revenue stream over the years. I've tried to load up on salary when I've felt I could afford to do so, but with in-game cash now worth so much more than ever before, it will be more difficult and costly to do in the future. 2008-2011 of course were very rough for my team financially as I lost $23 million or more in each season and lost over $30 million in 3 of those seasons. Hopefully, those days are now behind me, but it will take time to build up revenue again. Now if only I had some stadium money to eventually increase my market size 2 or 3 levels...that would be nice.
12. St. Louis Cardinals
Market Size: Average
Highest Revenue: $76,079,746 (1997)
Lowest Revenue: $53,220,339 (2014)
Highest Payroll: $84,109,130 (2008)
Lowest Payroll: $52,672,822 (2013)
Average Revenue: $63,455,746
Average Payroll: $67,515,126
# of Seasons With Profit: 5
Total Revenue: $1,205,659,173
Total Payroll: $1,282,787,384
Grand Net Total: -$77,128,211
Poor Bosoxi. All this time, he's been stuck in tough divisions and the Cardinals remain one of just 3 teams to never experience postseason baseball thus far. Not having great revenue or the ability to really stretch payroll though have limited the Cardinals in a way. Their revenue has never been over $80 million and their payroll has only been above that number once. Yet despite that, the Cardinals have only come out on the positive end in 5 seasons. However, to be fair, the Cardinals have only lost over $10 million once in 2008. So in reality, the Red Birds have basically had a lot seasons of losing a small amount of money, which all add up in the end.
Hopefully, for Bosoxi's sake, the next 20 seasons will be more kind to the Cardinals than the first 20 have been.
11. Arizona Diamondbacks
Market Size: Big
Highest Revenue: $96,196,680 (2012)
Lowest Revenue: $57,512,159 (2008)
Highest Payroll: $105,734,505 (2013)
Lowest Payroll: $27,692,324 (2002)
Average Revenue: $71,421,180
Average Payroll: $72,116,257
# of Seasons With Profit: 5
Total Revenue: $928,475,340
Total Payroll: $937,511,336
Grand Net Total: -$9,035,996
The expansion Diamondbacks are next, with very good financials in their first 6 seasons. Then, they would go on to lose money in every season since and are currently in financial probation. The Diamondbacks' revenue though has gone way up in recent time, so at least making money now isn't a problem for them. Darell has shed a lot of salary lately and this should probably lead to better financials in Arizona going forward. Again, keep in mind these numbers are only within 13 seasons.
10. San Diego Padres
Market Size: Good
Highest Revenue: $75,562,587 (2005)
Lowest Revenue: $42,431,500 (2001)
Highest Payroll: $106,984,476 (2010)
Lowest Payroll: $19,596,956 (2000)
Average Revenue: $59,521,066
Average Payroll: $58,422,883
# of Seasons With Profit: 11
Total Revenue: $1,130,900,249
Total Payroll: $1,110,034,771
Grand Net Total: $20,865,478
And now we are in the positives. The Padres' financials haven't always been great and until very recently, they had one of the worst markets and revenue streams around. But after their stadium renovation, their financials should be in a lot better shape going forward. Greeme of course has invested a significant amount of money into international players, so with all that money committed, those players will need to produce. Look for the Padres to possibly rise on this list in the future.
9. Cincinnati Reds
Market Size: Slightly Above Average
Highest Revenue: $84,314,751 (1996)
Lowest Revenue: $37,933,377 (2006)
Highest Payroll: $97,631,178 (2014)
Lowest Payroll: $27,839,664 (1997)
Average Revenue: $61,760,354
Average Payroll: $59,278,312
# of Seasons With Profit: 8
Total Revenue: $1,173,446,712
Total Payroll: $1,126,287,928
Grand Net Total: $47,158,784
In their first 12 seasons, the Reds had just one season with a winning record. But since their only postseason appearance in 2008, the Reds have had winning records in 6 of 7 seasons. Times have certainly changed in Cincinnati. The Reds have won more games and now are making more in revenue than ever before. Benefiting significantly by accumulating $100 million in stadium money within the league's first 2 seasons, Stutter deserves credit for eventually doing stadium renovations that led to an increased market. That certainly helped him stretch his payroll more and not surprisingly, the Reds have done better ever since. Had he done those renovations sooner, maybe the Reds would have competed earlier as well.
The Reds though have lost over $10 million in each of the past 2 seasons, but with the team likely to rebuild in 2 or 3 seasons at most, the Reds' financials should get better with time.
8. Seattle Mariners
Market Size: Good
Highest Revenue: $99,842,157 (2008)
Lowest Revenue: $67,148,465 (2002)
Highest Payroll: $131,592,438 (2009)
Lowest Payroll: $28,437,428 (2000)
Average Revenue: $86,939,909
Average Payroll: $81,497,843
# of Seasons With Profit: 11
Total Revenue: $1,651,858,258
Total Payroll: $1,548,459,000
Grand Net Total: $103,399,258
The Mariners are among 8 NL teams over the $100 million mark. At the beginning of the league's existence, Nanz did a great job with his finances and didn't have a losing year financially until 2003. Everything in Seattle generally speaking was good until 2008, when the Mariners lost over $24 million and then it got even worse in 2009 when their payroll stretched to a previous record $131,592,438 that the 2013 Red Sox would later break. The Mariners lost nearly $34.5 million in 2009 and were pretty much forced to rebuild with such poor financials.
The Mariners then had 3 seasons in the positive, including in 2012, when Chris returned to take over the team after Nanz left. In 2013, as the Mariners won the AL pennant, they also lost over $10 million, which was followed by losing over $30 million last season that put them in financial probation right now. It will now be up to the new GM Jacob to get them out of this financial mess the Mariners are currently in. But overall, with a few notable exceptions, the Mariners have done pretty well over time.
7. Chicago White Sox
Market Size: Huge
Highest Revenue: $109,737,932 (2003)
Lowest Revenue: $67,084,258 (1997)
Highest Payroll: $118,247,920 (2002)
Lowest Payroll: $48,117,773 (2006)
Average Revenue: $89,545,032
Average Payroll: $83,381,787
# of Seasons With Profit: 12
Total Revenue: $1,701,355,594
Total Payroll: $1,584,253,943
Grand Net Total: $117,101,651
The White Sox had a great run under Waldo from 1998-2004 when they won 7 consecutive AL Central titles. From 1996-2004, they only had 3 seasons in which they lost money. Between 2002-2005, the White Sox' revenue was one of the best in the league and topped out at $109,737,932 in 2003. Since Waldo's disappearance, Crazy Mike has had trouble finding similar success with the White Sox. Financially though, they've been in very good shape with only four seasons of losing money under Crazy Mike's watch. The White Sox' worst financial season was last year when they lost over $18.5 million, but with the team's payroll down roughly $25 million right now, the financials should improve.
With a huge market, Crazy Mike can afford to stretch his payroll more than most other teams can. The White Sox have been 2nd in the NL in both average revenue and total revenue. It's a nice luxury and he should take advantage of it more often.
6. Texas Rangers
Market Size: Huge
Highest Revenue: $78,217,924 (1996)
Lowest Revenue: $63,187,681 (2012)
Highest Payroll: $107,759,818 (2000)
Lowest Payroll: $26,005,334 (2011)
Average Revenue: $68,856,105
Average Payroll: $60,968,771
# of Seasons With Profit: 12
Total Revenue: $1,308,265,987
Total Payroll: $1,158,406,636
Grand Net Total: $149,859,351
It's somewhat amazing that the Rangers are this high on the list because during his 13 seasons here as the longest tenured Rangers GM, Dan did not do too well at all with managing his finances. He lost almost $40 million in 2000 that set the Rangers back quite a bit. He rarely traded for in-game cash either. He'd then have 6 more seasons of losing money until he announced his departure after the 2009 season. Max then inherited a financial mess, but did well with tearing the team apart and improving the financials quite a bit before his eventual disappearance. The Rangers haven't lost money since 2008 and with a current payroll under $42 million, that trend should continue this season.
The Rangers benefit from a huge market, but with poor fan loyalty, and a lack of ticket sales for years, it's still somewhat tough for them to make money. If the team starts winning more often though, maybe things will get better in Texas.
5. Cleveland Indians
Market Size: Slightly Above Average
Highest Revenue: $107,752,113 (1996)
Lowest Revenue: $66,281,719 (2002)
Highest Payroll: $115,693,112 (2009)
Lowest Payroll: $23,882,796 (1999)
Average Revenue: $87,176,179
Average Payroll: $78,076,774
# of Seasons With Profit: 10
Total Revenue: $1,656,347,395
Total Payroll: $1,483,458,703
Grand Net Total: $172,888,692
For the most part, the Indians' financials have been pretty good. In their first 10 seasons, the Tribe only lost money in 3 of those seasons. Like the Reds, the Indians benefited tremendously from earning $100 million stadium cash over their first 2 seasons in the league. DRowe would eventually do stadium renovations that improved his market and fan loyalty. This would help the Indians compete a lot more as they won their 4 consecutive AL Central titles from 2008-2011.
After having payrolls under $90 million in every season through 2006, the Indians then had to start paying more players and would stretch their payroll over $100 million 5 times since then and over $110 million in 3 of those seasons. The Indians faced some financial problems by then, but their increased revenue certainly limited the damage. Now that the Tribe are in a rebuild, look for their financials to improve more and more.
4. Los Angeles Dodgers
Market Size: Huge
Highest Revenue: $83,839,838 (1998)
Lowest Revenue: $64,094,264 (2007)
Highest Payroll: $98,020,813 (2008)
Lowest Payroll: $29,581,526 (2002)
Average Revenue: $72,962,817
Average Payroll: $63,229,404
# of Seasons With Profit: 16
Total Revenue: $1,386,293,512
Total Payroll: $1,201,358,666
Grand Net Total: $184,934,846
Like the Rangers, the Dodgers have both a huge market, but poor fan loyalty. So despite playing in the 2nd largest market in America, the Dodgers have yet to break $80 million revenue. The Dodgers have not had a winning season since 1998. But low payrolls and slightly above average revenues have turned into just 3 seasons where the Dodgers lost money.
The Dodgers were close to probation a couple times in 2008 when they lost over $25 million and 2009, when they lost over $12 million, but over the past few seasons, the Dodgers have done better financially.
It would be smart for Dale to do some stadium renovations to improve his fan loyalty a few levels. He has the funds in his stadium account to do it and it would help his financials quite a bit. More money won't be earned if the fans aren't showing up to Chavez Ravine. But all in all, the Dodgers have rarely experienced financial problems and 16 seasons of making a profit speaks for itself.
3. Chicago Cubs
Market Size: Huge
Highest Revenue: $108,180,957 (2007)
Lowest Revenue: $59,196,851 (1998)
Highest Payroll: $103,498,012 (2014)
Lowest Payroll: $31,985,151 (2010)
Average Revenue: $88,868,573
Average Payroll: $73,127,713
# of Seasons With Profit: 16
Total Revenue: $1,688,502,883
Total Payroll: $1,389,426,541
Grand Net Total: $299,076,342
Play is arguably one of the top 3 BBSBL GM's that knows to win a lot despite having a low payroll. He's had just 3 seasons of losing money so far and one of those seasons was by a difference of less than $500k. Play's revenue has been by far one of the best among NL teams over the years and he has earned over $83 million in revenue in every season since 2000.
Play has won division titles with $100+ million payrolls and has also won division titles with $55 million and $75 million payrolls. Money has never really been an issue for the Cubs, who have the 3rd highest average revenue and 3rd highest total revenue in the NL. Again, Play has done a great job with managing his finances, but a couple other teams have been even better.
2. Oakland Athletics
Market Size: Big
Highest Revenue: $106,667,298 (2007)
Lowest Revenue: $73,243,692 (1997)
Highest Payroll: $109,300,590 (2006)
Lowest Payroll: $30,203,448 (1997)
Average Revenue: $87,433,301
Average Payroll: $64,719,055
# of Seasons With Profit: 15
Total Revenue: $1,661,232,717
Total Payroll: $1,229,662,043
Grand Net Total: $431,570,674
Broph was right in predicting he'd be way up on this list, but alas, his A's are in 2nd place. Like the Marlins and Cubs, the A's have been very successful with lower payrolls as well. They have not lost money since their last championship run in 2006. They've lost over $10 million just once in 1999. And the A's have always made at least $70 million in revenue in every season.
The A's big market has definitely helped the cause, but Broph is one of the best in being successful without putting a dent on his finances. His +$63,924,838 in 2002 has to be one of the highest profits for a team in a single season. That number is simply impressive in itself. Look for the A's to continue to be near or at the top of this list for years to come.
1. Anaheim Angels
Market Size: Huge
Highest Revenue: $94,810,575 (2011)
Lowest Revenue: $66,237,354 (2008)
Highest Payroll: $91,231,778 (2011)
Lowest Payroll: $27,746,496 (2003)
Average Revenue: $76,502,440
Average Payroll: $52,920,963
# of Seasons With Profit: 18
Total Revenue: $1,453,546,352
Total Payroll: $1,005,498,291
Grand Net Total: $448,048,061
But it's the Angels who take the [HASH]1 spot over the A's. Despite only making over $90 million in revenue just twice in 2011 and 2012, the Angels have just ONE season where they lost money. That was in 2001 and they only lost $-4,454,241 that year. Having a huge market is awesome, but also having good fan loyalty has helped keep the ticket sales flowing.
While JMich and Greg both had very limited amounts of success during their respective times here, they've always been making money in Anaheim. Sure, stretching the payroll past $80 million only twice helps the cause, but this ranking is about making in-game money and not necessarily actual team success.
Now under their 4th GM in Habes, maybe the Angels will soon be able to take more advantage of their huge market and put together some solid teams after they're done with their current rebuild. But one thing is for sure...no team has been better at earning money so far than the Angels of Anaheim.
I'll try to update this at least once every 3-5 seasons going forward. Hope you all enjoyed the data I put together and maybe even learn something from all this!
