Kim: How the KBO incentivizes against tanking
From Sung Min Kim at Baseball Prospectus on February 11, 2019:
You don’t hear them talk about it, but you know it’s going on. More and more MLB teams seem to be selling off their best and most expensive players to net prospects, shedding payroll, and resigning themselves to a place at the bottom of the standings. Front offices have convinced themselves that it’s a long-term view and a good decision, but it hurts fan interest, locally and nationally. It’s no wonder why MLB-wide attendance declined in 2018, as teams like the White Sox, Marlins, Orioles, and Royals were not even attempting to putting the best product on the field.
In the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), however, such activities are scarcer. While there are always some teams that are expected to contend and some that aren’t in a given season, none can be accused of a lack of trying. Below are some reasons why teams are incentivized against tanking in the KBO.
Read the full article here: https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/47066/how-the-kbo-incentivizes-against-tanking/
Originally published: February 11, 2019. Last Updated: February 11, 2019.