Yankees' fat payroll outweighs Marlins

MIAMI -- When it comes to spending, the World Series is a mismatch.

The New York Yankees have outspent the Florida Marlins by a 3-to-1 margin, according to the most recent figures compiled by the commissioner's office.

New York had a major-league leading $164 million payroll on Aug. 31 in the latest tabulation, which was obtained by The Associated Press. Florida was 21st in the major leagues at $54 million -- seventh among the eight playoff teams.

"We're not worried about that," said Josh Beckett, Florida's starter for Game 3 tonight. "We're baseball players, we're going to play baseball, doesn't matter who we're playing against."

Among the other postseason teams: Boston was fourth in the major leagues at $106 million; Atlanta sixth at $95 million; San Francisco ninth at $87 million; the Chicago Cubs 11th at $83 million; Minnesota 19th at $57 million; and Oakland 25th at $50 million.

It marked the second straight season in which three relatively low-spending teams made the playoffs. In 2002, the World Series champion Anaheim Angels were 16th at $62 million, among three teams from the bottom half of the payroll list to make the postseason.

"We're playing the Marlins, supposedly a lot of money against very little money," Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "But it wouldn't matter who we played. Our expectations to live up to ourselves is enormous. It's unbelievable. We know that going in."

Oakland has made the playoffs for four straight years, although the A's haven't advanced beyond the first round, and Minnesota has won the AL Central two years in a row despite its small payroll.

"If we start looking at the numbers, it gets ugly," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. "You think we wouldn't want to have a team full of Giambis and Jeters? ... We develop our own players and we develop them for our ballpark and the way we think that we have to play and that's a little speed, a little this and that."

Figures for payrolls are based on 25-man rosters as of the day before September callups. They include salaries, prorated shares of signing bonuses and All-Star bonuses, but do not include performance or award bonuses. Portions of income deferred without interest are discounted.

"If they don't win the World Series, it's somewhat of a disappointment because they're expected to do it every year," Florida third baseman Mike Lowell said about his former team, the Yankees, and their $164 million payroll.

The increased revenue sharing that the players' association agreed to last year has helped the low-revenue teams.

"I think revenue sharing certainly is going to help smaller market clubs if they use the revenue sharing to put it back into player development or procurement," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said.

Still, a big contract doesn't guarantee big production.

"Really, when you get down to it, whether you're big market or little market, if you got good players, you can win," McKeon said.

The additional increases in revenue sharing have given the low-payrolls clubs more hope.

"For a club like ours, any change of revenue is going to (help)," Oakland general manager Billy Beane said. "We'll find a way to use it. We always have. So, yeah, anything is better than before."