n effort for the beer. While there may be some philosophical objections to such a use of a commercial sports franchise, there is little evidence to indicate that the quality of baseball in St. Louis suffered because of that use. It was, in fact, in the best interests of Anheuser Busch to maintain a high quality team in the Cardinals.
For the 1990 1993 period, each major league baseball team received approximately $14 million per year from national television contract revenues from total annual revenues of $365 million (Zimbalist 49). Total local broadcasting revenues were almost as high in 1990 approximating $342 million (Zimbalist 49). The distribution of local broadcast revenues, however, was highly skewed, with the New York Yankees receiving the most with nearly $56 million and the Seattle Mariners receiving the least with $3 million (Zimbalist 49).
In 1993, national television revenues accounted for 25.8 percent of total revenues for major league baseball, while local broadcast revenues accounted 24.2 percent of total revenues. Gate receipts accounted for one third of total revenues in major league baseball, while statium revenues (concession sales, luxury suite sales, and so forth) contributed 12 percent of total revenues, and licensing accounted for five percent of revenues. A Brief History of Team Salaries
Player salaries in major league baseball have "exploded" since 1990 (Saudohar 32). From 1971 through 1991, salaries increased some 2,000 percent (Alster 138). One in three major league baseball players receives a salary of at least $1 million per year (Alster 138). The mean player salary in major league baseball in 1991 was in excess of $851,000 (Zimbalist 85). Player salaries account for well in excess of 40 percent of total revenues in major league baseball Player payroll growth has exploded in major league baseball since 1990. A comparison of 1993 and 1990 player payrolls in major league baseball is pre...