Just as this talent haul began, something else broke in the AL's favor: the Tax Reform Act of 1986. This act, which was aimed at simplifying the tax code, was also expected to curtail the public financing of stadiums. It limited the amount that tax-free stadium bonds could be financed by team rent payments. But the law did not make public officials any less eager to subsidize new stadiums. To accommodate the law, they just charged teams little or no rent -- making it more attractive than ever for teams to demand new parks. "It's a major economic advantage," says Andrew Zimbalist, an economist at Smith College.

While 10 NL teams played in ballparks built in the 1960s and 1970s that were once the envy of baseball, there were more AL teams playing in older parks that needed replacing. In 1992, the Baltimore Orioles moved into Oriole Park at Camden Yards, which inspired a wave of retro-style, baseball-focused ballparks in downtown entertainment districts. Thanks to improved attendance, a favorable lease and the stadium's abundant luxury seating, the Orioles turned an operating profit of roughly $25 million in its first season.