The Yankees will win it all! Sabathia,Burnett, Teixeira, maybe Manny is next! Wow! Nobody's gonna beat that team. Too much talent! The Yankees are a lock! ...etc...etc...These are some of the mindless blatherings by the usual media roaches and their followers. Then again, could they really be expecting sports fans outside the influence of the Evil Empire (let alone anybody else on the planet) to relate to the fact that in a bad worldwide economic crisis the New York Yankees just committed almost half a billion dollars to THREE PLAYERS??!! How is this explained?
Just call it Yankeenomic$.
The truth is, the Yankees are spinning their gold-plated wheels. A little recent history: From 1996 through 2003 when the Yankees made it to six World Series' in eight years (winning four), they did it with a team that had a solid home-grown core of Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettite, and Mariano Rivera. They were augmented by a few free agents and solid players acquired in trades, like Scott Brosius, Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, Chuck Knoblauch, David Wells, David Cone among others. None of them were major, high-priced superstars. Even when they acquired Roger Clemens after the '98 season, they had to give up Wells (18-4) to get him. Those Yankee teams had outstanding chemistry, Joe Torre was a master at keeping everyone happy and George Steinbrenner pretty much stayed out of the way and let GM Brian Cashman do his job, which he did exceptionally well.
But after the Yanks lost to Florida in the '03 Series, they realized that the farm system was dry and went back to their old ways of outspending the opposition instead of outplaying them. Any kind of sacrifice due to rebuilding the way other franchises do was not an option. So, via free agency and trades, they were able to field an All Star at every position by acquiring the biggest names (and contracts) in baseball: Jason Giambi, Kevin Brown, Gary Sheffield, Mike Mussina, Johnny Damon, Randy Johnson, and the most expensive one of all, Alex Rodriguez, all joined the party. Yankee Stadium became the place where nine-figure contracts go to die.
Reggie 5, A-Rod 0
Last year the Yankees tried to convince everyone that the young talent in their farm system would prevail and in a strangely theatrical attempt to prove it they didn't go after Johan Santana. Perhaps they didn't believe Santana would wind up with the Mets, but after failing to make the postseason for the first time in 13 years, the Yankees abruptly reversed course and broke down the vault doors to bring in the newest crop of free agents. So much for the kids. This has always been easier for the Yankees, anyway. Over the last 10 years, the only impact position player the Yankees have brought up through their system, Alfonso Soriano, was traded for Rodriguez. What the Yankees have done is simultaneously overrate and undermine their own farm system, a bizarre double-edge sword that has no comparison anywhere in sports. That's the Propaganda Department of Yankeenomic$. They say what they want, the media and their followers gobble it up, the attention span is about six months until the Yankees flip-flop, and the circle goes around.
Yankeenomic$ has created the latest reality craze: Musical Millionaires. Jason Giambi's $120 million deal expires, in comes Mark Teixiera at $180 million to fill the void. Mike Mussina retires after winning 20 games, his slot is filled by C.C. Sabathia. Andy Pettitte's contract is off the books, A.J. Burnett is the replacement. If these new players were adding to what the team already had, that could make it a different story. But what they're doing is replacing players who were pretty much still productive. The Yankees are actually going to have a smaller payroll than last year and they should be better on the field, but are they going to be that much better? Remains to be seen but a few things are going to become even more clear than they already are: Forcing Joe Torre out the door is one reason why the Yankees won't win in spite of all the current money being thrown around. Another
reason consists of just who is thowing it around. Hanky and Hal are the stars of Yankeenomic$ and they're antics will always cost the team more than it should. Another potential disaster looming is the saga of Joba Chamberlain, their announced jewel of their organization. There is no possible excuse for them not being able to decide whether he's a starter or a closer for two years running, and as a result, he doesn't know what role to prepare for
. The Yankees are either going to ruin this kid before he ever gets going (a la Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens) or trade Joba away for a used-up veteran and watch him flourish elsewhere (a la Jay Buhner). This is the FEMA/Katrina of Yankeenomic$ that has been a blight on the franchise ever since George Bush - err, Steinbrenner bought the team.
Over the last ten years, the Red Sox have become the franchise the Yankees were in the '90s. Boston spends a lot of money too, but they've balanced it out with the best farm system in baseball, so they don't have to virtually beg free agents they may not necessarily need to accept obscene paychecks. The impact of Jonathan Papelbon, Justin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis (like Jeter, Rivera, Posada and Pettitte did for New York) has enabled the Sox to win a second World Series just three years after breaking the fabled Curse of the Bambino. The Yankees won championships when management played that way in the '90s but since their last World Series appearance in '03 the Bombers have engaged Yankeenomic$ and literally bombed the other teams out of free agent contention. However, as the last several seasons can attest, it doesn't guarantee a damn thing on the field.
Just call it Yankeenomic$.
The truth is, the Yankees are spinning their gold-plated wheels. A little recent history: From 1996 through 2003 when the Yankees made it to six World Series' in eight years (winning four), they did it with a team that had a solid home-grown core of Derek Jeter, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, Andy Pettite, and Mariano Rivera. They were augmented by a few free agents and solid players acquired in trades, like Scott Brosius, Paul O'Neill, Tino Martinez, Chuck Knoblauch, David Wells, David Cone among others. None of them were major, high-priced superstars. Even when they acquired Roger Clemens after the '98 season, they had to give up Wells (18-4) to get him. Those Yankee teams had outstanding chemistry, Joe Torre was a master at keeping everyone happy and George Steinbrenner pretty much stayed out of the way and let GM Brian Cashman do his job, which he did exceptionally well.
But after the Yanks lost to Florida in the '03 Series, they realized that the farm system was dry and went back to their old ways of outspending the opposition instead of outplaying them. Any kind of sacrifice due to rebuilding the way other franchises do was not an option. So, via free agency and trades, they were able to field an All Star at every position by acquiring the biggest names (and contracts) in baseball: Jason Giambi, Kevin Brown, Gary Sheffield, Mike Mussina, Johnny Damon, Randy Johnson, and the most expensive one of all, Alex Rodriguez, all joined the party. Yankee Stadium became the place where nine-figure contracts go to die.
"Too much talent! The Yankees are a lock!"
Those words were shouted every year, especially after the Yankees obtain
ed Rodriguez in '04 and Johnson the following year. But all that talent didn't win (They haven't even made it to the World Series since '03). Sheffield and Giambi were plagued by inconsistency and steroid allegations, Brown's career was wrecked by injuries, Johnson was past his prime (and absolutely horrible in pressure situations) and Rodriguez, who's put up some spectacular regular season numbers, has proven to be a complete and total bust in post-season play, as well as a poor-man's Reggie Jackson when it comes to being a lightning-rod for controversy. At least Reggie's controversies were as a result of his Mt. Everest-sized ego and didn't deal with nauseating tidbits about his personal life. More importantly, Reggie was the polar opposite of Rodriguez as a clutch hitter which leads directly to the most glaring statistic of all:
The World Series ring scoreboard:
ed Rodriguez in '04 and Johnson the following year. But all that talent didn't win (They haven't even made it to the World Series since '03). Sheffield and Giambi were plagued by inconsistency and steroid allegations, Brown's career was wrecked by injuries, Johnson was past his prime (and absolutely horrible in pressure situations) and Rodriguez, who's put up some spectacular regular season numbers, has proven to be a complete and total bust in post-season play, as well as a poor-man's Reggie Jackson when it comes to being a lightning-rod for controversy. At least Reggie's controversies were as a result of his Mt. Everest-sized ego and didn't deal with nauseating tidbits about his personal life. More importantly, Reggie was the polar opposite of Rodriguez as a clutch hitter which leads directly to the most glaring statistic of all:The World Series ring scoreboard:
Reggie 5, A-Rod 0
Last year the Yankees tried to convince everyone that the young talent in their farm system would prevail and in a strangely theatrical attempt to prove it they didn't go after Johan Santana. Perhaps they didn't believe Santana would wind up with the Mets, but after failing to make the postseason for the first time in 13 years, the Yankees abruptly reversed course and broke down the vault doors to bring in the newest crop of free agents. So much for the kids. This has always been easier for the Yankees, anyway. Over the last 10 years, the only impact position player the Yankees have brought up through their system, Alfonso Soriano, was traded for Rodriguez. What the Yankees have done is simultaneously overrate and undermine their own farm system, a bizarre double-edge sword that has no comparison anywhere in sports. That's the Propaganda Department of Yankeenomic$. They say what they want, the media and their followers gobble it up, the attention span is about six months until the Yankees flip-flop, and the circle goes around.
Yankeenomic$ has created the latest reality craze: Musical Millionaires. Jason Giambi's $120 million deal expires, in comes Mark Teixiera at $180 million to fill the void. Mike Mussina retires after winning 20 games, his slot is filled by C.C. Sabathia. Andy Pettitte's contract is off the books, A.J. Burnett is the replacement. If these new players were adding to what the team already had, that could make it a different story. But what they're doing is replacing players who were pretty much still productive. The Yankees are actually going to have a smaller payroll than last year and they should be better on the field, but are they going to be that much better? Remains to be seen but a few things are going to become even more clear than they already are: Forcing Joe Torre out the door is one reason why the Yankees won't win in spite of all the current money being thrown around. Another
reason consists of just who is thowing it around. Hanky and Hal are the stars of Yankeenomic$ and they're antics will always cost the team more than it should. Another potential disaster looming is the saga of Joba Chamberlain, their announced jewel of their organization. There is no possible excuse for them not being able to decide whether he's a starter or a closer for two years running, and as a result, he doesn't know what role to prepare for
. The Yankees are either going to ruin this kid before he ever gets going (a la Hensley "Bam Bam" Meulens) or trade Joba away for a used-up veteran and watch him flourish elsewhere (a la Jay Buhner). This is the FEMA/Katrina of Yankeenomic$ that has been a blight on the franchise ever since George Bush - err, Steinbrenner bought the team.Over the last ten years, the Red Sox have become the franchise the Yankees were in the '90s. Boston spends a lot of money too, but they've balanced it out with the best farm system in baseball, so they don't have to virtually beg free agents they may not necessarily need to accept obscene paychecks. The impact of Jonathan Papelbon, Justin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis (like Jeter, Rivera, Posada and Pettitte did for New York) has enabled the Sox to win a second World Series just three years after breaking the fabled Curse of the Bambino. The Yankees won championships when management played that way in the '90s but since their last World Series appearance in '03 the Bombers have engaged Yankeenomic$ and literally bombed the other teams out of free agent contention. However, as the last several seasons can attest, it doesn't guarantee a damn thing on the field.
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