Posted on 07/01/2002 4:11:31 PM PDT by jern
George Steinbrenner wanted outfield help, and he got it Monday. The first-place Yankees have acquired Blue Jays outfielder Raul Mondesi, the team announced. The Yankees have also planned an anouncement for 7 p.m. ET.
Well if you don't know what the limit should be, how can you say the Yankees are "abusing the system?" They are free, under current rules, to spend as much as they want. I might point out that they didn't pay 13 million to Kevin Brown. They didn't pay 18 million to Manny Ramirez. They didn't pay 250 million to Arod. The Yankees have not been the ones pushing individual salaries higher. The Dodgers, the red Sox, the Rockies and others have done that. As for buying a title, how do you think you put together a quality team? Good vibrations? All the teams in the post-season are in the very top of the payroll range: 90-118 million. Someone is going to be on top. Until everyone is brought under some sort of revenue sharing or cap, why should George let up? The other teams won't. They are the ones driving the salaries up.
Part of the Yankees problem (or at least it was earlier in the season when I saw a few more of their games than I have lately) is that they were using Giambi, who is a brick, at first and DHing Nick Johnson, who is a stellar defender.
Much better?
Common! Isn't that like saying Willie Mayes was much better than Mickey Mantle???
Nomar and Derek are neither "Much Better" than the other at anything.
And Derek makes plays like the ones you saw in last year's playoffs everyday. He just did it last night.
Because they feel they need to spend twice as much as the average team and a hefty percentage over the #2 just to feel like they have a competitive team?. Are they that bad that they feel that if they 'only' spent $100 million instead of $130 (while other competitors is spending $60-$70-$80 million...what are the Mariner & Red Sox payrolls, anyway?) that they would outright suck?
They are free, under current rules, to spend as much as they want. I might point out that they didn't pay 13 million to Kevin Brown. They didn't pay 18 million to Manny Ramirez. They didn't pay 250 million to Arod.
If you're going to bring that up, than I have to agree. They've been very wise in who they give their money to, but the point still stands that they're the only team who can afford to sign every player they bring up and still add more via free agency. Nothing wrong with that, but they're not going to get any respect by winning that way, and when they lose like last year, it looks even worse. Mike Tyson could probably smash a pretty good featherweight fighter, but if he did, why should we care?
2002 Team Payrolls
1998 Team Payrolls
Someone is going to have the top payroll. How is that abusing the system? You don't know what the self-imposed cap ought to be, yet you blame the Yankees for spending more than their competitors. No wonder they abuse the system if you can't even explain what the parameters are.
As for the top payrolls, baseball almanac has the numbers for 2001:
Red Sox: $109,558,908 Yanks: $109,791,893Mariners: $75,652,500
Dodgers: $108,980,952
DBacks: $81,206,513
Mets: $93,174,428
Braves: $91,851,587
Nothing wrong with that, but they're not going to get any respect by winning that way, and when they lose like last year, it looks even worse.
Well, they might not get respect from you, but when you listen to what the other players say, the Yankees get a lot of respect. And if you think that losing a Game 7 to the heroic performance of Shilling and Johnson made the Yankees look bad, well, that's your opinion. It seems to me it made the victory so much sweeter for the D-backs because it was the Yankees, because it was Rivera. You dream of beating the best. The D-backs did it. Most teams still have a lot of respect for the Yankees. But I am sure you could beat them all by yourself.
Anyway, I believe there should be more balance. But you can't stop trying. There needs to be a set of rules for all teams to follow. Incidentally, go check out the salaries for 1998:
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/yearly/yr1998n.shtml Do you know that team payrolls for the top teams have almost DOUBLED since then? All of them.
He is a hellofaplayer, and a future hall of famer if he stays healthy.
But IMO, not a primo defensive shortstop.
Well, since you're being anal about this non-point, how about 20% (soon to be 25%) over the #2 team, which is in a group of a few other teams who are themselves way over everybody else.
As for the top payrolls, baseball almanac has the numbers for 2001:
I already posted the 1998 & 2002 team payrolls
Well, they might not get respect from you, but when you listen to what the other players say, the Yankees get a lot of respect. And if you think that losing a Game 7 to the heroic performance of Shilling and Johnson made the Yankees look bad, well, that's your opinion. It seems to me it made the victory so much sweeter for the D-backs because it was the Yankees, because it was Rivera. You dream of beating the best. The D-backs did it. Most teams still have a lot of respect for the Yankees. But I am sure you could beat them all by yourself.
What a silly thing to say. Let me restate this, since you're having such a difficult time grasping this concept...take away a few of the Yankee's better players and replace them with league average players so that the payroll is similar to the next teams below them (who, btw, are also way above the rest of the field)...are the Yankees as good as their competition? Hell no, they wouldn't even make the playoffs this year.
Conversely, I made the point about the Lakers winning titles with room enough to spare in their payroll to add the likes of Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd, and Dirk Nowitzki and there would still be 2 other teams right with them. Why shouldn't I respect a title earned this way much more than vice versa?
LOL. Non-point is right. You made an assertion (that the Yankees "abuse the system" that you cannot back up. All I did was demonstrate that fact.
take away a few of the Yankee's better players and replace them with league average players so that the payroll is similar to the next teams below them (who, btw, are also way above the rest of the field)...are the Yankees as good as their competition? Hell no, they wouldn't even make the playoffs this year.
LOL. OK. Yeah, take away some of the Yankees talented players and replace them with not-as-talented players, and the Yankees won't be as good. LOL. You should be a GM. That's brilliant. But of course, it has nothing to do with business.
First, there is no cap on payroll, so there is no reason for the Yankees not to set their payroll wherever they choose. Second, the question isn't what the Yankees can do with the same amount of money as the next team. The question is what is the return on investment. Are the Yankees making money hand over fist? Yes. Are they a winning ballclub? Yes. End of story. All the rest is applesauce. If the Mariners can operate their business at a profit with an 80 million payroll, good for them. If the D-Backs do it at 90. Fine. The bottom line is return on investment. The Yankees are getting that. End of story. LOL.
But I'll say it again, I would like to see some form of revenue sharing or cap to make the franchises more balanced in their resources. I'd like to see the Royals hang in there.
Conversely, I made the point about the Lakers winning titles with room enough to spare in their payroll to add the likes of Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd, and Dirk Nowitzki and there would still be 2 other teams right with them. Why shouldn't I respect a title earned this way much more than vice versa?
You can respect whatever you like. It's a free country.
LOL. OK. Yeah, take away some of the Yankees talented players and replace them with not-as-talented players, and the Yankees won't be as good. LOL. You should be a GM. That's brilliant. But of course, it has nothing to do with business.
Shhh...what's that noise? That must've been the sound of my point going way over your head. I think you need to add a few more LOL's...and the business side, which I wasn't even talking about but what the hey, if the Yankees can make a profit with a $300 million payroll...great...but remind me again, why should I care?
LOL. You're confused. You said the Yankees "abuse the system". All I did was try to find out what the hell you are talking about. Turns out you were just expressing your feelings, which I must admit are hard to quantify. I had assumed there might be a fact lurking in there somewhere. Silly me.
and the business side, which I wasn't even talking about
LOL. (you really make me laugh) .More confusion. You talk about payrolls, what players the Yankees sign, how much money they should spend, and yet you don't think you are talking about the "business side"? You really are confused.
but what the hey, if the Yankees can make a profit with a $300 million payroll...great...but remind me again, why should I care?
I don't remember reminding you in the first place. You sure do seem to care what the Yankees do. You tell me why. Second thought, don't. I don't really care.
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