Peter Gammons is a studio analyst on ESPN's Baseball Tonight and the former sports columnist for the Boston
Globe newspaper. He has been voted the National Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association
three times during his career.
Mr. Gammons discusses some of the unfair aspects of the business of baseball, citing the fact that the Yankees can spend
only 200 million dollars on a payroll when they make approximately 350 million dollars in revenues. By contrast, however, he notes that
the Red Sox handle their finances fairly because they do have the second highest payroll and because this ownership has been so
aggressive in raising revenues. Despite payroll and revenue discrepancies, Mr. Gammons declares that with a few exceptions (such as the
Mets and the Cubs), the various divisions have essentially evened out.
Regardless of any financial complexities, Mr. Gammons announces that this is "the greatest time ever to be a baseball
customer." The opening of Camden Yards ushered in a new era that "made the customer king." Mr. Gammons believes that "this Red Sox
ownership... shows that they really understand that they can build up the trust of the fan and give the customers what they want." They
show appreciation to customers, demonstrating an unprecedented degree of social conscience in baseball.
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