M's, Seahawks At Opposite Ends Of System

Baseball, of course, is backward. No salary cap, no revenue sharing, few minorities in high places, good old boys doing the same good old things they've done for years.

And in that context, the Seattle Mariners struggle.

But there is something "American," almost noble, about their struggle in baseball's free enterprise system.

They have tremendous incentive to win.

On the other hand, there is almost no incentive to win in the National Football League.

Indeed, a team like the Seahawks can make more money in football by losing. And probably has.

The new ownership of the Mariners is gambling heavily that by winning it can raise revenues. At the same time, it knows the ultimate answer for teams in smaller markets is revenue sharing and a salary cap and is working internally to that end.

In the meantime, the gamble is huge. One hundred million for the franchise, a payroll this year that is likely to exceed revenues by $10 million.

The new owners spent $24 million for Ken Griffey Jr., $10 million for Edgar Martinez, $15 million for Chris Bosio. They paid $2.5 million for Lou Piniella, the manager.

For what? To win. To create interest. To sell more seats in the Kingdome, to sell more of the new teal-tipped caps, to force a cable television contract, not only here, but in British Columbia.

"That new ownership," said Bill Winnett of Vancouver, "includes some of the most forward-thinking people I've been around."

Despite the injury to Martinez in Vancouver, the Mariners still want to play a half dozen games there in 1995, enabling them not only to televise six more "home" games in Seattle, but whetting the appetite for a cable television deal in British Columbia, reportedly the most densely cabled area in North America.

Seattle fans won't have to worry about the season opener being played in Canada in 1995 because there is a good chance it will be played in Japan. The new ownership, heavily financed, of course, by money from Nintendo of Japan, wants to play three games in Tokyo to open the 1995 season.

Originally, Nintendo wanted the Mariners to play in Japan next season, but baseball wants to solve its labor problems before it deals with playing regular-season games abroad.

The Mariner plan calls for the team to spend the final week of spring training in Japan, play three games against a team from the American League East, return to Seattle to rest for three days and then play that team again.

New owners, new colors, new faces, new places to play.

Which brings us to the Seahawks, and the staid, socialized and sensible world of the NFL.

Think about it. Teams share revenues from television. In Seattle's case, all the seats in the Kingdome are sold. What financial reason is there to win?

Indeed, winning only increases the value of the players who then drive up the salaries the team must pay. The Seahawks have one of the five lowest payrolls in the NFL, yet must have one of the highest revenues, given the Kingdome sellouts and their share of the television money.

Ken Behring, the owner of the Seahawks, said this winter he would spend money in the NFL's new period of unrestricted free agency to improve the team, which last year tied for the worst record in the league.

And he has spent money, signing tight end Ferrell Edmunds and wide receiver Kelvin Martin, enough to make mild improvements, and to keep the Kingdome tickets sold. But not enough to make the kinds of improvement the team needs to win a division. Or enough to seriously cut into its profits.

There was a sense that NFL free agency would be akin to college recruiting, where players would be wooed to the best teams and the nicest areas. Of course, that hasn't happened.

They've gone where the money is. This is recruiting without rules. Reggie White of the Philadelphia Eagles picked Green Bay. Will Wolford of the Buffalo Bills picked Indianapolis.

In each case, owners had to be willing to cut into their profits to sign the big-name free agents, to do better on the field than they might at the bank.

The Seahawks, citing concerns over next year's imposition of a salary cap, patiently have pecked their way through free agency; their acquisitions have been sound. But where was the dynamic move to get Wolford, when their need in the offensive line was so great? Or to pair Reggie White with Cortez Kennedy?

It seems that Tom Flores has decided to take the best quarterback available in the draft, Drew Bledsoe or Rick Mirer. The Seahawks might not be able to pick between them, and will let New England do that.

There is nothing wrong with wanting Mirer or Bledsoe instead of Steve Beuerlein or Steve Bono. But the Seahawks had to know that if they were to use their No. 1 choice for a quarterback, then they would have to get line help in free agency. Their second pick in the draft won't produce a lineman who can play next season.

There was an opportunity to offer Wolford so much money he couldn't refuse. Indianapolis did. Denver knew it had such a need in the offensive line that it gave Brian Habib, just an average defensive lineman at the University of Washington, more money than any NFL offensive lineman had ever been paid.

Plainly, the Seahawks don't have to worry about selling tickets to the Kingdome as the Mariners do. Or worry about playing in Canada or Japan. There is no need to gamble today in order to make money tomorrow. The NFL has punched the Seahawks meal ticket into the next century.