Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

Here is Kurt Schlichter's latest column.

How efficient were this year's Major League teams? Here is the amount spent (on payroll) per victory:

1. $733,000, Milwaukee Brewers
2. $874,000, Tampa Bay Rays
3. $1,002,000, Arizona Diamondbacks
4. $1,008,000, San Diego Padres
5. $1,089,000, Oakland Athletics
6. $1,224,000, Cleveland Indians
7. $1,231,000, Houston Astros
8. $1,271,000, Minnesota Twins
9. $1,341,000, Pittsburgh Pirates
10. $1,378,000, Cincinnati Reds
11. $1,453,000, Miami Marlins
12. $1,479,000, Chicago White Sox
13. $1,505,000, Colorado Rockies
14. $1,561,000, Atlanta Braves
15. $1,687,000, Philadelphia Phillies
16. $1,730,000, Washington Nationals
17. $1,761,000, Kansas City Royals
18. $1,827,000, St Louis Cardinals
19. $1,871,000, Chicago Cubs
20. $1,977,000, Seattle Mariners
21. $2,004,000, Los Angeles Angels
22. $2,148,000, Boston Red Sox
23. $2,182,000, Baltimore Orioles
24. $2,214,000, New York Yankees
25. $2,216,000, New York Mets
26. $2,255,000, Texas Rangers
27. $2,327,000, Los Angeles Dodgers
28. $2,339,000, Toronto Blue Jays
29. $2,693,000, San Francisco Giants
30. $3,121,000, Detroit Tigers

Teams in boldface made the playoffs. If every team had the same payroll, e.g., $100,000,000, the top 10 teams in this list would have made the playoffs. That inefficient teams such as the Boston Red Sox, the New York Yankees, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are able to make the playoffs merely by spending more than most teams is a disgrace to the game. We need a salary cap.

To the editor:

Friedman is right on the money in her final paragraph: “Who cares what’s good or bad for Trump? What matters is whether his decisions are good or bad for the rest of us.”

I for one could not care less about what is good for Trump. He has shown us all who he is, and I knew what he was long before he ever campaigned. He lies, bullies and is concerned with himself. Those who believe he is leading the country to greatness are sadly deluded.

Trump does or says nothing that has no benefit to himself. He has no interest in helping our country, the sick, the needy, the homeless, the refugees. He has exhibited bigoted tendencies. He is completely unfit for office.

I don’t give a fig about what Trump thinks.

Scott W. Hughes, Westlake Village

My warmest condolences and sympathies to the victims and families of the terrible Las Vegas shooting. God bless you!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2017

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Being nice to Rocket Man hasn't worked in 25 years, why would it work now? Clinton failed, Bush failed, and Obama failed. I won't fail.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 1, 2017

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Why is locking arms thought to be an improvement on kneeling? Do the players think fans are idiots? Fans want the players to stop politicizing sport. Locking arms and bowing heads (as opposed to standing with one's hand on one's heart) is just as much a political statement as kneeling. I predict a fan backlash against locked arms.

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