Red from Boston fan site Surviving Grady writes this about the Teixeira deal:
The happiest guy in the world right now has gotta be A-Rod. Finally, there's someone who'll be booed more mercilessly than him at Fenway Park.No argument there!
But did the Yankees go too far in spending, given the horrible economic conditions so many are facing? Are they out of touch with what the rest of the country is feeling? Absolutely not. After all, they're offering 1923-era prices to season ticket holders for those Yanks-Cubs exhibition games, and that's got to count for something, right?
The Yanks have not been liked around baseball since maybe the late 90s. But the hatred and the envy for the team is going to reach new levels after this signing. Heck, even one of my family members lectured me today for 15 minutes about how rooting for the Yankees now was like rooting for U.S. Steel, as the cliche goes.
But as I pointed out today to Squawker Jon, calling the Yanks the Evil Empire started after the Yanks beat the Sox in the Contreras deal, and that one didn't exactly work out to be the signing of the ages. So all this money doesn't guarantee anything.
Anyhow, I will guarantee this - I wish all of our readers Happy Holidays! I'll be away from the computer for the next few days (unless Manny becomes a Yankee, and then all bets are off!) Thanks to all of you for reading us. It's been a tumultous year for Jon and me, and we're glad to have such faithful readers.
What do you think? Leave us a comment!
5 comments:
Here's a question for you when you get back, Lisa. What exactly are the Yankees going to do with Nick Swisher now? One only needs so many first basemen, after all.
Happy Holidays!
On the one hand as Yankees fans, you must be pleased by your FO's commitment to winning (I know as a Sox fan that is one thing I really appreciate about our FO.) But on the other, as you say Lisa, spending doesn't guarantee anything. They still must play the games. We'll see how things shake out at season's end. One thing is for sure the AL East will continue to be competitive. It's gonna be tough facing and all-star team 19 times a year, though.
I am disappointed the Sox did not go harder after Teixeira, but my disappointment is tempered by the presence of Mike Lowell on Boston's roster. It was hard to reconcile adding Tex while subtracting a great guy like Lowell. Perhaps the Red Sox will put some of those big bucks into finding a fifth starter.
Anyway, Lisa, safe travels. And to Lisa and Jon and all the fans of this site, Merry Merry and Happy Happy (again!)
Cindy R.
I just wonder the logic behind the sox not going after Tex harder, when you are talking about THAT much money, what is an extra $10-15 million. especially to keep him away from your most bitter rival.
Anyway, Happy Holidays to all, weather you are a Sox fan, Mets fan Yankees fan or even a Nats fan, have a very merry christmas.
Yes, the Yankees committed $435 Million for three players, and that's a staggering amount of money. But what a lot of people keep overlooking -- at least not consciously -- is that this money is not all on one year. It's to be spread out over eight years!
Right now, with over $80 Million off the books after the 2008 season ended, the 2009 payroll is still roughly $20 Million less than last year.
No, I doubt the Yankees are finished. We still have Pettitte in our sights, and if he doesn't sign, then someone else will come aboard. We're still not sure about Manny.
Anyway, I think sports, movies, and music are the three forms of entertainment that are prone to being largely recession proof. Fans need an escape from their everyday worried and problems, and somehow come up with the funds to watch their teams play, or their favorite bands perform, etc., etc.
But as a Yankee fan, I must say this double-standard that goes on with the way people feel about the Yankees is really overblown. I mean, the Red Sox offered $170 Million to Tex for the same 8 years. All the Yankees did was raise it by $10 Million. The Sox could've matched it if they wanted to, but more than that, if Tex had taken Boston's offer, everyone would've applauded and thought that was a smart, competetive move by Theo.
The Yankees do it instead, and we're evil villians.
Well, too bad. We got the people we wanted, and instead of using talent developed from within, we overspend on the free agent market. A team like the Yankees -- global in reach with a demanding, rabid fanbase many millions strong -- cannot afford to slack off and not meet the demands of what's expected of them. They have to put butts in the seats of the new stadium and keep teh fans satisfied as to accumulate enough revenue to satisfy their debts and work within the debt/earnings ration to make profits. It's the current business model and the Yankees have learned how to flourish well withint he parameters of the framework of that model.
"debt/earnings ration"
I meant to say "ratio". Sorry for all my type-os. I wish this site offered spell-check. :-)
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