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Baseball Primer Newsblog— The Best News Links from the Baseball Newsstand
Monday, February 08, 2010
Yes, certainly a tom gray area.
The Yankees were really set back when the current draft rules were implemented in 1965. But free agency saved them and now many premium players (like current top Yankees prospect Jesus Montero) are not U.S. residents and therefore not subjected to the draft. These players can be signed by the Yankees in the manner that existed before 1947, de facto free agency. Inevitably, this team with even only competent management was going to rise to power—playoff appearances in 14 of the last 15 years. During this time, they’ve won “only” five championships.
So, is this the best of both worlds for baseball—having a great New York team that usually is not the champion? The ever-growing legion of Yankees haters would take satisfaction from the team either losing (sub-.500 record) or at least failing to make the playoffs (like in 2008). From 2001 to 2007, Yankees fans got to strut their stuff for six full months before being ultimately thwarted. That gave their haters a brief rush of pleasure, but then it’s on to football.
The best thing for baseball right now is that the Yankees are in the same division as the Red Sox. This means that they either have to beat Boston or the field of non-division winning teams. It’s easy for them to do this. It should be expected. But it’s not a slam dunk in the way their recent playoff streak implies.
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No one team proves that money does anything.
Even compared to the Mets and other big payroll teams, the Yanks are in a class of their own. There isn't that much difference between the Igawa and Perez contracts are similar and the Perez contract had a much bigger effect on the Mets.
The Yanks have a bigger payroll than anyone else but they also have bigger expectations than everyone else.
But yeah, money plus moronic management gives you an embarrassment like the modern New York Mets or Washington Redskins.
I think it would be even better for baseball if the Yankees and Red Sox were in their own league and they played each other 162 times.
The winner of that league would be crowned World Series champion, the other 28 teams could play each other for North America Series champion, and I’d never have to watch or read about the Yankees or Red Sox again.
"Special leave is given for men to be out of barracks tonight till 11.00 p.m."
"The exception proves the rule" means that this special leave implies a rule requiring men, except when an exception is made, to be in earlier.
The Mets may be an exception, but they don't prove the rule.
It's also the best thing for the Yankees and the Red Sox, because neither of them can afford to coast for a minute. It also jacks up the gate at every ballpark they play in.
But yeah, money plus moronic management gives you an embarrassment like the modern New York Mets or Washington Redskins.
OUCH!
Interesting take; I never really thought of it this was before, but it does line up with the Yankees' last major doldrums - 1966-1976 or so.
You would think so, but if they'd signed and kept their best draftees for the first ten years, it sure wouldn't have. Check out the names:
Stan Bahnsen
Thurmon Munson
Ron Blomberg
Doc Medich
Ron Guidry
Scott McGregor
Fred Lynn
LaMarr Hoyt
AND.....
KEN PHELPS!!!
1-The largest cause was George Weiss's refusal to sign black ballplayers. Weiss believed that black players would attract black fans, which would scare off the Yankees fan base. The Yankees had early shots at Mays and Aaron,among others, and turned them away. With their preeminence, they likely could have had their choice of the top Negro league players-their refusal to do so was the single largest factor in their decline.
2-They had some bad luck. Players they thought would be future Stars and replacements for Mantle and Ford weren't, or got injured.
3-IIRC, in the process of divesting himself of the Yankees, Webb began cutting minor league and scouting budgets at least as early as 60, if not before, severly damaging a once strong system.
All those factors you mention were big. To that I'd only add that by the middle of the 60's, for the first time in many years, the AL was beginning to show some life at what had previously been the bottom.
Just look at the three historically hopeless franchises in the AL: The A's, the Nats, and the Browns / Orioles. In the early and mid-50's those three teams were fighting to avoid last place every year and were lucky to draw half a million fans a year, but by the end of the 60's they were the three best teams in the league. Not to mention that the Red Sox and the Tigers shed off their racist tendencies and started to compete in the real world. In retrospect, that Yankees' dynasty in the 50's was somewhat of a fluke, as it was to a great extent dependent as much on their opponents' chintziness, racism and general ineptitude as it was on their own particular brilliance.
DB
It can buy you something that's close enough.
I've also heard that it talks, and that it changes everything.
1. Mattingly's hair
2. Making Dave Winfield look bad
3. Making money
4. Winning
5. All else
Not "Everybody needs money..."? /pedantry
I believe that's, "Steinbrenner is one of the few exceptions, an owner who truly placed his ego above all things."
That said, money really, really helps.
They say that money can't buy love in this world
But it'll get you a half-pound of cocaine and a sixteen-year old girl
And a great big long limousine on a hot September night
Now that may not be love but it is all right
-- Randy Newman
Yeah...they had more wins than the Yankees over the period 1989 through 1997.
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