Let's compare WWE to Major League Baseball

[smizzy]

This was inspired by a good thread by jatkuva over in the General Wrestling forum.

I compare WWE to a Major Leauge Baseball team.
Let's take a look at some baseball teams that enjoy annual success.
- New York Yankees (10)
- St. Louis Cardinals (4)
- Philadelpia Phillies (25)
- Atlanta Braves (16)
- Tampa Bay Rays* (3)​

There is one thing that these teams all have had in common at one point: a strong farm system. A strong farm system is what will allow all of these teams to compete year in and year out. The bold number next to each of these teams indicates their farm system ranking according to Keith Law, the top prospect analyst for ESPN. As you can see, the reigning World Champion St. Louis Cardinals rank among the top 5. During their incredible run last year, it was guys like Albert Pujols, David Freese, Jason Motte, Daniel Descalso, Skip Shumaker, Allen Craig, Jon Jay, and Lance Lynn who played the biggest roles in helping obtain their championship. And guess what? They all were at one point in the Cardinals' farm system.

Wonder why the first place Pirates have had little to no success for the past 20 years and are just now seeing some success. Wonder why the Nationals are having success now? Strong farm systems! The Pirates had horrendous drafts missing out on what we'll call here on these boards; main-eventers, instead they drafted jobbers. They then began taking the main eventers and success followed.

The Philadelphia Phillies have been the most dominant Major League for the past five years. Now all of a sudden they are having a dismal season. You know why? See the Keith Law ranking? 25 out 30 teams. They had a strong farm system and this accounted for the half decade of dominance. But all of their prospects are now either on the main roster or traded away elsewhere for their current veterans.

This is where the Philadelphia Phillies compare to the WWE​

The Phillies were dominating their respective sport. All of a sudden they took a few tough injuries to their roster the way WWE has (or suspended super stars in their case). What can the Phillies do without their strong farm system. They have no one to turn to. They've had to put in guys who aren't ready for the spotlight or aren't established Major Leaguers. And they've suffered. Sound a little like the current position of WWE? Orton, Mysterio, Henry, Bourne, Kharma, Barret all have missed the better part of this year, who's stepped up? Phillies lost Halladay, Howard, Utley, Lee, Worley, Contreras; who's stepped up? No one. Because, who can possible step up, when no one is actuall there?And they've suffered for it.

I put an asterisk next to the Rays because I will compare them to TNA. Rays are a smaller organization compared to the Phillies. Their funds are not as luxorious. But yet the Rays are consistently playing Fall Baseball because of their great system. They are ranked third as you can see. They don't have the same money as the Phillies. No where near it! In fact, the Phillies have a team payroll of $174 million compared to the Rays $64 million! Yet as I type this and the fatigue in my wrists is setting in, the Phillies are in last place; the Rays are in third! WWE may get more ratings. That comes from the funds. But look at the hype surrounding TNA ever since Aries won that championship, ending the Selfish Generation. Everyone is jumping on the TNA ship because TNA's homegrowns are beginning to blossom and take off. WWEs homegrowns are sitting at home, healing injuries, or...smoking weed or synthetic weed.

The Cardinals lost Pujols to the Angels. Craig stepped up to do his best to fill in for those BIG shoes. They'd already given him his time in the Minors. Called him up periodically. Got him ready for the show. And he's busting out big time! Craig got hurt himself, so the Cards had to go to the well and brought up Matt Adams who's a very promising prospect. He did a very viable job for a month and kept the Cardinals close to first place. Chris Carpenter, one of last year's heroes, is essentially done for the season, so Joe Kelly has stepped up from the system and done an adequate job. Lane Berkman has missed the majority of the games to injury. Here comes Shane Robinson and Adron Chambers filling the void. These aren't even top prospects. Cardinals have some serious blue-chips that are still seasoning on the farm. In four years, they are going to have an extra Orton, an extra CM Punk, an extra Daniel Bryan, an extra Cena. Guys like Shelby Miller, Carlos Martinez, Oscar Taveras, Kolten Wong, Tyrell Jenkins and Zack Cox are going to make the Cardinals a force to be reckoned with. But this is old news for the Cardinals, they've kept their farm system fresh for years. They've built them up. As a result, they've experienced annual success. Second most World Series out of all 30 MLB teams and counting.

WWE is only now beginning to get an influx of serious stars in their system, but with they aren't quite ready yet. What good does that do RIGHT NOW? WWE needs help RIGHT NOW with these injuries and suspensions. But unfortunately, they're building for the future presently and failed to do that in the past.

Do you agree or disagree with these comparisons? Why or why not? Discuss.

 

[kokoBawesome]

Wow.

damn dude, you've really thought about this. I got just two things to add...

1. The Phillies ruined their last run by giving up on the farm system and trying to put together the greatest pitching lineup ever, which failed miserably. I sure you can make this relate to some wrestling organization, but I'll let someone else run with this idea since I don't feel like researching anything. (Lesner? I don't know..)

2. The Yankees are perennial champions. I think they have 27 now, and since baseball has only been around 100 years or so, its pretty damn good odds they"ll have another one soon. Other teams have dynasties that go on for a few years (odd how the Atlanta Braves and WCW thrived in the 90s) but ultimately the Yankess are always in contention. Clearly the Yanks are the WWE. They have the home grown guy that's the captain (Cena =Jeter), and signed the top free agent available who's now their #2 guy (Punk). I'm sure we can make Jericho into Tino Martinez or something, but the point is that a mix of a farm system, signing the top free agents they can get, a storied legacy and most importantly an unlimited bank account is what makes them a winning franchise.

so things suck right now... big deal, the Yankees can't win every year. USA basketball needs to lose every once and a while or it'll just get stale. keep watching or your gonna miss the big turnaround when all the dinosaurs retire and WWE becomes the monster it used to be. have you watched FCW? shits about to get awesome in a few years, imagine if they can pick a few big free agents from TNA? Stay positive!!!

 

[CuddleBuns84]

I do believe the WWE has a farm system. Or a development organization called FCW. Most of the sign talent has to go there, to learn the WWE system.

The main problem with that is... Developmental has been ran like crap for the last 5 plus years. Cranking out script reading monkeys that make a promo sound like a childish cartoon. I do believe the WWE has released like 150 plus in the last 6 years or so. That's almost 20 releases a year.

Now, I agree with the concept of drafting and developing. So many sport franchises do that, sure they can compete with the high dollar teams that just buy free agent after free agent. With no major competition and only small time organizations, the WWE has to sign and develop talent. They just can't buy big names anymore, cause no one has built them.

You did have a good question though. Who has stepped up in the WWE with the wake with all these suspensions and injuries. Well, I can tell you the one group that hasn't isn't WWE booking.
>Where has the Miz been?
>Why did they give up on Tensai so quick?
>Why did the move Otunga to Smackdown?
>Why is Slater jobbing to WWE retirees?
>Where are the 10 minute tag team matches?
>Why are a bunch of former WWE champions working the Money in the Bank Ladder Match?
>Where's Ambrouse? I think I spelled his name incorrectly. But I've heard nothing but great things about this guy.
>Why is Ziggler having these Stupid Segments with Vickie still?
>Why isn't Ryback having a legit feud with someone?
The List goes on!

Overall, WWE does have a farm system. It needs to be ran better, and it needs to be filled with Wrestling Talent. They need to be taught to wrestle, and give promos. Not how to be actors. They need to quit worrying about twitter responses, and just get the guys over. A few years back, talent could get over with a good promo, and following basic wrestling booking. Now, it's you-tube shows and twitter accounts! I don't care about your tweets! I wanna hear a promo that means something! I wanna mark out when a wrestler's music comes on, because I know they are going to do something great on that mic and in the ring.

The one group that has to step up is booking and creative. I think I've complained about this for awhile, but let me drop some knowledge. When Stone Cold Steve Austin missed a whole year because of neck surgery. The WWF was able to book around that. They still had a big Wrestle-Mania, and out sold WCW. The Rock even took a month! The Undertaker had a few months off. Foley retired. But, they were able to book the talent they had properly, and put the final nail in the coffin. Hell, they switched to Spike(Which was TNN in the 90's). Still had the same ratings, and both brands died out.

The talent is there in the WWE. It really is! It just needs to be not held back.

 

[JJ15776]

This is a good comparison as a whole. But I have to correct you with the specific team/promotion comparions - WWE/TNA isn't so much like Phillies/Rays, since WWE is still so far better than TNA not just in terms of ratings, but also in terms of product. People mistakenly believe that TNA's product is better than WWE's, simply because TNA's product is above average for them and WWE's is arguably below average for them, but the thing people don't realize is two companies are not working from the same average - WWE's below average is still significantly ahead of TNA's above average.

It'd be better to say WWE is like the Detroit Tigers and TNA is like the Kansas City Royals. The Tigers have a poor farm system(two or three gems, not much depth) and continue succeed at the major league level through sheer force of will, but they usually don't maximize their potential because lack of depth with a poor farm system. The Royals have a lot less to work with, but they have young guys who have potential and they're just now starting to show it. This year, the Tigers have been underachieving and the Royals have been overachieving - but take a look at the standings. The Tigers are still ahead of the Royals, just like WWE is still ahead of TNA.

 

[JJ15776]

The one group that has to step up is booking and creative. I think I've complained about this for awhile, but let me drop some knowledge. When Stone Cold Steve Austin missed a whole year because of neck surgery. The WWF was able to book around that. They still had a big Wrestle-Mania, and out sold WCW. The Rock even took a month! The Undertaker had a few months off. Foley retired. But, they were able to book the talent they had properly, and put the final nail in the coffin. Hell, they switched to Spike(Which was TNN in the 90's). Still had the same ratings, and both brands died out.

The talent is there in the WWE. It really is! It just needs to be not held back.

People focus way too much on booking and creative, honestly. I understand why, it's because the IWC is full of armchair bookers who think they could do a better job than the WWE's creative staff. They focus on all the perceived shortcomings in booking and blame all the problems on that, because they like the think they could fix all the problems. Anytime somebody comes up with a storyline that sounds good, all the replies are "man, you should be writing for WWE!" The truth is, that's idiocy. WWE would be far, far worse than they are now if anybody from the IWC was in charge.

Let me help you out. As you're watching the PPV tonight, know that the problem is right in front of your face - the wrestlers in the ring. If there's talent being held back, it's the wrestlers themselves holding it back, not the writers. It's the wrestlers' job to go out there and entertain. When they fail, it's their fault and nobody else. Good workers make bad writing look good. Sure, absolutely awful writing can't be fixed(look at WCW at the end, or TNA until recently), but WWE's writing is not anywhere near close to being that bad.

I'll continue the baseball analogies here. Blaming the writers for holding bad workers back is like the .200 hitter who blames his manager for not giving him more playing time. If you started playing better, you'd get more playing time, fool. It's the same with wrestling. Good wrestlers - and I'm not talking about those who have a good workrate and know a 500 moves, I'm talking about those who entertain the crowd, those who make the crowd get out of their seat and react(whether cheering or booing) - get the most screen time. Why do you think John Cena is on TV all the time? Because people want to see him. He's doing his job, he's making the crowd want to see him. The writers give the crowd what they want. And no, I'm not talking about the vocal minority that is the IWC - I'm talking about the entire crowd. The crowd that wants to be entertained, not the crowd that only watches the show so they know what to complain about when it's over.

And no, a bad gimmick is not holding someone back. Two words: The Ringmaster. The Ringmaster was a horrible gimmick, but Steve Austin made it work. He entertained the crowd, and WWE rewarded him with a better gimmick. A bad gimmick is an opportunity. It's a foot in the door, as Steve Austin said himself. (Again, only extremely horrible gimmicks can hurt wrestlers, but nobody in the WWE is in that situation) It's not the writers' job to give every wrestler a great gimmick. They give the best gimmicks to the best wrestlers, because they know they'll take advantage of them. Another baseball analogy: it's like that same .200 hitter complaining because he's hitting in the bottom of the order. If he played better, he'd hit higher in the order. Or, better yet, it's like an actor who blames his poor performance on a bad script...every successful actor started as a nobody who had bad roles in bad movies. You do the best you can, you make it work, and people will notice and give you better roles in better movies. It's the same in the WWE. Even if you have a bad gimmick or bad storyline, make the most of it and you'll be rewarded with better gimmicks and better storylines. That's not happening in the WWE right now, because the wrestlers don't have the talent to make the most of what they have. That's on them, not the writers.

 

[smizzy]

keep watching or your gonna miss the big turnaround when all the dinosaurs retire and WWE becomes the monster it used to be. have you watched FCW? shits about to get awesome in a few years, imagine if they can pick a few big free agents from TNA? Stay positive!!!

Yes, that's kind of one of the points I didn't get across that I was planning on. WWE's highest touted stars are all moving on. This whole end of an era seeing the end of HBK, HHH, Taker, you name it, is something I've seen coming. They're all so old but it's hard to see them go because they were legends, they were brands. Who on the current roster is a brand other then Cena. Late 90's early 2000's, the roster was jampacked. They did not do a good job at looking at that inevitable period of time where all their top draws were going to have to leave. Their crucial mistake was not trying to bleed in another every year or so and start building. I realize legends don't grow on trees or just show up to the events on their own accord, but they haven't worked building anyone up to that status other than Cena. And I agree, in four years, WWE's roster will be thriving. It goes back to my comparison of the Pirates. They didn't start building for the future until they hit a pretty low point, but once they started to build for the future, they were in a rut. One they could climb out of, but it guranteed them to be in a rut for an extended period that they'd have to grind out.

You also threw in some good comparisons in there as well, by the way, about Cena is Jeter, and Lesnar.

 

[CuddleBuns84]

People focus way too much on booking and creative, honestly. I understand why, it's because the IWC is full of armchair bookers who think they could do a better job than the WWE's creative staff. They focus on all the perceived shortcomings in booking and blame all the problems on that, because they like the think they could fix all the problems. Anytime somebody comes up with a storyline that sounds good, all the replies are "man, you should be writing for WWE!" The truth is, that's idiocy. WWE would be far, far worse than they are now if anybody from the IWC was in charge.

Let me help you out. As you're watching the PPV tonight, know that the problem is right in front of your face - the wrestlers in the ring. If there's talent being held back, it's the wrestlers themselves holding it back, not the writers. It's the wrestlers' job to go out there and entertain. When they fail, it's their fault and nobody else. Good workers make bad writing look good. Sure, absolutely awful writing can't be fixed(look at WCW at the end, or TNA until recently), but WWE's writing is not anywhere near close to being that bad.

I'll continue the baseball analogies here. Blaming the writers for holding bad workers back is like the .200 hitter who blames his manager for not giving him more playing time. If you started playing better, you'd get more playing time, fool. It's the same with wrestling. Good wrestlers - and I'm not talking about those who have a good workrate and know a 500 moves, I'm talking about those who entertain the crowd, those who make the crowd get out of their seat and react(whether cheering or booing) - get the most screen time. Why do you think John Cena is on TV all the time? Because people want to see him. He's doing his job, he's making the crowd want to see him. The writers give the crowd what they want. And no, I'm not talking about the vocal minority that is the IWC - I'm talking about the entire crowd. The crowd that wants to be entertained, not the crowd that only watches the show so they know what to complain about when it's over.

And no, a bad gimmick is not holding someone back. Two words: The Ringmaster. The Ringmaster was a horrible gimmick, but Steve Austin made it work. He entertained the crowd, and WWE rewarded him with a better gimmick. A bad gimmick is an opportunity. It's a foot in the door, as Steve Austin said himself. (Again, only extremely horrible gimmicks can hurt wrestlers, but nobody in the WWE is in that situation) It's not the writers' job to give every wrestler a great gimmick. They give the best gimmicks to the best wrestlers, because they know they'll take advantage of them. Another baseball analogy: it's like that same .200 hitter complaining because he's hitting in the bottom of the order. If he played better, he'd hit higher in the order. Or, better yet, it's like an actor who blames his poor performance on a bad script...every successful actor started as a nobody who had bad roles in bad movies. You do the best you can, you make it work, and people will notice and give you better roles in better movies. It's the same in the WWE. Even if you have a bad gimmick or bad storyline, make the most of it and you'll be rewarded with better gimmicks and better storylines. That's not happening in the WWE right now, because the wrestlers don't have the talent to make the most of what they have. That's on them, not the writers.

I agree with your difference with thought. I do understand, that sometimes you have a rotten apple that just can't get the work done.

However....

Let's take a look at football.

The San Francisco 49ners 2010 didn't leave up to standards. They talked about cutting their QB, and how all these guys didn't make the big time. Well, they fired their coach, and came Jim Harbaugh. Yes, they cut the un-needed like Nate Clemens, and gained some extra talent. But 90 percent of the team was still there!

Well, needless to say, they made a silly mistake in the NFC championship game, and went 13-3. A 7 game improvement from the 2010 season. They had a majority of the same talent. Just a better Coach came along, and made the improvements.

So, I'm sticking with my argument of booking and creative. But I do agree, if you got a POS, then you got to caught that POS. But, the talent is there. The hours of television are there. Book meaningful mid-card feuds that we care about it.