Goodbye Oakland, Hello New York (1 Viewer)

[Seth Paxton]

I think it is far more entertaining and the ratings show that

Well, not MNF ratings at least.

Can't speak to the Sunday ratings because I haven't compared.

 

[Seth Paxton]

I said the Yanks don't have a bunch of all-stars for the same reason's you followed up by complaining about it.

Torre put them on. You say yourself that Jeter is not the best SS, maybe 4th. But does he get paid 4th best? Same with Bernie, etc.

With all the named all-stars, how many have the best numbers? 1 - Rivera. 2 with Mussina this last season.

Jeter being on the all-stars does not bother me because he is a great player and a fan favorite, but I don't see the Yanks infield of 2001 as a rich man who buys the very best of everything...

1b - Tino (where is he among AL 1Bmen, exactly)

2b - Soriano (rookie and homegrown)

SS - Jeter

3B - Brosius (.230 - .240, yes he was the best out there alright)

C - Posoda (homegrown, very good now but still not Pudge and not an "MVP" level player at all)

Heck the OF is Pauly, Bernie and Knobby. Bernie is the only serious all-star consideration there.

Clearly the money has not come close to buying the "best".

 

[Joseph S]

2b - Soriano (rookie and homegrown)

Again, just like Rivera, Mendoza, Hernandez, etc. He was a nondraftable free agent that they signed. They have the largest farm system and scouting system because of the money and can afford more risks and sign more players.

 

[Tomoko Noguchi]

Well, let's just start fitting the Yankees for their 2002 WS rings now. We might as well add 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 201....

 

[James RD]

A related topic: Jeremy Giambi was busted for pot at a Nevada airport. I'm sure he will acknowledge his problem and seek proper help because, as we all know from watching the playoffs, he is a standup guy.

 

[Brian Kissinger]

This may seem off subject from the financial aspect, but my point is about the large market vs. the small market. I've seen the debate, and a strong arguement is that there have been some lower payroll teams contending. The thing of it is, though, that they rarely compete for more than one season. Yes, sometimes a team has magical season where everything comes together, and the breaks go your way, and you compete. (See my Reds three years ago) But, what about the next year? Your two bankable starters don't have that magical seaon. Your relievers arms are worn from all the innings they have been pitching and aren't as a sure thing. The league figures out your two breakout guys can't hit the curve. And suddenly your low payroll team who managed to finish first the previous year, comes back down to reality and finishes third. Or worse. But, those high payroll teams(who can have the same scenario, only in reverse)can comeback and compete again the next year.

In short, I don't think there is a solution available that will magically fix everything. There will be some complaint from someone. I guess that's why we treasure those times when our team does come through. It's a magical feeling. If it happened every year, it wouldn't be so special. I'll just do this year what I do every year: Watch, Root, Pray, and Hope.

 

[Brett_B]

Yes, sometimes a team has magical season where everything comes together, and the breaks go your way, and you compete. (See my Reds three years ago) But, what about the next year? Your two bankable starters don't have that magical seaon. Your relievers arms are worn from all the innings they have been pitching and aren't as a sure thing. The league figures out your two breakout guys can't hit the curve. And suddenly your low payroll team who managed to finish first the previous year, comes back down to reality and finishes third. Or worse. But, those high payroll teams(who can have the same scenario, only in reverse)can comeback and compete again the next year.

You forgot the biggest aspect that affects these lower market teams, especially coming off a "magical" season. What about that team's free agents (played last year of contract during the "magical" season) who are offered contracts by the higher market teams that the lower market teams can't touch. Teams like the "Yankmees" don't see this as a problem since they have money to burn.
Last night ESPN reported that the "Yankmees" team salary is now over $150 million :rolleyes
[sarcasm]Now if we can only convince these smaller market teams to increase their payroll from $50 million to $150 million so that they can be competitive...[/sarcasm]
I hate to say this, but I am praying for the demise of MLB.

 

[Tom Johnson]

Remember that fan is short for fanatic. I been reading so many of these posts that are written from that frame of reference. First I will qualify by saying that I am a Yankees fan. I went to my first game in 1967 when the Mick was still playing. I went to games with Celerino Sanchez at third and Horace Clark at second. Many times the Yankees have spent money and not won anything. I remember the late 70's after the series wins. GS wanted to transform the team into a speed oriented team. They signed Dave Collins to lead them. He lead them no where. Mattingly's career was sadly shortened by injury and bracketed by WS victories. GS runs the Yankees like a business. When you have a great product people will buy it. If you have a medicore product some people may purchase it out of brand loyalty or lower cost. If you have an inferior product people will stay away from it. To get the best product you hire the best people and pay them well to make the product. You advertise and spend money on R & D (farm systems). The old adage is that you have to spend money to make money. This is just one part of a successful formula. The other part is that once you assemble this team of high salaried workers, they have to be willing to work together to produce the best product. If all they care about is bettering their resume so that they can make money with another company, you will not be able to produce the best product. You have to hire a management team who knows how to get the most out of his people and to be able to instill unity and a sense of purpose.

The reason the Yankees are winning is not entirely salary, that's only a part of it. The players they sign also have to be willing to work within the system and have the desire to win. Personally I'm concerned about Giambi. He certainly has the physical tools, but I'm not sure what he brings to the table in terms of being part of the team. In the playoffs he publicly scolded and showed up a Tejada. The Yankees would never do that. They would have waited until a young play got in the dugout and then explained the error of his ways in a manner that he could respect. Other teams may one day learn this formula for success. The Red Sox finally got rid of Carl Everett. He started out in the Yankees system. They didn't let him get away because they didn't recognize his talent, they let him go because of his attitude.

 

[Brian Perry]

On a side note, did you see the breakdown of salaries by position? I was surprised to see that the highest-paid "position" is DH, and it is over $1 million higher than the next highest position. No wonder the union would fight to keep the DH intact.

 

[Joseph S]

They didn't let him get away because they didn't recognize his talent, they let him go because of his attitude.

Ha, Ha. That Eric Milton and Jay Buhner are nasty fellows as well. You're kidding yourself. The Yankees have no problem with despicable players and have recently employed Polonia, Canseco, Gooden, Starwberry, and Howe. All have had their run ins with the law(tax evasion, raping minors, guns in airports, spousal abuse), drugs, and girl's Softball umpires.

 

[Tom Johnson]

Ken Phelps looked like a good idea at the time. Milton was part of the Knobloch trade. The need at the time was for a lead-off hitter. The Yanks knew what they were giving up. My point is that a team needs chemistry and an identity. It may be hard to relate to this without ever having been on a championship team. I've been on winning teams and losing teams. The difference isn't talent.

 

[Brett_B]

.

 

[Jeff_A]

Hey, guess what? I am really going to go out on a limb here and predict that the New York Yankees will make it to the World Series next year. Won't this be fun? :rolleyes