Interesting stuff here. The Yanks are "perceived" as buying up the better players, but they made some key "minor" acquistions as well. Molina and Swisher come to mind. Cashman has to do his homework in order for all of it to work. The Phils recent success will cost them. Utley, who stands to be in mix for series MVP if Phils win, already makes $85m over 7 years. Howard will be paid handsomely soon, and now Mr. Lee is about to become a very rich man. Its everywhere, yet magnified cause its NY. Who gets Bay? Perhaps LA will ditch Mannywood and make a run at Bay. His is a candien so maybe Toronto. But NY has to look at Damon and Cabrera and think, perhaps we can improve. Small market teams can compete, like Tampa and Milwaukee. Maybe its simply pitching. The Yanks have it, as do the Phils.
A point here about "Yankee Haters" - me included. I was at the Indians-Yankees playoff in 2007 (the game when Joba was attacked by bugs from Lake Erie). My luck - sitting next to me were two Yankee fans. I figured - 'oh great, now I have two obnoxious Yankee fans to contend with'. They were in their 20's; I'm in my 50's so we have nothing in common. This was a great pitching match with Petitte going against Carmona. Late in the game (before the bugs descended) the score was 1-0 in favor of the Yanks. The Yankee fan turned to me and said "no matter who wins, hasn't this been the greatest game you ever saw?" I looked at this kid - my mortal enemy - and I saw myself. A big fan of his team but a bigger fan of baseball itself who can appreciate a great game when it is in front of him. We talked through the rest of the game - both cheering for our teams. When it was over an the Indians had miraculously won, we shook hands and wished each other good luck. They had to drive all the way back to New Jersey - what great fans! I realised - and still remember - that even though I may dislike or even hate another team - you cannot transfer that to their fans.
With regard to the Yankees - from 1949 through 1964 the Yankees were in every World Series but 2. Its not really so bad now - and as an Indians fan we ahve taken our lumps (see CC. or Lee).
but what a great run the Indians had from 95-2001 finishing 1st six out of seven years, but somehow failing against the Braves and Marlins in the series. Their 95 team looked like one of the greatest ever (statistically speaking)
Yeah lkipat- I knew you were being a wise ass.
As for Carl Pohlad he wasn't the richest owner because he owned the Twins, he was the wealthiest owner and happened to own the Twins. He also was the owner of a team that won two world championships and has given the Minnesota fans a good product over the years and even made sure that fan favorites like Puckett and Hrbek stayed Twins. Too many of us have a fan's mentality when we complain about owners pocketing profits. They are business people and business people don't set out to lose money in business ventures. Pohlad may have had more money than Steinbrenner , but the Twins don't have more money than the Yankees. And even Steinbrenner pockets profits. Yes there are owners, McClatchy of the Pirates is probably the biggest offender, that puts the money in their pocket while giving the fans nothing on the field.
I'm sure we have all dreamed of winning enough money to own our favorite baseball team. We would spend all of our dollars to put the best team we could out there and win every world series. We wouldn't be very good business people tjough . The owners don't complain about the Yankees financial advantage because they benefit from the Yankees. Higher attendance when they come to town and salary tax payouts puts money in the other owners coffers. Connie Mack once said that ideally he would like his team to finish in third place every year because the product would be just good enough for the fans to come to the games yet not good enough to have to pay the players higher salaries.
Maybe on occasion an owner can dig out from his own pockets to keep a team that has been having some success so that they can continue a run. For this to happen the owner would have had to be making a profit from the team prior to that so that the team is actually operating on revenue generated from baseball and not from the owners other businesses. The baseball operation must be able to support itself .........and yes that means even turning a profit.
As an A's fan I have been fortunate enough to have seen the A's experience various levels of success while be operated by three different ownership groups in my lifetime. However it is to the point now that I no longer have a favorite player on the team because I know anyone worth cheering for won't be there very long ( by the way lkipat you didn't answer my question as to the last Yankee player you rooted for that left the team) As Seinfeld said I root for the laundry on the field.
I'm not a fan of a salary cap. I think the parity in the NFL has made it a mediocre product to that of the 70'80's and early 90's.I preferred it when the best team won the Super Bowl and I had no problem with dyanasty teams like the Steelers, 49'ers and Cowboys. And even with a cap some organizations can continuously screw things up. I just don't happen to think there should be a difference of $200 million to 40 million. And yeah I know some of those teams don't spend the money.
Bhaas the Yankees aren't "perceived" to have bought the best available players. They DID buy the best available players. Yeah Cashman also got Molina, a back up catcher making 2.1 million this year, how many teams even have a starting catcher making that? And Swisher who he traded nothing to get and nearly turned around traded Swish before the season started. Swisher is who we (A's fans) thought he was, a .240 hitter with 20 some homeruns. No way the Yankees can be satisfied with that. But he was cheap at least........in Yankee money.
Looking at the Yankee roster they have former first round draft picks Texeira 2002 Tex., Rodriguez, 93 Sea., Damon 92 KC, Sabathia 98 Cle, and Swisher 02 Oak.Those teams never had a chance to keep those players.
Yeah the Yankees have bought their share of free agents that have been busts also, but they are able to write off their salaries and pick up the best available player come the trade deadline..........usually giving up nothing to get that player.
They also win every bidding war for any player coming into the majors that doesn't have to come through the draft.
No lkipat I'm not the kind of person that goes through life thinking there are a lot of things that are unfair. But you are probably the type of person that roots for a team of 15 year old All Stars to beat a team of 12 year old All Stars.
It also helps that the Yankees have enough money to survive their mistakes (when they make them).
Most teams can't afford to jump right back into the free agent pool, after wasting big money on a signing that doesn't work out.
There is also the fact that some players will take the same money their old teams offer, but choose to go to New York...simply because it is New York. The increased side money from endorsements, postseasons, visibility, etc.
"Look at me. I'm on top o' the world!"
Hard to beat that!
Jim,
Yeah, Raul is probably a "4". He doesn't have great range.
He did, however, have a surprisingly good season for the Phils, made that sprawling, diving, catch in Game Two, and you would have been talking about what a great catch he made last night, if he had managed to snag that ball.
He had to run a ways to get to it, and the ball was already slightly past him when it hit the tip of his glove. It was a good try by a guy who's not known for his defensive grace. He plays hard, and that's all you can ask.
Check this out for a major surprise:
http://seattlesportsinsider.com/news/raul-ibanez-1-defensive-lf-nl
Thats right Seajaw.
When the A's had to choose between keeping Tejada or Chavez they chose Chavez and the guy has played little in the past three years. He's the highest paid player on the team and can't get on the field and the A's can't do anything to bring a player in to replace him.The Yankees would have no problem letting his salary sit on their payroll while finding his replacement.
Also lets not forget that the union won't allow a player to take less money. Makes their argument that the owners are colluding against the players when somebody chooses to leave a couple mill on the table to go play someplace else. Though I seem to recall in the early nineties there was a bit of a movement from the free agents to go sign with the Yankees because of the unpleasant experiences other players who signed with New York were having with the pressure from the fans and media there.
Thanks for the info Seaj! Go Phils!!!!!
Jim
you're killing me Jimbo
you hear about this mistake?
http://www.phillysportscast.com/photo-inquirer-has-phillies-winning-world-series/
Hi LK!
We get the P-I!hahaha!!!...man, it's gonna be a heckuva
contest t'nite!
Ya know, if Philly wins this thing all I can think of is ROCKY in cleats!
I have t'admit it...I'm gonna miss this WS!
Jim
Its kinda like Rocky,. goin the distance..Phils have taken numerous eight counts but have not thrown in the towel..I pity the fool who underestimates the Fightin Phils
I think so too Bob! They're just a bunch that won't givvit up without a heckuva tussle!
In a sense they're like the NYY of 2001, the bunch that had t'be beaten by the D'backs
seven times but it amounted t'four games.
That 2001 WS, in wake of that horrible attack was incredible I think.
The NYY showed more character in that losing effort than in any of the ones they won
during that great streak I think. They were just great!
And they only lost to Az by that little bump over the drawn in IF.
T'me that was the last great WS.And if the Phils win this game t'nite,well,this WS joins my personal list of all timers.
Jim
how can you not route for Andy Pettitte? Two weeks ago, I scheduled tomorrow off from work, predicting it would be over in 6.
Don't be surprised to see Mo in the 7th.
Mariano in the 7th, that would be somethin' LK!....say LK, what's your opinion about the team of 2001?
They really showed so much determination that it was one of the greatest things I've ever seen in sport, in life.
They were truly heroic,unwavering,splendid.
Jim
IMO Pettite, Mariano, Jeter, Posada, and unfortunately Arod are each HOF. Phils have Pedro as HOF and thats it based on current stats. I'm a Phillies fan, and also a baseball fan, and I see odds stacked against us. That being said, I think Phils can take it to a seventh game, and in those games, anything goes. Like Ariz beating the Yanks in '01, or Maz beating the Yanks in '60, or the Braves over Tribe in '95. Little things decide those games. Phils have a deeper staff for game seven, giving the fact that Hamels, Happ, Lee, Park all have starting backgrounds. Imagine that, its November 4 and here we are discussing this great game we love. Long live baseball and long live Strat
I agree... anything can happen in a game 7. I don't think it'll get to that. (Should I think differently?)
Regarding 2001, it was one of those series that was won by the home team in every game. The Yankee offense was terrible in the whole series. Andy was horrible in both starts. I just remember those memorable games 4 & 5 with the 9th inning HRs by Tino & Brosius, and Jeter & Soriano winning the games.
Off Kimm if I recall. Great, and underrated series. Brosius and Tino always seemed to get big hits
Assuming seven...does Cliff Lee man up and take the ball for the Phils?
I don't think Lee man's up and makes the start but I definitely think he makes himself available out of the bullpen. Its game 7...........I think everyone has to be available to at least get a batter out.
I was thinking maybe Charlie should put Howard ahead of Utley in the lineup though. Obviously the Yankees game plan has been to get Howard out and Utley is benefiting from good pitches with Howard behind him. Why not make the switch and see how the Yankees pitch Howard with Utley up next.
If the Yankees do end it tonight who is the MVP? Probably Rivera if he gets the save again tonight or Arod?
Obviously the two guys have the great series are Utley and Lee.........though he ended up being charged with 5 runs in game 5. But if the Phils don't win its not likely they get the acknowledgment for performing the best in the series
