MLB's Rob Manfred - Rays-Brewers World Series good for game - ESPN

MILWAUKEE — MLB commissioner Rob Manfred believes having two smaller markets in the World Series is good for the sport, but said he will not deter owners from pursuing a salary cap as part of the next collective bargaining agreement.

In fact, Manfred said he thinks the Milwaukee Brewers' first World Series appearance in 44 years only bolsters the case for a cap.

«I think it shows that we leave a lot on the table in some of our smaller markets by not having them have an opportunity to compete on a regular basis,» Manfred said on the field Friday before Game 1 of the series between Milwaukee and the Tampa Bay Rays. «The Brewers have been a well-run franchise forever. It's been 40 years since we're here. Once every 40 years is not enough.»

Bruce Meyer, the interim executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, disputed the idea that a cap will level the playing field, pointing out that any team can accomplish what Milwaukee and Tampa have this year. But at the same time, Meyer admitted that without spending, winning might not be sustainable.

«If every team concluded tomorrow that we don't have to spend any money on players and we can still win, of course that would not be a good thing,» Meyer said. «And it would also not be a good thing for those teams because I don't think you could win that way in the long term.»

That's the fine line players are walking as negotiations heat up with the current CBA expiring at the end of next month. The union wants to highlight that any team can win the World Series under the current system, but players don't want owners to get the idea that not spending on payroll is some kind of formula. Meyer said he believes letting teams act however they desire — some spend, some