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. Odell Beckham Jr Jersey . 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. Damon Harrison Jersey . Roy says he will know more about Duchenes potential playing status Sunday. Duchene has been out since damaging the MCL in his left knee when he ran into a teammate against San Jose on March 29. Hes been skating on his own all week, before joining the team Saturday hours before a pivotal game in a series tied at 2. Aldrick Rosas Jersey . Messier, who had been a special assistant to Rangers general manager Glen Sather, announced Thursday in a statement that he is resigning in order to "expand the game of hockey in the New York area by developing the Kingsbridge National Ice Center. http://www.nygiantsfanatic.com/c-65-giants-geno-smith-jersey.aspx . Bradwell was scheduled to become a free agent Tuesday. Born and raised in Toronto, Bradwell is entering his sixth CFL season, with all six played for his hometown Argonauts.SYDNEY, N.S. - Clark Bishop scored once in regulation and added the winner in a shootout as the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles edged the Sherbrooke Phoenix 4-3 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action on Wednesday.Phelix Martineau and Bradley Lalonde also scored for the Screaming Eagles (9-14-4), who were outshot 32-18.Daniel Audette had a goal and two assists for Sherbrooke (14-9-2), which stormed back from a 3-1 deficit to tie the game in the third period. Eric-Charles Legare and Kevin Domingue also scored.Cape Bretons Francois Brassard stopped 29 shots to pick upp the victory. Rhett Ellison Jersey. Evan Fitzpatrick made 15 saves in the loss. Both teams were 2 for 6 on the power play.---VOLTIGUERS 5 HUSKIES 3ROUYN-NORANDA, Que. — Jerome Verrier scored twice to lead Drummondville over the Huskies.Georgs Golovkovs and Alex Barre-Boulet also scored for the Voltiguers (12-12-2), while Joey Ratelle added an empty-net goal with 14 seconds remaining in regulation.Julien Nantel, Antoine Waked and Mathieu Lemay replied for Rouyn-Noranda (14-11-2) with three