This is not my typical anti-red Sox rant. They are in first place and have played well. But why are the Yankees only two games back? And only 1.5 behind the egomaniac, Ozzie Guillen and the WS in the wild card race. Last night they beat Texas without four All-Stars in the lineup; Damon, Matsui, Sheffield and Cano. They finished without a fifth, Jeter (back). Their number four and five starting pitchers are either cut or benched. Posada is catching with a torn knee tendon. And Carl Pavano has not pitched all year. A-Rods struggles are ESPN headlines daily.... Two weeks ago they stomped the White Sox three straight with names like Andy Phillips, Melky Cabrera and Aaron Guile leading the way. If we can get healthy.......
George...main reason Sox cant pull away is Wake, Clement, Wells, DiNardo, Foulke all on DL for last 2-3 months. Sox have been going with 2 starters and 3 PRAYERS! Fortunately the "kidde corp" has arrived 2 years ahead of schedule to plug some gaps. jif
8) Answer: Because even with Damon, Matsui, Sheffield and Cano out of the lineup, the Yankees still field a team with a larger payroll than any team in baseball... Next...
If we were comparing payrolls your argument would make sense. Unfortunately it still comes down to the players on the field. How would the Red Sox be doing with Manny and Papi out for three months?
Of course you luck out against Tampon Bay with Kazmir not pitching. Sorry but Wright has to go too. Damon playing great too hurt, bo sox what were you thinking?
Do you mean in addition to Crisp, Pena, Kapler, Timlin, Wells, Clement, Wake, Foulke and DiNardo? Probably very poorly. Note the number of pitchers in that list. Pitching is still key. The Sox have done well despite the injuries, thanks to the efforts of kids like Lester, Hansen, Delcarmen and Papelbon, but they've also been plagued by Seanez and Tavarez. It's important to remember, though, that baseball is like any other sport - injuries are part of the game, and you run what you brung.
Help is on the way George, the man opened up his wallet and bought Bobby Abreu and Cory Liddle from the Phillies. How big is the payroll now?
Hey Ricko...I didnt realize it.. we have had 10 regulars on the DL this year according to your figures! Amazing ...and still we lead by 1 game. What could have been if...... ahhh forget it!
First of all the Yankees didn't buy anyone. They traded for them. I must have missed the part where the Phillies claimed that George made them do it at knifepoint. Secondly, when you average 51,000 fans per game, over 4,000,000 per season and broadcast on your own network then payroll falls under the heading of "details". Anyone with payroll concerns should address them to that cadaver of a commissioner, Bud Selig, because the Yankees aren't breaking any rules... they're just better at playing this game than the other teams.
Yeh...right! Click here for the current Yankee payroll... http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2005/01/new-york-yankees_111398168678860040.html They pay their coaches and GM more money than most teams can afford for their players. King George bought the team for $10 million and its now worth over one ba...ba... billion dollars. This latest 'trade" reminds me of so many the Yankees have made in the past. I first noticed their trading "technique" when I was a 9 year-old boy in 1959. The Yankees sent Hank Bauer, Marvelous Marv Throneberry, Don Larsen, Norm Siebern and ...ahem...cash, to Kansas City for an outfielder named Roger Maris. Bauer was 39 years-old and Maris had hit 39 HRs, so it was an even trade...right? Larsen was through and Throneberry later became the poster boy of the "Funny Little Mets." Siebern was the only real player exchanged for Maris, who won the next two consecutive American League MVP awards, as well as being named the Hickcock Athlete of the Year, Catholic Athlete of the Year...blah...blah...blah... You can call these things trades if you want to, but they can't disguise the fact that King George just bought Bobby Abreu... ...............DD
Fine. I'm 100% for that. The trouble is, most owners will vote against it. They don't want to share anything. They'll take the Yankees luxury tax payments and continue to run inept operations. Steinbrenner takes all the heat around here for doing something we all presumably try to do everyday in our own businesses, namely, maximize the return on our investment. Bill Gates does it and he's a hero. The fans control the game. The real villains here are the fans. In New York they will pay anything to see the Yankees. The saturation point has not been reached. If it ever is then you'll see changes.
Good one, Rick. Seriously, here's the problems: Revenue sharing: MLB already has it. It's called the luxury tax. Problem is, only a few teams actually claim a profit to share. The Yanks right a big fat check every year and send it to MLB who carves it up among the great unwashed. Salary Cap: That's what I would like to see but try sneaking that one past the Players union. Maybe if MLB shut down for 3-4 years...... The Evil Yankees: They must be broken up or artificially reigned in at any cost. Sounds good, huh? Well not only are they the biggest draw in MLB at home, they are the biggest draw in your ballparks too. Maybe your team's management doesn't want the Yankees watered down for selfish reasons of their own. Steinbrenner can be crass and I can see how others would not appreciate him but he built this financial behemoth with his own hands. He is simply better at playing the "ownership" game than anyone else in MLB. I'd like to hear your ideas as to what to do.