Brewers owner Mark Attanasio backs salary cap despite World Series run
Milwaukee reached its first World Series since 1982 without a salary cap, but its owner says a more competitive field could make baseball more exciting.
Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio reiterated his support for a Major League Baseball salary cap on October 22 in Milwaukee, even as his team prepared to open the World Series against the Tampa Bay Rays the next day. He argued that a more competitive group of teams could make baseball more exciting, USA TODAY Sports reported.
The position comes after Milwaukee reached the World Series without a cap. Attanasio described the club’s run as an answer to doubts about what a small-market team can achieve: ‘I said the two things I didn't want to hear was, “We're too small” or “We can't do this,”’ he told USA TODAY Sports reporter Gabe Lacques.
How Attanasio describes Milwaukee’s finances
Attanasio said fan and community support had helped the Brewers reach roughly the 19th or 20th payroll level in a 30-team league, despite what he described as some of baseball’s smallest media revenues. ‘We put all of our resources back into the team,’ he said. Those payroll and spending descriptions are his account of the club’s finances.
He linked his case for change to competitive balance. ‘I think if you have a more competitive set, you can have more exciting baseball,’ Attanasio said while discussing revenue systems and the presence of Milwaukee and Tampa Bay in the Series.
Brewers’ first World Series since 1982
Milwaukee’s appearance ends a 44-year absence from the World Series. ESPN reported that the Brewers lost their last appearance, in 1982, to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. The club then played in the American League; it moved to the National League in 1998.
The return follows a sustained stretch of regular-season success. ESPN reported that Milwaukee won five of the previous six National League Central titles and had finished every full season since 2016 with at least 85 wins. This year, the Brewers entered the postseason with the majors’ best regular-season record, beat the San Diego Padres three games to one, then swept the Los Angeles Dodgers to win the National League pennant.
The Brewers now face the Rays in Game 1 on October 23. Attanasio said he viewed the matchup of the two clubs as good for baseball, while maintaining that the sport could benefit from a more competitive field.
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Sources and context
- Brewers owner didn't need a salary cap to make World Series. He still endorses itUSA TODAY Sports (republished by Yahoo Sports)
- Party like it's 1982? What baseball looked like during Brewers' last World SeriesESPN
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.