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Posted By: Dan Bretta

Small market teams can and used to win with regularity. You just have to have an owner that is committed to winning and a sound, smart organization. The Royals used to win a lot when Ewing Kaufman was alive...now they have an owner who couldn't care less. The Twins used to win a lot and still do mainly because they have a consistent organization with good scouting and player development...they still win despite the efforts of their owner to retract his own team.

Relatively little has changed in baseball over the past 120+ years. Talent wins and you have to pay to keep it together or you have to develop it better than the others. Spalding's Chicago team dominated until he sold off King Kelly to Boston...many of Chicago's other talent followed and Boston then dominated. The Yanks and the Cards dominated much of the 20th century because they developed the talent through vast minor league systems and they paid to keep the best or bought the best (Ruth).

If you build it the championships will come.