FROM DMAN AT The Thought Spigot
Across the Major League landscape, anyone who knows a thing about baseball, realizes that, "any given day, anyone can win." The Devil Rays last year had a great story, in the 2008. The Oakland A's, in the late 1990's, were a team that used a light payroll and a mix of great scouting to win (going to the playoffs). However, the margin of dollars spent by big name, or "big market," clubs is getting ridiculous. Aside from the one to two teams, a year, scratching and clawing their way to a playoff spot, dollars is the actual name of the game. In any other sport, if there was no salary cap, a team could buy their way to the title.
The Yankees, this off season, have just made a mockery and a demand for a baseball salary cap. The Yankees, with the signing of C. C. Sabathia, A. J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira, the New York Yankees are now (by far) paying for a title, in an obscene way. They have Sabathia, Teixeira, A-Rod, and Jeter, all on the same team and are the four highest paid players in baseball. Things do not stop there, with Burnett at 5 years at $82.5 million, putting the Yanks' over $215 million for the season. Overall, the Yankees have added a mere $79.05 million this year. Of course, these players have to stay healthy (not pulling the Carl Pavano), mesh and play team ball (not in fighting and splashing headlines, all over the "N. Y. Times," ala A-Rod/Madonna, or A-Rod vs. Jeter), and they have to actually play between the lines for 162 games, as a team.
It seems you either hate the Yankees, or you love them to death, and everyone loves to complain. Although, what most people do not understand is baseball is not the NFL, or the NBA. The NFL and NBA teams, if a salary cap was not in place, a team would be able to almost buy a title every year. Look at the addition of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, for the Boston Celtics (and the Celts' are under a cap), had the Celtics from a "non-playoff team"/"non-factor for a title" to winning a title, and have a 21-3 record this year. The NFL would be a little more tough, to buy a title, because of the smash mouth play, health problems and the players of reckless abandon. However, almost half the teams, or maybe just any team (not owned by Jerry Jones) could take a shot at it and would come close. Baseball is longer season, at 162 games, long road trips, and team cohesion on and off the field, is not something even the Yankees can buy.
So where does that leave the Yankees this year and why even write this, if I don't think you can buy a World Series Ring? Because the Yankees, with the addition of Sabathia, Burnett and possibly Andy Pettite, mixed with 20 game winner Chien-Ming Wang, Joba Chamberlain, and Phil Hughes (if Pettite, or another pitcher doesn't come back) have a staff of four potential Cy Young Award winners. They were the highest scoring team in baseball last year, but their pitching was giving up close to five runs a game. The Yankees also have added Xavier Nady, Damaso Marte, and Nick Swisher, not counting the players coming back (Matsui $13 million, Damon $13 million, Robinson Cano, and "The Sandman" Mariano Rivera). Problem solved, now the Yankees will give up 4 runs a game, and have the potential (night in and night out) to put up 7 to 10 runs a game, in a brand new, state of the art, Yankee Stadium. It is ridiculous and shows how badly the teams need to even up, before the fans lose interest and the sport loses a large portion of their total fan base, period.
Here is what a Yankee line-up would look like, assuming everyone is healthy:
C- Jose Molina, 1B- Teixeira, 2B- Cano, 3B- A-Rod, SS- Jeter, OF- Nady, Swisher, Matsui, Melky Cabrera, Damon, DH- Shelley Duncan (or an extra OF'er)
Starting Rotation- Sabathia, Wang, Burnett, Chamberlain, Hughes/Ian Kennedy (possibly Pettite)
Bullpen- Kennedy, Bruney, Marte, Humberto Sanchez, Albaladejo, (plus three other potentials)
Closer- Mariano Rivera
Just plain scary and no team will not complain about it, some fans may be disgusted by it, and there will be plenty of talk about it. one thing is for sure, on paper, the Yankees should be around 160-2, with a playoff and World Series sweep. That is just on paper, not between the lines, and as they say, "everything in the game, only counts between those white lines."
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The Yankees, this off season, have just made a mockery and a demand for a baseball salary cap. The Yankees, with the signing of C. C. Sabathia, A. J. Burnett, and Mark Teixeira, the New York Yankees are now (by far) paying for a title, in an obscene way. They have Sabathia, Teixeira, A-Rod, and Jeter, all on the same team and are the four highest paid players in baseball. Things do not stop there, with Burnett at 5 years at $82.5 million, putting the Yanks' over $215 million for the season. Overall, the Yankees have added a mere $79.05 million this year. Of course, these players have to stay healthy (not pulling the Carl Pavano), mesh and play team ball (not in fighting and splashing headlines, all over the "N. Y. Times," ala A-Rod/Madonna, or A-Rod vs. Jeter), and they have to actually play between the lines for 162 games, as a team.
It seems you either hate the Yankees, or you love them to death, and everyone loves to complain. Although, what most people do not understand is baseball is not the NFL, or the NBA. The NFL and NBA teams, if a salary cap was not in place, a team would be able to almost buy a title every year. Look at the addition of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, for the Boston Celtics (and the Celts' are under a cap), had the Celtics from a "non-playoff team"/"non-factor for a title" to winning a title, and have a 21-3 record this year. The NFL would be a little more tough, to buy a title, because of the smash mouth play, health problems and the players of reckless abandon. However, almost half the teams, or maybe just any team (not owned by Jerry Jones) could take a shot at it and would come close. Baseball is longer season, at 162 games, long road trips, and team cohesion on and off the field, is not something even the Yankees can buy.
So where does that leave the Yankees this year and why even write this, if I don't think you can buy a World Series Ring? Because the Yankees, with the addition of Sabathia, Burnett and possibly Andy Pettite, mixed with 20 game winner Chien-Ming Wang, Joba Chamberlain, and Phil Hughes (if Pettite, or another pitcher doesn't come back) have a staff of four potential Cy Young Award winners. They were the highest scoring team in baseball last year, but their pitching was giving up close to five runs a game. The Yankees also have added Xavier Nady, Damaso Marte, and Nick Swisher, not counting the players coming back (Matsui $13 million, Damon $13 million, Robinson Cano, and "The Sandman" Mariano Rivera). Problem solved, now the Yankees will give up 4 runs a game, and have the potential (night in and night out) to put up 7 to 10 runs a game, in a brand new, state of the art, Yankee Stadium. It is ridiculous and shows how badly the teams need to even up, before the fans lose interest and the sport loses a large portion of their total fan base, period.
Here is what a Yankee line-up would look like, assuming everyone is healthy:
C- Jose Molina, 1B- Teixeira, 2B- Cano, 3B- A-Rod, SS- Jeter, OF- Nady, Swisher, Matsui, Melky Cabrera, Damon, DH- Shelley Duncan (or an extra OF'er)
Starting Rotation- Sabathia, Wang, Burnett, Chamberlain, Hughes/Ian Kennedy (possibly Pettite)
Bullpen- Kennedy, Bruney, Marte, Humberto Sanchez, Albaladejo, (plus three other potentials)
Closer- Mariano Rivera
Just plain scary and no team will not complain about it, some fans may be disgusted by it, and there will be plenty of talk about it. one thing is for sure, on paper, the Yankees should be around 160-2, with a playoff and World Series sweep. That is just on paper, not between the lines, and as they say, "everything in the game, only counts between those white lines."
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