:twisted: looks that way :!: :!: ( Now finish off that other NY club and there will be dancing in Lansdowne St!!) jif
My brain cannot register what I am seeing. My God, the Tigers have been one of the worst clubs in baseball since 1988 and are now just a game away from being in the World Series. My hope for this season was that we would finally break 500 and be respectable again. I don't think I have been this stunned by a sports season since, uhh, when Northwestern went to the Rose Bowl<g>.
Going into this season the Tigers had been sub .500 for 13 straight years. One of the all time worst franchise records in baseball history. This reminds me so much of 1969 and my beloved Amazing Mets. From WORST TO FIRST. It can be done. YOU GOTTA BELIEVE!!!
It also kind of debunks the prevailing theory around here that the Yankees buy championships. At least I will never have to listen to that sad lament anymore. Right? :wink:
I dunno George whats wrong with the picture. I do know that the Yanks paid out over 50 million more for the privilege of paying golf with the Red Sox on Columbus day. Something stinks :!: :!: jif
The sad part is that this team will most likely be broken up. The Tigers and every other upstart BB team that doesn't buy their players never seem to keep them either once they become stars like these guys are becoming. It's a major reason why I lost interest in BB. Great story for now though.
NO It reenforces the old adage that pitching stops good hitting. So if a team can build with young pitchers who haven't been in the leage long enough to be stolen via free agency by the Yanks they have a chance. Especially when the Yanks are throwing away millions on old, broken down has beens.
I recall reading something to the effect of it's not how much you spend, it's how you spend it. Yankees had trouble. That starts with "T" And that rhymes with "P" And that stands for Pitching.
When have the Yanks gone out and picked up young pitching in free agency? I can't remember the last time the Yanks got a frontline pitcher who wasn't on his last legs ...well I guess Roger is the last one...but theoretically Roger at the age he was when they aquired him was on his last legs. No way of knowing that his legs would last so long. Terry
Pitchers like David Cone and Mike Mussina were not on their "last legs" when they were signed by the Yanks.
So what's the problem? Baseball is a private, free enterprise system. There is no franchise in sports more profitable than the Yankees. They also lead in attendance. Their fans have proven time and again that they are willing to spend whatever on tickets, hot dogs and memorabilia to support the spending on players. If the Yankees choose poorly, as you all suggest, then what is your argument? Chances are pretty good that they are sending your favorite teams a fat luxury tax check every year. Their results indicate that they do not know what they are doing so why do you care? You should be loving this setup not chastising it.
In the free enterprise system you try to be so good you put your competition out of business. In case you hadn't looked the Yankees are part of a league and putting other teams in your league really isn't that desirable. It's sports. It's supposed to be FAIR competition. Giving one team a large advantage in talent procurement is not a level playing field. So how come they haven't figured out how to give the Yanks the first choice in the draft every year?
This is PRO sports, Gipper. There is only one objective... to win. Nothing else matters. They don't give out good sportsmanhip awards. You're looking at this as "how you would like it" rather than "what it is". Ultimately what kills your argument is that the Yankees are not winning the whole thing every year... they haven't won in six years. And when they won four in the late 90's they didn't do it with a team of hired gun all stars. They did with bit players and rejects( Brosius, Girardi, Sojo etc ) built around a strong core of home grown talent( Jeter, Posada, Williams, Rivera ). Your argument has no basis.
The NFL is pro sports too George. The only difference is that the NY teams without a talent advantage are just like other teams. Perhaps that's why the NFL is a much healthier league.
Now you are identifying the real target of your ire, Gipper. The architecture of MLB. The hurdle to your view of how things should be is the Players Union.
Ask yourself this In the free enterprise system how could any business spend more on overhead for production, turn out a product inferior to its competitors for at least 6 straight years and still be in business? The answer is, it couldn't. I blame the players union for some things. They are primarily responsible for the steroid problem. They did not protect their members from being placed in the difficult position of using steroids or being at a disadvantage in negotiating. By enabling the cheats to use they really put the pressure on other members to also use. Needless to say it cheapens the accomplishment of prior players who didn't use. As to the financial situation the owners always let the union bully and outflank them. Agreeing to arbitration of issues like collusion was insane. The NFL has always been aware of parity and giving every team an equal chance to win. You don't see teams like the Braves winning 13 straight divisional tltles in the NFL. Hockey finally faced reality. They had to shut down for a season to make the point. Baseball owners do not and never will have the guts to stand up to the union.
The Yankees get away with spending and not producing world champions because A. They sell 4 million + tickets per season B. they have their own cable network that broadcasts all their games plus the NJ Nets and the NJ Devils and C. they lead the free world in logo and memorabilia sales. To level the playing field in baseball they need a salary cap. Nothing else will fix it. Hence, the players union will be the obstacle. And don't think for a second that the other owners will fall all over themselves to chnage things. Whatever the problems remember this; the Yankees are playing 100% within the rules of MLB. And they are not nearly the problem you make them out to be as evidenced by the last six years.