A couple of things Blibble. I can't argue that what the Yankees have done this offseason is CRAZY (almost half a billion dollars on 3 players). However, as a fan, I'm nothing but pleased. Hopefully this will return the Yankees to greatness. As a fan, it's a reassuring sigh of relief that the owners and organization are committed to winning. They and the Detroit Tigers just got slapped with the luxury tax this year ($26.9 million for the Yankees). That's almost an entire team's payroll. And what will these teams do who complain about the Yankees spending yet will accept a hand out. POCKET THE CASH! Yes, I understand no other team can financially compete with the Yankees and if they win in 2009 people will scream that they "bought" their championship but as I've said over and over again on this board, what other team cares that much about winning that they are willing to go to these lengths? My hat truly goes off to Hal/Hank Steinbrenner, Brian Cashman and everyone else who made it possible to sign these 3 gentlemen. Even I was surprised when they signed Mark (I thought for sure he was going to Boston but yet again, over a few million dollars he's now a Yankee instead of a Red Sox - hello Alex Rodriguez and Johnny Damon).

Secondly, I read this article from the New York Post that I agree with. Next year the Yankees probably would have went hard after Matt Holliday (remember, they passed on Carlos Beltran for Randy Johnson and settled for Johnny Damon the following season a few years ago). They aren't willing to make the same mistake again. Instead of waiting for a year to sign an inferior talent in Holliday as the writer suggests (he's not as well defensively or offensively), the Yankees chose to spend the money now rather than later (which they would have in any case). Mark my words though, Matt Holliday will be a Red Sox either in July before the trade deadline or next offseason. And I do agree, baseball is my favorite sport and this is my favorite time of the year. For whatever reason, baseball is the only offseason I religiously follow.

Finally, have no fear. Sooner or later (probably the former), MLB will have a salary cap. I think with the Yankees spending this offseason, people will be SCREAMING for it to happen now.

What Bud Selig has reduced MLB to is an abomination. Whether Selig or the fans of the few MLB teams with money realize it or not, they are alienating 75% of the fans of other teams. MLB should adopt the non-guaranteed contract format used the NFL. The only thing guaranteed for the NFL is the signing bonus. Signing 8 year deals in baseball is plain dumb.

That said, the Yankees will rue the day they signed Sabathia. Steinbrenner once called Dave Winfield "Mr. May," which was a shot at how Winfield played poorly in the postseason. The torch for that moniker is about to be passed. Sabathia has sucked when it mattered most: 1) the end of 2005 season when the Indians needed one win to gain the wild card, 2) 2007 ALCS he folded like a cheap tent twice under the pressure of a big game, 3) and the 2008 NLDS horrific performance with Milwaukee. In fact, the two postseason wins CC enjoyed were due entirely to his offense's output: in 2001 ALDS, Cleveland scored 17 runs and in the 2007 ALDS, they scored 12. He could not handle pressure in two mid-market towns (Cleve & Mil). He sure as hell will not handle it in the Big Apple. Not only that, but the guy will be on the wrong side of 30 by the time the contract is up and his ballooning weight will be a factor in his performance.

CC Sabathia will the pitching equivalent of a complete postseason choker as A-Rod is on the offensive side of the coin.

Let's also not forget that before that playoff game he pitched like 2 or 3 games on 3 days rest EACH. He was dead tired but still got the team into the playoffs.

I would be shocked if it was 2 days rest. I have never heard of such short rest for a starter in the modern era. However, many a player has pitched on short rest and thrived under the spotlight (Randy Johnson, Schilling, Clemens, etc).

CC is a good regular season pitcher and definitely helps any team. But he always trys to do too much and cannot shake his nerves when the stakes are higher.

I agree with Blibble and SC that this is a joke already. but on the other hand, that's the baseball we're all used to. with the great Rays and Red Sox teams and the Yankees still full of holes (even after all the signings), the Bombers were about to become losers and then it would be another sport. Blibble raised an interesting point that the best thing for baseball would be the Yankees and Red Sox to win the World Series 10 years in a row because then people would do something about the spending, but maybe that's one of the cool things about the game: the underdog stories. the Yankees love to do bad personnel decisions and they're a long shot away from domination right now.

and even if the Red Sox became the mini-Yankees, much of their success comes from great work by their front office. they spend much, much better money than the Yankees. they let one of the best players slip away (Hanley Ramirez) and still put together a World Series champion team.

the NY Post article that Irish brought up is very interesting. I hadn't figured it all out but smart baseball people did. putting together a good team demands seeing the big picture and what the articles says is true. if the Yankees didn't sign Teixeira now, they'd have to sign a lesser version the next year and people would complain anyway.

Another Yankee article I agree with

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Yankees Defend Spending as Almost a Public Service

Do not hold your breath if you are expecting the Yankees to feel apologetic about all the money they are spending. After the team’s third major off-season signing, the Yankees’ president, Randy Levine, surveyed the criticism of the club and said, in effect, that a really good Yankee team is beneficial to baseball.

“The philosophy of George Steinbrenner, which has been continued by Hal and Hank, is that the Yankees are a sacred trust to their fans and they believe in continually reinvesting in the team rather than reinvesting in themselves,” Levine said Wednesday in reference to the team’s principal owner and his two sons. “We follow all the rules of baseball, we pay millions of dollars to other teams and we are essential to the revenues generated by Major League Baseball and its networks and other entities.”

In signing C. C. Sabathia and A. J. Burnett to big free-agent contracts and reaching agreement with Mark Teixeira on an eight-year, $180 million deal, the Yankees have now spent far more money this off-season than the other 29 major league teams combined. For those keeping score, it is $423.5 million to $296.6 million. That kind of discrepancy is too much for some commentators and for the Milwaukee Brewers’ owner, Mark Attanasio, who on Tuesday resurrected the idea of a salary cap as a way of reining in the Yankees.

Levine will have none of it. He said that the Yankees, by spending substantially on players, were making sure they remained a top asset in the sport.

“We are usually in the top of road attendance and we get some of the highest television ratings, both when we play national games and when we visit other teams,” he said. He said if the Yankees’ new stadium, which will be ready for the 2009 season, allows the team’s revenue to increase, then “so will the revenues of the rest of the game.”

Levine added: “We are sensitive to the economic times and our fans. We believe it is good for the franchise and good for the fans to put the best product possible on the field, and that is what we strive to do.”

Levine singled out the criticism that he said some ESPN’s commentators had directed at Yankee spending and said he wondered why they were not criticizing their own network for reinvesting in its product by outbidding Fox by millions of dollars to acquire the rights to the Bowl Championship Series.

No apologies, and a little feistiness. And less than two months until spring training.

Source: New York Times

What a shock...

Well you have to understand. Basically outside the New York area, these stories and feelings are not widely shared. I hate to consistently hear Yankee bashing. It's comforting at times when someone writes or reports on a positive article/story.

Baseball has been called the national pastime, but it's time has passed. Football has replaced it as the most popular sport in America. You can cite many reasons; lack of salary cap, the Yankees exhorbitant spending, the unions, too many night games, kids don't play it in sandlots like they used to, etc. The Yankees say they are within the rules and give money to the other franchises - all business related. What about the sport? competition? Baseball has become like all sports in America; it's about the money and the entertainment.

The Yankees can buy all these glitzy puzzle pieces, but when you put them together they don't fit. Players are paid on their past performance. It doesn't guarantee they will perform tomorrow. Good Luck Yankees.

Yankees still option for Manny?

Manny Ramirez is next up for Scott Boras. By Mark Teixeira signing with the Yankees, it likely eliminated Ramirez from going there, though the drama of Ramirez vs. the Red Sox and the ratings bonanza that would mean for YES (let alone NESN) is still tugging a tad at the purse strings of some members the Yankees' brass. The Nationals and Angels, who bid for Teixeira, were two teams Ramirez also seemed suited for, but they have indicated they're no longer in the market for him. The other team in the Teixeira hunt, the Orioles, has not said anything about Ramirez, who has hit well at Camden Yards (.314 with 18 homers, 24 doubles, and 76 RBIs in 338 at-bats). The Dodgers remain a viable option, as they've already offered Ramirez two years at $45 million with an option year that could make the deal worth $60 million.

Source: SI

Did Red Sox botch Teixeira negotiations?

Any suggestion that the Red Sox could not (and can not) compete for free agents with New York is utter nonsense because the Sox have signed free agents in the past. With Mark Teixeira, the Sox were not nearly as aggressive. The bottom line is that other teams (excluding the Yankees) were in the same neighborhood, which allowed Teixeira to drag out the process. Had the Sox come out of the gate with, say, an eight-year offer for $184 million, maybe they could have gotten the deal done. Maybe it would have taken $192 million. But if the Sox came out strong -- very strong -- and gave Teixeira a short window to accept, their chances might have been better. If Teixeira then had balked, the Sox would have had their answer: Teixeira never wanted to come here. Instead, the Sox left the door open for the Yankees to swoop in, which created an array of issues. Most notably, by the time Teixeira made his decision, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett both had signed with New York, making the Yankees a more attractive destination; earlier on, that was not the case. By allowing the process to drag, the Sox enhanced New York's position.

Source: SI

I was thinking about it the other day: I think the Yankees should still try to get Manny Ramirez. They should try to trade Matsui and Igawa, to a West Coast team preferably (the Giants or Mariners perhaps) and just get back prospects. That way Damon can handle left field and Manny can DH. Can you imagine a lineup like:

1) Damon - LF
2) Jeter - SS
3) Rodriguez - 3B
4) Ramirez - DH
5) Teixeira - 1B
6) Posada - C
7) Nady - RF
8) Cano - 2B
9) Gardiner/Cabrera - CF

What a difference a few years make. A few years in which the Yankees didn't do too well in the post-season.



Irishman, you're a ho.

Too many old men with bloated egos and salaries to match. Yankees won't do any better than last year.

Teixeria's press conference is scheduled for today (probably around noon or 1PM EST)

I agree Mr. Steinbrenner!

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Hal Steinbrenner to Brewers: Mind your own business

On the same day the New York Yankees unveiled their latest star, they defended themselves against recent industry grousing about their big spending. Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio suggested baseball needed a salary cap to rein in the Bombers. "I feel that this organization does a lot for the industry as a whole, between the merchandising we sell, the tickets we sell, the licensing," said co-chairman Hal Steinbrenner. "If some of the owners are upset that we're trying to invest in our team, which we do for the fans, then I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. "We had money come off the payroll, so we had money to spend, whether people like it or not." Added team president Randy Levine: "It's sour grapes. If the Brewers had gotten CC Sabathia for $130 million, I don't think anybody would've been complaining."

Source: SI

Yankees fielding offers for Nady, Swisher

The Yankees are fielding trade offers for corner outfielders Xavier Nady and Nick Swisher. There's been some speculation they might consider trading Hideki Matsui, too, but he has a full no-trade clause and is coming off knee surgery, so there's really no way to trade him.

A logjam at the corners was created when the Yankees surprised a lot of folks and signed Mark Teixeira to an eight-year, $180 million contract. Swisher previously had been penciled in as the Yankees' first baseman but now becomes part of a crowded mix of accomplished corner outfielders. Swisher is a versatile player and can play some center field, as well. Some National League teams may be interested. However, Nady's trade value is higher after a better offensive season, so he may be just as likely to be dealt. Nady, acquired by the Yankees in a midseason trade with the Pirates, combined to hit .305 with 25 home runs and 97 RBIs for the year, while Swisher finished at .219 with 24 home runs and 69 RBIs for the White Sox before being dealt to the Yankees after the season.

Johnny Damon isn't in the trade mix, as the Yankees need him to be their leadoff hitter and part of a center field rotation. The other in-house candidates for center field are Melky Cabrera and Brett Gardner.

Source: SI

I bet Hank hears, "I agree, Mr. Steinbrenner," a hundred times a day.

No, not a$$ kissing. It's just refreshing to hear someone else stand up and say, I'm a Yankee, I'm proud of it and I don't make any apologies for it. I get tired of reading the same old tired rhetoric about how the Yankees are destroying baseball, NOW MLB needs a salary cap, the Yankees "buy" championships, etc.

Hey, I'm a Yankees fan, but I have to agree with a lot of that griping!

More sour grapes

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Pavano: Yankees didn't support me

Carl Pavano admitted, "I failed for four years in New York," but he also suggested Friday that more support during his terrible tenure as a Yankee would have helped. While Pavano said he didn't hold "any grudges," he also noted, "When you're down, you expect your organization to pick you up, not kick you when you're down. I've had to pick myself up quite a few times the last four years," according to a report on mlb.com. Overall, New York is "a great place to play," Pavano said. "There's no reason for me to focus on what happened to me, because that's all behind me. I'm not holding any grudges. You just keep moving forward." Yankees GM Brian Cashman declined comment on Pavano's remarks.

Source: SI

All your sour grapes make for a lousy whine.

Yeah, that's why I only break it out on special occasions. My specialty is Chartreuse

Here's a bag to put the whine in Irish. J/K

Support you? Gee, poor Pavano. He was really kicked when he was down, receiving those millions of dollars for doing NOTHING!!!!

Yankees' spending spree a joy
Yankees should be praised for having 1 goal: World title

Read no further if you visit this space craving a rant against the New York Yankees and their off-season spending spree. In an economy that is tanking and threatens to get worse, they represent everything you want in a sports ownership but can't have.

You can't have it because the Yankees are unique, they know so, and they operate accordingly. They are building a new ballpark, thus creating jobs, and will charge up to $2,500 for the best seats because demand shall equal or surpass supply.

At a time when other franchises retrench and common folk squirrel away savings in shoe boxes, the Yankees buy CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira for something like $423 million because that's the way it's done in the Bronx.

The Yankees break no rules, unlike fellow New Yorker Bernard Madoff (allegedly), and violate no trust with their fans, who expect management to try, regardless of a recession that many seers remind rhymes with depression.

Whether the Yankees also create a diversion from the current mind-set of fear-mongering is arguable, but at the very least, they aren't crying poor and protecting their nest egg. All the Yankees care about is winning the World Series, a badge that has eluded them since 2000.

Call it brazen if you must, but compare the Yankees with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who seduced their public into believing that tax dollars for a modern stadium will mean a contending team. Well, the building is in place, but the Pirates have not posted even a .500 mark since 1992, a major league record for consumer fraud. Where are those revenue-sharing checks, written by the Yankees and cashed by the Pirates, going?

Closer to home, Mark Attanasio, chairman of the Milwaukee Brewers, sees the Yankees reloading and decrees that baseball must have a salary cap or perish. Owners who preceded him upon the advent of free agency also predicted doom, not imagining that in 2008, the game would become an industry worth $6 billion.

Pitted against America's strongest union, which only increases its leverage when the Yankees so handsomely reward card-carrying members, Attanasio's wish stands as much chance of fruition as Miller Park's sausage race has of snagging an Emmy.

Even the NFL is taking the easy way out by joining and perpetuating panic. A colossus by every definition, the nation's most prosperous league has laid off mid-level employees while fast-forwarding plans for what no doubt will be another costly Super Bowl halftime orgy.

This is arrogant and irresponsible behavior, but as Commissioner Roger Goodell intoned, "I would like to be able to report that we are immune from the troubles around us, but we are not." Perhaps he refers to expensive court cases, such as the $28 million judgment against the players' association and in favor of retirees entitled to funds for broken bones and broken lives. Locally, the mood is not so dire. The Cubs are for sale but are not pinching pennies. You can call them a lot of things, but not cheap. The Blackhawks are off the charts. They have doubled their attendance at the United Center, then doubled that for a day at Wrigley Field. As management reinvests principal, fans reinvest interest. Economics 101.

The Yankees are more hated than ever, but what Hank Steinbrenner does will warm the cockles of father George's wallet. The Yankees' mantra is, regardless of the real world, what they can least afford is not to win. Shop until it hurts. Bravo.

Source: Chicago Tribune

That's cute Mig, thanks

Or how about when he was in a car accident, hurt his ribs and didn't tell the Yankees? That's why they "kicked him while he was down." You've gotta tell your team your injured, not try and play Superman. But not only that, it was just a string of bad luck/misfortune. Really, for 4 years and $39 million he only made 26 starts. What do you expect, in New York no less? That was basically $1.5 million-per-start (hardly worth the money, wouldn't you say?)