The media is fond of repeating the myth that the Phillies are a big market team and therefore should be able to be financially competitive with teams like the Yankees, Mets, Dodgers, Angels, and Cubs.

That’s not going to happen.

Let’s get over the myth that the Phillies are a big market team. They will not be able to compete on that basis. They can only compete by having smart, competent management and strong fan support.  Uh oh. We’re in trouble.

The Phillies market while dense, is hemmed in by 5 other MLB markets within 200 miles. No other market in baseball is surrounded by multiple competitors and shut in to its local region to that degree. It means that the Phillies market is constrained to just the local TV market. Contrast this with teams like Atlanta, KC,  St. Louis, Colorado, Minnesota, and Seattle, whose markets extend hundreds of miles and include several small or mid size TV markets.

Click here for interactive map. 

One guy actually measured population in each team’s entire geo market. The Phillies were smack in the middle. Right between KC and St. Louis. While the strict geometric territories don’t match up precisely with where the actual fan bases are, you get the idea.

So the Phillies can’t rely on our market to sustain the third highest payroll in baseball. Even with the Comcast contract, if the fans aren’t filling the stadium, the owners will be forced to cut payroll. With more seats empty than filled with butts, and with this gang of inbred country club cronies running the show, that will doom us fans to watching more decades of the worst baseball franchise in history.