Going back to 1998 - a stretch of 16 World Series - the team with the highest payroll in baseball has won the Fall Classic only three times. No surprise that it would be the Yankees in all three years, 1999, 2000 and 2009. However New York also lost twice while paying out the most money in 2001 and 2003. I chose 1998 as a point of reference since the Blue Jays won 88 games that season, their high water mark since winning their second of back-to-back World Series in 1993. Eighty-eight is also a number they havent been able to match since. In 1998, the Blue Jays payroll was 19th highest in the Majors at $34,158,500. The Yankees had the second-highest player overhead in 98 at $65,663,698 and swept No. 9 San Diego (at $53,066,166) four straight in the World Series. There are those who believe you cant win the World Series unless you spend your brains out. Well that has not always been the case. In 2003, the Florida Marlins had the 25th ranked payroll at $49,050,000, less than a third of that of the Major League-leading Yankees who clocked in at nearly $153 million. The Marlins won that World Series, their second in seven years. The Blue Jays payroll that year was actually higher than the Marlins at $51,269.000. In 2007, Colorado was ranked 25th at about $54.5 million, and played No. 2 Boston. The Red Sox rolled to victory in four straight with a cash outlay of nearly three times as much as the Rockies. Perhaps the most extreme example was 2008, when Tampa Bay made it into the Fall Classic with the 29th-ranked payroll at $43,820,597 and ultimately lost to the 12th-rated Phillies, who shelled out just over $98 million. The Blue Jays incidently that season paid out just a shade less than the Phils at $97,793,900. If you go back and look closely over the 16 World Series that have been played since 1998 and then throw in this years match-up the Blue Jays have actually outspent one of the two World Series participants five times. In the last two years, the Jays have actually set franchise records for how much they have spent. In 2013 they laid out the ninth-highest total of $117,527,800 and though they dropped a notch to 10th in 2014, they set a new franchise mark at $132,628,700. Now dont get me wrong, it hasnt always been onwards and upwards in terms of the Jays spending. Seven times in the past 17 years theyve cut payroll, sometimes significantly. Their highest ranking going back to 1998 was ninth in 2013 and their lowest was 25th in 2005, but generally they are on the fringe of the upper third of clubs or in the middle of the pack. The most interesting year in terms of numbers was 2002. The Giants and Angels met in the World Series, with the Halos defeating Barry Bonds and company for their first and only World Series victory. The Jays payroll was $76,864,333, more than $15 million more than the Angels spent and about a million and a half less than the Giants. Heres another one to think about. In that last 16 World Series, the team that has spent the most has won 11 times and lost only five times. That brings us to this season, where the Giants are playing the Royals. San Francisco has the seventh-ranked payroll at just over $154 million. The Royals check in at 19th-highest at $92,034,345. Im still picking Kansas City in six games because of that great bullpen, all that speed and defence and the home park advantage. The off-season activity will really start to percolate soon. The General Managers meetings run November 10-12 at Phoenix, then the Winter Meetings take place in San Diego from December 8-11. Two of the biggest names who could be on the move include Colorados star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who wants to play for a winner, and Yoenis Cespedes, who apparently doesnt want to sign long-term with the Red Sox or play right field at Fenway Park. Best Adidas Basketball Shoes 2019 . According to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger, the New York Rangers winger skated with extras and goalies today. Cheap Yeezy Powerphase Ireland .? It was his second straight start for the Jets; he suffered a 1-0 loss against Minnesota Monday. So this season Hutchinson has now won games in the ECHL, AHL and NHL. He was perfect three- for-three in the shootout to nail down the win. http://www.cheapnmdsneakersireland.com/yeezy-powerphase-cheap-ireland.html . During halftime, Love told The Associated Press he would receive treatment Saturday night and hoped to play Monday night against Houston. "I knew that my quad was bothering me pretty bad so I went out there and tried to move around a little bit and it just wasnt quite right," Love said. Adidas Basketball Shoes Discount . Dr. James Andrews is to operate next week on the 24-year-old pitcher, who made the AL All-Star team last year. Moore will be the first Rays pitcher to undergo Tommy John surgery since Jason Isringhausen in June 2009. Adidas Nmd Mens Ireland . Anaheim Ducks Reassign D Colby Robak to Norfolk Admirals (AHL). - Team Website D Eric Brewer (foot) removed from injured reserve.WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- There was no slipup on the final lap this time, so Kyle Buschs victory celebration at Watkins Glen International was as sweet as it gets. Bumped aside a year ago by Brad Keselowski on the final lap as they sped around an oil-covered track, Busch held the reigning Sprint Cup champion at bay on a two-lap dash to the checkered flag Sunday. Busch kept his foot on the accelerator a tad longer than usual during his postrace burnout, even sticking half his body out the window while smoke swirled all around and the tires kept churning. "A big sigh of relief, just a deep breath. Whew!" said Busch, who also was victimized two years ago while leading on a green-white-checkered finish and finished third. "I was just trying to take it all in and figure it all out. The last couple of years here have been tough, and today it could have been tough again." Keselowski finished second in this race for the third straight time, and challenged Busch on the final lap, pulling to his rear bumper at one point. There was no bump this time. "We had a shot at it," Keselowski said. "I was going to have to wreck him to really get it, and I didnt want to do that. Theres racing and theres wrecking. Those are two different things. "Everybody defines them a little differently, and I guess thats the code you live your life by. If I was going to take out Kyle, it would have been wrecking in my mind, and theres a distinct difference." Racing can be all about luck sometimes, and Busch couldnt get much luckier than he was on this day. Polesitter Marcos Ambrose dominated the race, leading 51 laps, but his good fortune -- he was seeking his third straight Cup win at The Glen -- finally ran out just past the halfway point of the 90-lap race. Crew chief Dave Rogers was planning to have Busch pit on lap 60, but his crew noticed fluid on the track and brought the No. 18 Toyota in a lap early. Busch was in the pits when a caution flew and Ambrose had to pit under yellow, losing his spot to Busch at the front. "That was a game-changer right there," said Busch, who won from the pole in 2008 at The Glen. Busch held on through a series of cautions over the final 28 laps. Ambrose, who restarted 12th, crashed late trying to make a run with an ill-handling car and finished 23rd. He entered the race with an average finish of second in five previous starts at Watkins Glen and also had won all three Nationwide races hed entered at the storied road course in upstate New York. "Thats just the way it goes," Ambrose said. "We put on a strong showing. It wasnt our day, but weve had plenty of good days here." The field didnt have to worry about five-time Watkins Glen winner Tony Stewart. The man known as Smoke is out indefinnitely after breaking two bones in his right leg last Monday night in a sprint car race in Iowa.dddddddddddd Stewart, who has undergone two surgeries, saw his streak of 521 consecutive Cup starts come to an end. Max Papis drove Stewarts No. 14 Chevrolet on Sunday and finished 15th. Several drivers had stickers on their cars honouring Stewart with the message: "Get Well Smoke 14." Martin Truex Jr. was third, followed by Carl Edwards and Juan Pablo Montoya. Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch and AJ Allmendinger rounded out the top 10. Jeff Gordon entered the race with momentum in ninth place in the points standings after a second last week at Pocono, but his day was ruined early with a wreck on lap 15. The four-time Watkins Glen winner finished 36th and dropped to 13th in the standings with four races to go until the Chase for the Sprint Cup title starts. The top 10 drivers in points and the drivers from 11th to 20th with the most wins earn wild-card berths for the 10-race post-season. Kurt Busch moved into 11th place, just two points behind Truex and only four behind ninth-place Greg Biffle. Ambrose was unchallenged for the lead through the first half of the race, building a margin of nearly 3 seconds over Kyle Busch, who started fifth and was up to second by lap 21. Busch had been unable to close on Ambrose before a red flag flew midway through the race and was focused on the No. 9 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford in front. "Theyre better," Busch said of Ambrose. "Im trying to figure out where Im getting beat. Hes been driving away." On the ensuing restart on lap 43, Ambrose again sailed clear of the field, building a cushion of 3.5 seconds over Busch as the final pit stops loomed. The complexion of the race changed when Aric Almirola blew a right front tire and slid off course into a tire barrier, bringing out that fateful caution. When the race restarted, Busch was in front with Keselowski third and Ambrose 12th, and the car that had dominated the race out front became just ordinary in traffic, unable to move forward. Nine laps after the restart and struggling, Ambrose had picked up only one spot and trailed Busch by nearly 10 seconds. Truex managed to pass Busch on lap 65, but Busch banged past him in the Inner Loop seconds later and Keselowski followed into second. Keselowski stayed close for a while, but Busch began to pull away just as he had a year ago when oil spoiled his day. "It was a really, really sticky situation last year, and it wasnt all Brads fault," Busch said. "There was oil on the race track, but Brads the one that spun us out. It eventually cost us being able to make the Chase. I figured maybe he could do some of the same again, but he kept it clean today." ' ' '