Competitive Advantage and Pro Sports

Professional sports teams rely heavily upon competitive advantage to retain and recruit players, coaches, and maintain their fan base. Before the New York Yankees became the legendary team known today, they were known as the Highlanders. This team began in 1903 in Manhattan, were founded by Frank Farrell and Bill Devery, and played in a stadium called Hilltop Park. The New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers were not fond of the idea of the Highlanders becoming part of the New York Baseball market. Therefore, the owners made entry very difficult for Farrell and Devery. Farrell and Devery knew that winning games would help to sustain competitive advantage and claim a fair share of the market. In 1913, “the Highlanders are officially renamed the Yankees” (MLB, 2010, p. 3). Continuing to win games, the Yankees purchased a contract in 1920 and acquired arguably the greatest baseball player ever, Babe Ruth. From this moment on, the Yankees franchise understood how to maintain competitive advantage and became one of the most popular sports teams in the world