Nothing but a bunch of overpayed steroid mongers. Wont get any of my money. So who cares? Its a Zoo

My opinion is, yes, it does tarnish their title. They bought nearly every great free agent during the off season. I said last spring to my friends and family that the Yankees will be in the world series.

I think history shows that there is an issue with the Yankees spending and the correlation or 27 titles. In comparison to the Cardinals who are 2nd in titles with 10.

In response to Kevin Wheeler, I’m a capitalist too but in the regards of sports it’s a very different business when it comes to baseball. Everything else in the world is global economy/competition where as baseball teams are localized to a region. Teams fight to control that fan base within the region while not caring too much about other teams throughout the country. That can be seen directly with fan attendance throughout the season.

There is little future team building MLB, just hey we are missing these pieces and let’s go buy them. Teams with high fan bases (higher populated areas), better TV contracts (again higher population on east coast), and another result big merchandising, can always outspend teams in other markets. It’s amazing that the Cardinals can compete the way they do with such economic disadvantages.

BTW “as long as they’re willing to pay the price of doing business like the Yankees do.” $27 million is a drop in the bucket for the Yankees. If it was so bad don’t you think it would hurt who they were going after instead of buying every free agent out there?

If there was a salary cap in baseball just like in football you would see more strategy in rebuilding teams. Bad teams would have a chance to rebuild a program compared to a organization that could fix it all in one year. Yes the Yankees one there first title in the last 9 years but they also went to the playoffs almost every year. Very few teams have that opportunity.

It always comes down to one team winning and with the highest payroll for years on end when was the last time the Yankees won? How much did the Cards, White Sox, Angels, Marlins, and Diamondbacks pay to win theirs? Not even close, but they still won.

The difference between the free market economy and baseball is that baseball has an antitrust exemption. Therefore to the extent possible the teams should have an even playing field financially.

If a hard salary cap, complete with spending floor like the NFL has, is impossible, the luxury tax should be increased to dollar-for-dollar (100% over a certain amount, rather than the current 40%).

The Yankees and their Execs can all pound salt.
They’re all a bunch of Richers.
It’s easy to be a fan of a team that wins the series 1/4 of the time.
The American League is a joke.

Yes, to the chagrin of Yankees fans everywhere. The NYY had to completely monopolize the free agent market in December in order to win it. I think a lot of people wonder if the Yankees would ever be able to make it as a team, with a $70-90M salary, on an even playing field as the other teams.

I make it a point to travel to KC when the Yankees are in town specifically to see Jeter play ball. Not many players one can say is that good. As said before - how many years have they overspent and gotten nothing in return? The players still have to play better than all the rest. I say congratulations - sorry it wasn’t the Cardinals.

I say, Yankees put your money where your mouth is. If you’re really THAT good???? Prove it. Cut your salaries in a few years to 70 Million. And compete. Like other teams compete.

Then, if you win the pennant, great, the Yankees are amazing.
But if you lose….

Thank you Derrick. I can’t tell you how many times today I’ve heard or read that they “bought” their title. If so, why even bother playing the season?

It is a monopoly, and as such should be closely regulated. Each team should be allowed to spend the same. Why should some fans in certain cities have to put up with this each year. It is all for ratings in NY and LA. The rest of us can just shut up and do what they say, they don’t care. Parity has helped football but forget it in baseball, this is working the way they want it to.

Yes it does tarnish the title. Baseball should have a salary cap. Kevin Wheeler: Sharing the wealth in politics is totally different than sports. In sports it keeps all teams in all markets competitive. In politics it rewards people who stay at home and leach off those who actually work hard for a living. I hate the comparison.

Garyq, I agree with you there.

All you hear about is NY, LA, & Boston. Just watch baseball tonight on espn during the season, first three game highlights will be from these teams then everyone else. Makes me sick. They will show the highlights of the Cardinals game at the end of the show and only show it once. But if your team is from NY, LA, or Boston they will show it 2 to 3 times.

At least in the NFL I feel like every team has a chance and is evenly noticed for how they perform. Whether it is good or bad. Even when the Yankees have a really bad year, even though that rarely happens, the media will talk in great length about their troubles and how they can get back on track.

The game is won or lost on the field, not by the front office. No owner, GM, or manager throws a pitch, catches a fly, throws out a runner, or steps in the batters box. It’s all on the players. The core four of the Yankees, Mo, Jorge, Deter, and Andy are all home grown, and they have 20 rings between them. How is that buying a title? Robbie Cano, Melky, Joba, Phil Hughes, Brett Gardner, Phil Coke, David Robertson…the list goes on and on of players that the Yankees drafted. Sure they have some key free agents, but what team doesn’t…in any sport. I don’t hear Cardinal fans saying they shouldn’t have signed Holliday, DeRosa, Glaus, Smoltz. Blame bad signing decisions my owners and management, don’t criticize the success of others as it comes across as pure jealousy and simply whining. 27 world championships and counting…an incredible accomplishment that should be celebrated for what it is…baseball at its finest played at the highest level on the world’s greatest stage…New York City. Congratulations to the Yankees and their baseball excellence. For excellence in an organization see the Yankees…for futility see the Rams. What’s the difference? The commitment to winning by everyone in the organization…and everyone wants to play for a winner.

Yes. If you can double the average team in payroll, of course you should win. The fact that they haven’t on a normal basis just shows they’ve not been managed well. Middle tier payroll teams like the Cards have to debate whether or not a player like Matt Holiday is worth the few extra million dollars. The Yankees don’t, if they want him they get him. When a normal team pays for a free agent that gets hurt or doesn’t perform, it can hamstring them for the length of the contract. Again, not so for the Yankees, they just buy another. The Cards have to weigh the effect of signing Pujols long term and hope for some kind of home team discount so they can remain competitive. How about the Yankees? Nope. The Indians had to trade Cliff Lee and CC, why?

The fact that they can give 27 mil to the poor and have it not hurt, is a pretty big sign that there is a problem. In addition, how much does it really help the 5-10 teams that get it? So now the Royals spend 43 mil not 40.

YES, OF COURSE!!!! they buy talent, drive up salaries…Why people spend their hard earned money to see these grossly over paid boys play catch boggles my mind.

Yeah, it tarnishes it. Its no surprise that a team with such a high salary can win so much. It makes it more of a joke, when you can go out and buy the best players from the poorer teams every single year. When a team with a low salary actually wins, it makes it all the more impressive!

I grew up in the 1950s when there was not an easy way for them to buy the best players. Yet they won virtually every year then as they had in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. I hate the Yankees, but there is nothing that can diminish the success they have had through virtually the entire history of baseball.

The Yankees had one extended down period before George vowed to do anything to keep a winning team on the field. But even today, when they are able to buy and sell at will, they have a team with 16 carry-overs from their last championship. They find good players and keep them.

Tipocal stl fans. if stl ownership spent like yanks, you would be thrilled. albert wants to play in miami

Saying that the unequality in baseball payrolls is fair because lower spending teams win on occassion is like saying steriod use if fair because Ken Griffey was a star without using them.

STL, STOP YOUR MIDWEST PAROCHIAL MOANING. Just like AB was thought of “As our home town beer, when in actuality it was an international publically traded company.
The Yankees and every other team in the Major leagues are a corporate empire. Owned and operated for profit. Good for the Yankees and their ownership for having the ability and confidence to spend for the BEST! They have just proven they are the best, no question.
Whether the Cardinals organization will ever get to this stage, I seriously doubt their ability to pay, and or their commitment to the Team.
If you truly want to own the TEAM do what the Green Bay Packers club did, have the populous (local) buy the team, and then and only then will it be your hometown dandy’s……Until then accept the fact that the Yankees are a corporate, well oiled machine, and such teams as the Cards, albeit interesting in a second class city, are just going to be a small business chugging along, and providing entertainment to the locals.

I no way does the payroll change the fact that the Yankees came together as a team and won. With the exception of CC, AJ, and Teixeria, the team was the same as last year….only this time around they became a team and had chemistry. Gone were the days of “paying for myself” They played and won as a team

I’m tired of everyone saying that the Yankees go out and buy everybody…yes they have spent money on free agents, but a good majority of their team is home grown….and surprise surprise, they are winning with home grown players in their every day lineup. Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte, Posada, Cano, Cabrera, Chamberlain, Hughes, etc.

I’ll be interested to see how Cardinals fans react if/when management opens the vault to resign Halliday and spend then pay Pujols what he is worth, Give Carpenter and Wainwright the money they deserve and sign another quality position player and pitcher. If St. Louis did all of that and started winning championship would it tarnish those titles? I don’t think so

I would like to see Rick Hummel just answer the question. He’s about the only opinion I would really put some stock in and he dodged it like a politician. (Hey Roger, when you ask a question and they don’t answer, ask it again…)

If you put a $100 million cap in place, the Yankees would be stuck on 27 for at least a hundred years. Even with unlimited resources, these clowns can’t put together a winner for almost 10 years. When you put it in perspective, they may be the worst front office in baseball.

As for the comment that the players still have to play… How idiotic of a statement is that? If you assemble the best players in the game and put them all on one team, you can play below your best potential and still win the World Series.

If you think the Yankees World Series win carries the same luster as one by other teams, you are sadly lacking any understanding of sports and what they’re all about. That trophy was purchased, not won … at least not won in the context of an athletic competition…

wow, such jealousy and hypocrisy here among you card fans…now you’re just like all the other fans of teams wearing the color of a used tampon-LAA, BOS, and now PHL. congrats!

want some cheese with that whine?

when you both retain your best homegrown like the yankees do AND develop the best in a big enough quantity likewise (few posters above already rattled off the long list of the yankee homegrown talent that is the linchpin of this year’s success), then you can talk.

btw, the busch family is N-times richer than the steinbrenners. petition them to open their wallets a little more in support of the home team. don’t worry, it will be just a drop in the bucket for them.

Mr. Wheeler,
Your comparison of the political spectrum to the sports world is a poor analogy. MLB, NHL, NBA, and the NFL are the product. The Cardinals, Blues, and Rams are not the product, but part of the product. The leagues as wholes have to be entertaining and competitive. The Rams are not competing against the Bears in the market place, the NFL is competing against MLB, arena football, etc.

Why is just the Yankees we’re talking about here? The Red Sox had the 2nd highest payroll for their title recently. The Marlins doubled their payroll from the previous year on both their titles and the diamondbacks had a large increase in payroll for their title. As for saying there is corralation between 27 titles and their payroll is ridiculous. The Boss bought them in the 70’s and that is when he started spending the money. That accounts for 7 titles since he bought them. Please, please explain to me the other 20. The difference is they are in a large market and make a ton of money and take that money and put it back into bringing the elite players to their team. What is fundamentally wrong with that?

It’s BS that the money diminshes the title. No one sits around at the start of the season and says the Yankees are going to win the World Series because they’ve spent the most money. Now that they go on and actually win it, it’s a problem. No, that’s crap.

I guess the Yanks could take the Cards approach and spend $70 million a year on payroll, trade their home grown talent from the minors to pick up some good players for half of a season and try to win a world series. I mean that worked out really well this year for them…..

Roger Hensley=hack. do some legwork and write your own artical for once instead of having Bernie,the Commish, and the boys write it for you…HACK!!

It’s true. The Yankees may be the only team in baseball willing to spend that much. Why should they be punished because the rest of the owners in baseball either can’t or won’t generate the revenue necessary to fill the seats?

Yes, perhaps there should be a salary cap like in other sports. But just like other sports, it seems like teams that are really good tend to stick around regardless of payroll. St. Louis tends to stick around the top of the NL and their payroll remains the same. Meanwhile, teams like Pittsburgh get rid of their players and claim they are “trying to win”. When was the last time a Marlins game sold out?

Look at other sports with salary caps. The Spurs always seem to be in the hunt, while the Clippers are generally bad. The Patriots always win with a few stars and a team-first mentality while the hapless Lions sit on the doormat every year. Good ownership and organizational thinking lead to wins long before dollars are even considered.

Tarnish? It turns the World Series (and baseball) into a joke. What team couldn’t win if it bought up all the best players? If the Pittsburgh Pirates spent $200 million on players, do you think they’d be on the bottom?

Baseball is in desperate need of a salary cap, but Bud Selig (making $14 million a year for doing practically nothing)is one of those greed-is-good guys, and doesn’t want to change things.

It’s a travesty.

Salery Cap.

This goes back to the wonderful discussion of the financial system in baseball which drives some baseball fans to hate large payroll teams who seem to be able to buy the best player available because of the funds and drives other baseball fans to hate ownership of small payroll teams who believe funds are being hoarded and not put back into the product.

There needs to be a transparency on the profit that MLB takes in on an annual basis, the profit that MLB teams take in on an annual basis, and how if any of that profit is re-distributed among MLB. There is already revenue sharing and a “luxury tax”, but why isn’t that leveling out the financial playing field? Make it transparent so fans know the truth about how much of the money spent on particular payrolls is profit-based or private-based and what percentage of profits go back into the product on the field. If these figures already are transparent, then point a big neon sign to them.

Sure they have a huge payroll, but they also pay more into revenue sharing as well. Every single fan wants their team to get the best players. The huge payroll isn’t everything. The core of their winning era has been developed from within. Jeter, Posada, Riviera, Pettite,

Absolutely. This is a rigged league until a salary cap allows everyone equal access to allstar prospects. Why isn’t A-Rod or Texiera still with the Rangers? Because the Yankee’s have deeper pockets and the league allows this to happen. MLB and Fox Sports chief concern every season is that the large market teams make the playoffs and the World Series for the sake of advertising revenue. As things stand right now, the league is illegitimate from a competitive standpoint. All the Cardinals and the other small-medium market teams are for is to develope talent for the large market teams. I am sure that STL sports writing apologist for the Yankees will change their tune if Mr. Pujols would chose to bolt for the bigger dollar. Then again, maybe not.

They should just do away with all but about 6 teams and then everyone will apparently be happy.

Babe Ruth sounds like he died many years ago. 4 players he mentioned Cards acquired were players traded for and players who no one else wanted. compare that to spending 1/2 billion dollars in one off season. Secondly he mentions home grown talent. The reason these people are still with the Yankees are because of their contracts that no one else could afford. Babe see if this makes sense to you…Tex, Jeter, AROD, Posada, Rivera, Sabathia are the highest paid players in baseball at their positions. Cards traded Danny Haren to get Mulder. Bad deal. Yankees sign two pitchers for 41 million. See that’s why Cards don’t have all “that home grown talent”. Like the majority of teams they have to develop or trade for it. Carp gets hurt Cards are done. Yanks pay Pavano 10 million not to pitch. Goold you mention 1 hit wonders. Then they loose players to the Yankees and can’t get into the playoffs again. Yanks are in it every year because they use 30 other teams as their farm system

Golflsmith here’s your answer. The Yankees won pennant after pennant because they spent more. Before free agency the Yanks paid more in signing bonuses and paid players more who were left in the minors to replace older players. They have and continue to outspend other teams. The only difference is some of their money didn’t produce championships

It doesn’t really tarnish the championship - in 20 years the fact that they won will be the thing, not the money they spent.

However in terms of league structure something has to be done. Teams like the Royals and Pirates simply can’t hope to compete - witness the Pirates record run of losing seasons. When 20% of the teams can be written off for decades and 20% are always in the chase due to their finances, something is wrong with the league.

Of course there are always delightful David slaying Goliath surprises like when the Marlins beat the Yanks in the series. But the only way I see a change is if the Yankees wind up buying 5 championships in a row - then it will be obvious the league has a structural problem, and then we can talk about putting in a salary cap instead of a luxury tax. Until then, it’s water cooler talk.

One of the bloggers suggested having only six teams; let’s do better than that — let’s only have two teams — the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. In that way, both of these big market clubs would be guaranteed a trip to the “World” Series every year. And both teams could be loaded with talent which is now being wasted by being strewn around the entire country.

So fans across America could either root for the Red Sox, or the Yankees, and TV revenue would be astronomical. And this would solve the “problem” of low-budget, small market teams occasionally intruding into the NewYork-Boston axis.

I agree with DG. It does not tarnish their title. Rather, I think it enhances it. The Yankees have been buying players since Babe Ruth. There tradition of winning is legendary. It’s no wonder they have the TV ratings they draw when they are in the World Series. They bring in ball players that have the stardom of the John Waynes of movie stars. Guys like Reggie Jackson who show up big when the stage is set. No way the Yankees titles are tarnished for the way they go about their business. Whats tarnished are the fans and teams who are jealous of them. I know one thing for sure. If Mr. DeWitt became a whole lot richer and dumped that money into the Cardinals I’d be real happy when they won their next World Series title because of that. Would’nt you?

How can you possibly equate “spreading the wealth” in a league that is a business to “spreading the wealth” of a political system with absolute power to dictate how much even you as a journalist can earn, and prosecute you into jail?

Baseball leagues do not have the power to tax you or me, nor to jail us. The baseball businesses agreed to spread the wealth as part of negoitated agreements among business persons and labor unions.

Mr. Wheeler, you are comparing apples and oranges here. Free market Capitalism allows the owners and laborers (players) to enter into working contracts that can be re-negogiated. The owners risk their fiscal capital, and should be allowed to earn as much as they can. If Yankees fans want to pay higher ticket prices, tv subscriptions, etc., more power to them if that helps their team win.

There is nothing Free or voluntary about Marxist tyranny, and nothing funny about current attempts to implement them against a sworn vow to uphold the Constitution of the United States. No where does it say in our Constitution that anyone is entitled to more than they can earn. Nor, does it say you have to pay for other’s well being. If you want health insurance, buy it. There are no free health care plans, no free lunches, someone has to pay for it.

Let’s start this way on that: let’s take 75% of your income so three families that choose not to work can live on it. You do all the work; they do nothing, and they get one quarter of your income each.

Let’s also take immediately Senator Rockefeller’s Trust and break it up so that he is living on say; $30,000 a year. He and the Kennedys and the Gates and Pelosis and Reids and Soros must give up all aircraft, and non-electric vehicles immediately.

Those are just for starters; we’ll divide all the income of everyone making over $30,000 yearly up so that other families don’t have to work. None of the folks with any sort of wealth over $30,000 can keep it, it must be divided. All of their large engine cars must be turned in no later that Friday next; they will be issued IOU checks for a new GM/Chrysler electric moped w/four wheels. They’ll get them when available. If we are going to do it right and spread the wealth to those folks that don’t and won’t work or take care of themselves let’s do it right.

Now, just who should we trust to ensure that is done. The National Police of ACORN, SEIU, St. Louis Police and Prosecutors, City Year, Marxist Committees of Dems and Reps? Who gets this absolute power to regulate the even distribution? What should we do to cheaters that hide material and money in cans and such in the ground or whereever?

Your comparsion is just imbecilic.

YES, YES, YES — DID I MENTION YES??

Absolutely! The Yankees buy their championships and there’s no further proof than looking at how many Series they’ve won or participated in. Even if someone was still able to prove that wrong, the perception is just as bad.

The Yankees have been buying teams since the days of Babe Ruth. As long as this remains a capitalist society, this is the way things work. The Yanks are lucky Warren Buffett’s not a baseball nut.

Isn’t it wonderful to have yankee fans like NYYFan contribute to sports dumbness? The Busch family doesn’t own the Cardinals, hasn’t since the mid-90’s, you moron.

But that isn’t even the whole point anyway. The NY TV and Radio market is tons more lucrative than the St. Louis market. It’s not like the Steinbrenners are constantly emptying out the gigantic piggy bank to buy just one more free agent every year.

The economic imbalance absolutely plays a role. It is indeed remarkable that the Yankees don’t make it to the WS every year. That they don’t is a failure on their part (and they will tell you that this is true).

By the way, this whole “communism” thing is bogus (first of all, the word you are searching for is “socialism”, but that’s another story). It is one thing for the US government to force McDonalds to pay a luxury tax to Sonic because the latter can’t compete on its own (just a hypothetical example).

But that’s *not* what is being talked about here. In fact, that analogy is bogus. A much more accurate analogy would be for McDonalds corporate HQ to require the McDonalds at O’Hare Airport (assuming there is one) to pay a luxury tax to the McDonalds in some rural small town because the latter can’t compete with the former for high corporate standing and access to all the latest menu items.

We’re not talking about 30 different companies competing against each other here. We’re talking about 30 different *franchises* of the *same* company, who by the way need each other in order to have a viable league.

If a team like the Yankees (or even the Red Sox or the Dodgers) can simply pluck the best players from any other team they choose and those teams have no hope whatsoever of retaining them, there may come a day when the Yankees are the only viable team left. They will then have nobody to play. They can’t play anybody now unless there are viable teams for them to play, teams that can compete with them and help generate excitement for their fans. The reason why half the gate receipts go to the visiting team is that without a visiting team, there is no game.

Then again, why are we even discussing this? Because, like ‘em or hate ‘em, the MLB universe revolves around Yankee Stadium (and to a slightly lesser degree, Fenway Park).

Nauseating. Absolutely nauseating.

I wholeheartedly agree with Derrick. Yes, you do have to spend money, and yes, you do have to spend it wisely. The Yankees have mis-spent in the past, but overall they have gotten results from what they have spent. Do you think Steinbrenner lost money this year? Not unless he piled it up and set fire to it! Other owners should pay attention - you have to spend money to make money. If you’re good at it, you can print your own cash. If you’re not, then under-spending is merely delaying the inevitable.

GO TO THE SOURCE: the Yankees looked RELIEVED to win. Yes, the payroll tarnishes the title. There’s no way around it.

Goold: is it hard to win the WS??? DUH. YES. But its still tarnished, no question.

the Yankees been spending for years but haven’t won a series title in nearly 10 years. Unfortunately, Post writers (and fans) complain about DeWitt not spending enough money, then in the next breath, criticize the Yankees? Mike and Mike said it best this morning: you can criticize baseball for allowing it, but don’t criticize the Yankees “who played within the rules” and did what every team fan would like their team to do!

I wouldn’t say they bought their title since they haven’t won thw WS for 8 years despite having the #1 payroll by a wide margin, but it definitely taints the accomplishments. If it’s fair and entertaining - as baseball should be - for the Yankees to have the king’s ransum, then why don’t some people in fantasy leagues get two picks per round while others get one? Because fair comptition is based on a level playing field. Or why is the NFL the most followed team sport in the U.S. when they revenue share equally across the board and incorporate a salary cap? Because a level playing field intrigues the masses, not just the big market fans. Can you envision a MLB team in a “town” of 100,000 people, while (for perspective) the St. Louis metropolitan area is around 3 million people? Hell no! Well, the Green Bay Packers are doing it and flourishing due to the NFL collective bargaining agreement. The problem is the MLBPA is too greedy and stupid to realize that a more financially competitive league is best for the league’s health, the fans, and the players. But they STILL have an axe to grind with the owners for controlling the players salaries until some 30 plus years ago and beyond. Hopefully the Union Rep. in waining - Wiener - will demonstrate some sense when he takes the reigns from Fehr, but I’m not going to hold my breath.

Aloha,
Baseball needs a salary cap.
I’m happy for them receiving a billion dollars from their tv revenues. However, their baseball competitors are at a disadvantage.
Thank you!

when you can buy the top 2 of 3 free agents every year, thats an advantage most teams don’t have. Lets see how mnay titles Jeter would win playing for Royals!

OK, the Yanks win… so what. You keep throwing money at it and sure, you are going to win with some regularity. Good team - yes. Good story- NO. When the Marlins won that was a good story. What would be good for baseball would be for Pittsburgh to get to the series with a bunch of no-names.

If anyone is looking for the best comment that makes the most sense in this blog and wants to skip the nonsense, read jim’s comments date stamped 8:04 pm November 5th, 2009. His comments nail it. It is not the Yankees fault but MLB’s fault. In order to fix the problem you have to fix the system.

hey kevin, just a political thought for you…why dont you think a little deeper…..
sharing the wealth in the usa costs people jobs…..stops people from hiring, expanding, providing raises and benefits…..
sharing the wealth in a sport where the lowest paid person makes almost half a million dollars doesnt not equate with bigger hand outs for people in society who will just spend it on bling, drugs, video games or porn (see fema payout abuse, circa hurricane katrina)

and to say fans gravitate towards the NHL?….maybe if baseball were a slightly more selfish and childish sport like the nfl where you practice your scoring celebrations and worry about your madden ratings or you constant thumped your chest in a stabbing motion like the NBA, they could be great too?

The Yankees benefit from the fact that they are in the media center of the world. They can spend 200 million on a payroll from their TV revenues and have more left over than most teams start with. The luxury tax payments do not come close to redressing that. And the Yankees don’t care about those payments because, by continuing to reinvest the TV revenues, they ensure those revenues keep coming in even greater amounts.
MLB should adopt the NFL policy of pooling the TV monies and sharing them equally with all teams. That Cleveland loses two Cy Young winners because they cannot compete with the big money cities illustrates the unfairness of the current system.

The Yankees are killing baseball. Each year only a small number of big market teams have the ability to steal away the top free agents (Chicago, Mets, Yankees, Angels, Sox). As an Indians fan, I got to watch a well formed team get taken apart becasue of Baseball economics. Then the last two Cy Young winners, both Indians prospects from the start, pitch against each other in the Series. Without a true and fair salary cap the big market teams are going to ruin baseball. Boston, California, and New York will take 3 of the American League playoff spots every year; while the remaining 11 small market teams fight for the last spot. Try playing poker or monopoly with 4 times the starting pot against a Yankee fan see how quick they cry foul.

Not to throw salt on the wound, but because the Yankees built a new stadium, they are exempt from the luxury tax for a period of time (because they have the extra financial “burden” of financing a new stadium). I’m not certain of the length, but I believe it’s somewhere between 10 and 40 years.

Admittedly, the Cardinals could enjoy this same exemption, but they’re only spending half of what the Yanks spend.

Does that change anyone’s opinion?

i don’t care what you say, it does diminish the title, they bought it flat out

What is ironic is the Yankees have the MOST home grown players on their roster than any other Major league teams, except Colorado. 56% of their players are HOME GROWN! The core group…Posada, Jeter, Rivera, Pettite, Cano, Cabera, Gardner, Robertson, Joba, Hughes, Pena, Cervelli, etc. Yes they bought some players…but they bought them WISELY! The Cardinals? I love them, but only 40% are home grown…and they try just like anyone else to buy key players…so all you Yankee haters need to face reality. If they wanted Sabathia, they should have gone for it. And they can afford it, so the crying needs to stop.

The Yankees should have a ‘BIG’ asterisk after every division, pennant, and World Series title. They have robbed talent from other organizations for years (they don’t need to develop talent). Lets bring a salary cap to baseball and then see how well the Yankees compete….If El Hombre (Albert P.) leaves for New York or Boston after his contract is up, I’ll never watch another baseball game.

If we draft a QB in the next draft, by your logic do we now have two quarterbacks that aren’t ready to play?

Sound great.
I am planning on taking a trip this december, but im not sure where yet.
Anny suggestions?

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