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. Cheap Football Jerseys . So he and his Toronto FC teammates say they will have no problem getting up for their Amway Canadian Championship final against rival Montreal Impact, even if the result doesnt count toward Major League Soccer standings. Authentic NFL Jerseys . Both the top-seeded Djokovic and sixth-seeded Fish took relatively easy paths, with the Serb winning when opponent Jo-Wilfried Tsonga retired in the second set with a sore arm and Fish dominating Janko Tipsarevic in two quick sets. https://www.cheapnfljerseysjustwholesale...eap-nhl-jerseys. Completely. Two days after releasing Peyton Manning, the longtime face of the franchise, the Colts announced they were cutting four fan favourites: running back Joseph Addai, linebacker Gary Brackett, safety Melvin Bullitt and tight end Dallas Clark. Wholesale NFL Jerseys USA . Henrik Samuelsson and Luke Bertolucci also scored for the Oil Kings, who are now 9-0 on home ice in the playoffs to cut Portlands series lead to 2-1. Chase De Leo and Mathew Dumba responded for the Winterhawks, who suffered just their fourth loss in their last 46 games, a string of success running all the way back to Jan. NFL Jerseys Sale . The Hockey Canada Foundation is donating $50,000, with Hockey Quebec contributing $15,000. Hockey Canada also announced it will hold a skills camp for all levels of minor hockey in Lac-Mégantic during the 2013-14 season. Representatives from Hockey Canada, the Hockey Canada Foundation and Hockey Quebec were on hand Tuesday night at a meeting of the AHM de Lac-Mégantic to make the announcement and presentation.SHANGHAI - Graeme McDowell likes a tough golf course, and Sheshan International was perfect for him Thursday. He opened with seven birdies in 12 holes and then hung on for a 5-under 67 that gave him a two-shot lead after one round of the HSBC Champions.In the 10th year of this tournament, the golf course was tougher than ever with ankle-deep rough and fairways that are not nearly as wide. That didnt seem to bother McDowell, who only once had to contend with the thick grass.A big key to this golf course is driving the ball well. I drove it very well today, McDowell said. And the greens are in fantastic shape, and I actually putted very well. Dropped a couple coming in, but all in all, very pleased with 5-under par on what I thought was a reasonably tricky day.Rickie Fowler also got off to a fast start before he settled down for a 69, joining a group that included U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer, Brandt Snedeker, Tim Clark, Chris Kirk and Tommy Fleetwood.The wind was strong and out of the opposite direction, which added to the demanding conditions.Jordan Spieth began his new PGA Tour season with two straight bogeys and had to save par with a long bunker shot on his third hole. He scratched his way back and wound up in a large group at 70 that featured Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Adam Scott and Henrik Stenson.It didnt take much for players to get going in the wrong direction.FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel made a pair of double bogeys, only one birdie and shot an 80.This is a top event — some of the best players in the world, probably the best field youre going to get in Asia, and you dont want it to be a pushover, Fowler said. You want a good, solid test. And its showing that.Only 27 players in the 78-man field broke par, compared with 37 players under par on the first day last year when the winning score was 24-under 264. McDowell said he wouldnt be surprised to see something about 12 under win, even if the wind relents.Some players like Fowler and Spieth had limited expectations having not played since the Ryder Cup. McDowell, meanwhile, has played twice since the Ryder Cup, including a tie for 16th a week ago at the BMW Masters.Even so, the strong start surprised hhim.ddddddddddddHe ran off four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the back nine, capping it off by driving the reachable 16th green and two-putting from 15 feet, and then holing a 45-foot birdie across the green on the par-3 17th. Two quick birdies after making the turn and he was at 7 under and on verge of running away from the field.But he made his first bogey on the par-3 fourth, which played into the wind. And on the one hole he tried to play it safe off the tee, it cost him. McDowell opted for 3-wood on the 603-yard eighth hole to keep it short of the bunker. He wound up in grass so thick he could only hit 8-iron for his second shot, and then he still had 215 yards left for his third. He pulled a 4-iron into the rough and failed to get up-and-down.I didnt need a leaderboard to let me know that 7 under through 12 is fairly strong, McDowell said. There were some tricky holes on the front nine. I made a couple of putts I should have in the first 12 holes, and then I made a couple of bogeys that I shouldnt have coming in. All in all, I think 5 under was a fair representation of my round.Snedeker also did a good job keeping the ball in play. He had high expectations for the week, even though he might get the prize for having travelled the longest — or at least the most — to get to Shanghai.His plan was to play Japan, Malaysia and China. But he withdrew from the Bridgestone Open when he felt something wrong with his stomach, flew home to Tennessee during the week of Malaysia to get it checked out, then flew back to Asia for the final World Golf Championship of the year.At least for one day, it was worth the trip.DIVOTS: Graham DeLaet had to withdraw after a 45 on nine holes because of a neck injury. The Canadian also withdrew from Malaysia last week with a sore neck. ... Kevin Stadler withdrew after two holes with a wrist injury. ... Jason Dufner had one moment when his body was in China and his head was still in Malaysia. Players were allowed to lift, clean and place their balls last week in soggy Malaysia. Dufner instinctively picked up his ball in the 18th fairway, a one-shot penalty. He had a 72. Just one of those things, Dufner said with a shrug. ' ' '