Yanks get Mark Teixeira

[haveacigar]

You didn't read anything i wrote.

Frankly, it would be easier to comment on your point if you had one with more substance than "why doesn't everyone just love the game?"

[Pavelb1]

Haha, my team is neither & likely won't make the playoffs for another decade

I just have a sneaky suspicion if it was your team that signed tex, cc & aj that it wouldn't be bad for baseball. This doesn't go for just you, you were simply the last one to post on the subject if it being negative for the yanks to make the signings.

I didn't say it was negative for the Yanks or that it was bad for baseball.. I said...again..."It's not good for Baseball". in counter to HGM saying it was good for baseball.

No if my team signed all three of those I'd be wondering what we're gonna do with Lowell and 6 starters. I'd think Burnett and Sabathia's contracts were horrible and be very concerned about their health. Which is exactly why the Sox were never serious about those two.

[haveacigar]

In what universe do you know these players and know their reasoning and wants and needs? In what universe is it "greedy" to want to get your fair share for your work?

Apparently, we should be disgusted that players with limited careers would want to get a bigger share of the billions of dollars in entertainment they provide while they still can.

[HoustonGM]

I didn't say it was negative for the Yanks or that it was bad for baseball.. I said...again..."It's not good for Baseball". in counter to HGM saying it was good for baseball.

If it's "not good", than what it is? There's only two options bad, or it doesn't matter, in which case, we shouldn't be having this conversation.

[Pavelb1]

Frankly, it would be easier to comment on your point if you had one with more substance than "why doesn't everyone just love the game?"

THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH IT! It was just a lukewarm comment on greed and how I was mildly disgusted. I didn't say I hated the Yankees or the players and even said I can see the flipside in the players wanting to make as much as they're worth.

HGM said it was 'good for baseball' because it causes a tighter AL East race, and my response is a romantic notion that 'greed is never good'. It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Sorry.

[metsguy234]

You really think it's good if the Yankees succeed in buying a World Championship? That's good for baseball?

No. It's good for the Yankees, not good for everyone else.

[HoustonGM]

You really think it's good if the Yankees succeed in buying a World Championship? That's good for baseball?

No. It's good for the Yankees, not good for everyone else.

Please point to me where I said that. I'd also like to just repost what I originally said:

Please provide evidence that this is "terrible for baseball." If anything, it's going to provide for an absolutely riveting 3-way race in the AL East, which, I think, is great for baseball.

An absolutely riveting 3-way race in the AL East is good for baseball. That is what I said.

[raveneye217]

Please provide evidence that this is "terrible for baseball." If anything, it's going to provide for an absolutely riveting 3-way race in the AL East, which, I think, is great for baseball.



All the anti-New York guys do is whine about the Yankees buying players, and then whine some more because their team can't (even if their team does. We all know that the Yankees are the only team that buys free agents!), and then rub it in Yankee fans faces when the Yankees don't do as good as expected. That's SO much better.


Jealousy?


Really. So quick we forgot the 1,000 run 2008 Detroit Tigers...


Well said. It's just that the Yankees have changed things with their offense, so people are ready to claim it's so great, while Boston has stood pat, creating an "illusion" that the Yankees are passing them in terms of offensive talent, when in reality, they're not.


It's not really relevant since it's not happening, but moving Youkilis to third might actually serve to IMPROVE his status as an "MVP candidate", because a) his bat is more valuable at the other corner and b) he's a good defensive third basemen.


To root for your team winning? Maybe you haven't noticed, but the last time the Yankees won the World Series was 2000. The last time they were in the World Series was 2003. This millennium, 8 different teams have won the World Series. EIGHT in 9 years. Sorry to be so blunt, but stop bitching about the Yankees.


You know, I'm really REALLY sick of this nonsense. This free agent stuff has been happening MORE recently, and competitive balance has been IMPROVING.

From 1936-1964, the Yankees won 22 American League pennants. During a 29 year stretch, the Yankees were the AL representative in the World Series 76% of the time.


Yeah. This never happens in baseball. Nope.

Yay. More money in the pockets of the owners, instead of letting them spend it to improve their team!


What he said.

it never really happens. other then the rays.

[haveacigar]

You really think it's good if the Yankees succeed in buying a World Championship? That's good for baseball?

No. It's good for the Yankees, not good for everyone else.

They succeeded? Bud Selig announced that he's canceling the 09 season and awarding the Yanks the WS? That's kinda strange.

They've been trying since about 2002, hasn't succeeded once. The only team I can recall that blatantly attempted to buy a championship, and succeeded, was the 1997 Florida Marlins. I don't think anyone really feels that it's a successful championship model. Hell, look at the Red Sox, even they realized that player development is a more prudent model.

[HoustonGM]

it never really happens. other then the rays.

2008 Tampa Bay Rays, 2003 Florida Marlins, 1999 Arizona Diamondbacks, 1991 Atlanta Braves.

[haveacigar]

it never really happens. other then the rays.

And the 03 Marlins. And the 02 Angels. And 06 Tigers.

[Pavelb1]

They succeeded? Bud Selig announced that he's canceling the 09 season and awarding the Yanks the WS? That's kinda strange.

They've been trying since about 2002, hasn't succeeded once. The only team I can recall that blatantly attempted to buy a championship, and succeeded, was the 1997 Florida Marlins. I don't think anyone really feels that it's a successful championship model. Hell, look at the Red Sox, even they realized that player development is a more prudent model.

And even the Marlins were a wild card.

[HoustonGM]

Excellent comment over at Baseball Think Factory:

It's not surprising that people are crying "salary cap" right now, given the dollar amounts and the fact that the Yankees signed the top 2 biggest-name free agents (and #3 was signed by the Mets). But if you look at it, this offseason is really just an anomaly. The Yankees' 2009 payroll is still going to be lower than 2008. They just happen to have a phenomenal incentive (missing the playoffs) and opportunity (all those expiring contracts) at the same time that most teams are trying to cut back or are hesitant to make major commitments. It looks bad, but it's not part of some systematic problem.

[HoustonGM]

Another good comment:

seriously?? what team is really affected by this signing, considering that the Yankees are paying more to revenue sharing than the Marlins are spending in salary, shouldn't the focus be on "why aren't they spending money" instead of concentrating on the Yankees who are doing everything in their opinion to win?

My team, (the Cardinals) are 11th in payroll while being in the 24th(optimsist assesment) best market, so that tells me the money is there to spend if you have non-corrupt ownership that wants to win. #### a salary cap, enact a salary floor that is dependent on a teams record (if you finish below .500 for two consecutive seasons and then don't improve by a minimum of 5 games, you must spend a certain amount on salary, also you must also spend a certain amount on draft bonuses etc. make the ####### crappy teams spend money, not whine about how an organization that wants to win spends their money, it's ####### silly worry about teams that want to win, while ignoring the teams that are actively trying not to win.

[HoustonGM]

Dayn Perry:

The real danger — and here's where the "risky" part comes in — is that the Yankees' winter extravagances will leave Commissioner Bud Selig spoiling for a fight. The last two collective-bargaining sessions have been notable for peace and ease, but that could change next time around. If enough outrage is ginned up among small-market owners, then the drive for a salary cap may resume.

But baseball manifestly doesn't need one. Salary caps do nothing to promote competitive balance, and all they do is guarantee owner profits. The hazard, then, is that the latest case of Yankee fatigue will inspire owners to go to war for the hard cap. The Players' Association won't go for it, and a labor stoppage could follow. That, obviously, would be bad for baseball. Once more with feeling: What baseball needs is more revenue sharing and guarantees that the money will be spent on player development, draft bonuses and payroll and not used to line the pockets of owners. If this whole affair leads to bloodless institution of those policies and not a salary cap, then it will all have been worthwhile.