This is the off season for my favorite sport. We call it The Hot Stove League, where baseball fans gather around to chatter about off season moves and coming prospects for our favorite teams. For my beloved Cincinnati Reds that answer seems to be … meh, not much.

This came to my mind as I watched the competitive end to an entertaining football season and the early playoff games often captivating to the very last seconds of the contests. That’s because football decided long ago that they were not showcasing contests between different teams but were, as one, marketing the game of football as entertainment. They created league rules and financial structures between teams that maintained competitive balance. It doesn’t prevent some dynasties and strong runs but it allows any responsible owners the resources to be competitive.

Not baseball. Baseball is still built around competing towns for dominance and not a wholly united league. Large market teams keep most of their revenue and can outbid smaller market teams consistently for major talent. Compare the budgets of LA and NYC teams to my poor Red Legs. Don’t get me wrong, there are definite faults to the Reds management team, but they are further hobbled by the financial constraints. I pray for a stroke of lightning but would prefer a change in financial models that would eventually provide baseball parity. In the meantime, Go Reds!