I think part of our difference of opinion may be coming from definition of "Small Market" which you seem to feel is simply a measure of the surrounding population, whereas I look at it as a measure of generated revenue and ability to spend on payroll.
Well, small market doesn't small payroll. The Mets could decide to dump all their players next year and have a payroll of $25 million, but that wouldn't make N.Y. a small market.
A few other tidbits:
[quote:1r8p56pe]Your list of small market teams show some teams with small populations from which to draw fans, however, if we look at where their payrolls fit into the big picture...
2,945,831 Cleveland Indians 9th highest payroll, 1995; 4th highest 1996
2,813,833 San Diego Padres 14th 1998
2,603,607 St Louis Cardinals 9th 2004; 11th 2006
2,581,506 Colorado Rockies 25th 2007
2,395,997 Tampa Bay Devil Rays 25th 2008