Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Mike Berardino column.(Column)

Byline: Mike Berardino

Apr. 12--Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria has a stock reply whenever anybody asks him about the club's low payroll.

"It's not about payroll," Loria will say. "It's about people."

True enough. Spending big doesn't guarantee you success in baseball (see 2008 Yankees and Tigers) any more than spending low precludes you from making a postseason run ('08 Rays).

But it's still a fascinating topic to explore, especially as baseball goes through a rare, if modest, downturn in player expenditures.

According to The Associated Press, Opening Day payrolls in the majors decreased by an aggregate 1.7 percent from the start of …