Commentary: Mark Walter says the Dodgers can't win all the time. Even Magic Johnson agrees

"“The world's game is coming to the greatest city in the world,” Johnson said Tuesday. In Los Angeles, Johnson joined in a celebration marking one month until the World Cup arrives in town. Meanwhile, in New York, representatives of Major League Baseball and its players' union held the first session of collective bargaining negotiations widely expected to be so contentious that the 2027 season could be in jeopardy."

"“The Dodgers might not be the lone reason for the dispute, but they are Exhibit A. For these negotiations, the owners have shifted their benchmark for competitive balance from making the playoffs to winning the World Series. No small-market team has won the World Series since the Kansas City Royals in 2015, and the Dodgers last year became the first team in 25 years to win back-to-back championships.”"

"“If you're a Dodgers fan, these are the best of times. If you own one of the other 29 teams, you can complain that you cannot sell championship hope and faith if the Dodgers are spending five times as much as the Cleveland Guardians. On the day the negotiations started, the Guardians were in first place in the American League Central.”"

"“Here's what the problem is: Money helps us win. We can't win all the time. We've got to have some parity.” Johnson is L.A.'s ultimate champion. As a player, he won with the Lakers. As an owner, he won with the Dodgers, Sparks and LAFC."

Magic Johnson celebrated the upcoming World Cup in Los Angeles while Major League Baseball and its players’ union held the first collective bargaining session in New York. The negotiations are expected to be contentious, with the 2027 season potentially at risk. Owners have changed the competitive balance benchmark from making the playoffs to winning the World Series. No small-market team has won the World Series since 2015, and the Dodgers recently won back-to-back championships. The piece contrasts Dodgers spending with other teams’ ability to compete, noting that some first-place teams are in smaller markets while the highest-payroll team, the Mets, had the worst record. Mark Walter said money helps teams win and parity is needed.

Read at Los Angeles Times