The Damn Yankees

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Oh, I'm so saddened by the results last night and the previous night. I was looking forward to an old fashioned American World Series bettween Chicago and Boston and what did I get?

The ho hum combination of the Yankees and Marlins. Who could be interested in watching that? A team that always wins and a team that shouldn't exist.

My buddies say it was not the best combination for a profitable business TV watch.

Joe

 

[Mathman]

Yeah, the TV folks must be tearing their hair. A Cubs-Redsox series would have been huge. Even people who care nothing about baseball would have watched.

Larry

 

[sk8er1964]

I am bummed too. I would have liked to see a Red Sox-Cubs series. I probably won't watch much of the World Series now.

At least televised skating starts this weekend, and the hockey season has started. Go Wings!!!

 

[mike79]

I have no problem with the Yankees being there because at least they're exciting. Florida, however, leaves something to be desired.

 

[Rgirl]

Even as a die-hard New Yorker, I too am so disappointed that we won't have a battle of the the Cursed Teams, as in "The Curse of the Bambino" Red Sox and the just plain cursed Cubs. A Cubs-Sox series probably would have felt like good old sob-for-your-team, "I'll still love 'em if they lose but damn they better win!" baseball. Sigh.
Rgirl

 

[eliza88]

I too am way bummed, the Yankees, AGAIN! Grrrrrrr. Note to managers for next season, pull your star pitcher when all evidence points to him being DONE!!

mike79--I have to dissagree with you about the Marlins, I like the way they play. Before the Chicago series I had never seen them play, but this team has character as well as some damn fine players. They are a good group of guys and they play as a TEAM. They pay no attention to the hype, they simply go out and play their game (always believing in themselves)...They will most likely come into the World Series as a huge underdog and they will probably walk away as champions I HOPE!

eliza88

 

[mike79]

Eliza

The thing I don't like about the Marlins is that they seem to be doing what they did a few years ago: buying a championship. When they won the World Series they then proceeded to have a firesale, getting rid of anyone with talent.

I really hope that if they win they don't do the same thing this time. I think that Pudge Rodriguez deserves better than that.

There is also the argument that the Yankees buy their championships. They do, however, keep their team pretty much the same year after year while adding a player or two each season. The Yankees have done a great job bringing up players like Jeter and Soriano, and staying loyal to players like Bernie Williams. The Marlins just don't have that track record.

I know there is a huge difference between the teams in having the resources to keep players and sign new ones. That is the problem with MLB, along with the NHL and NBA. These leagues need to start real salary caps and allow revenue sharing so that teams from small markets can compete with the big boys like the Yankees and Red Sox. The Oakland Athletics are a prime example. They lost Giambi to the Yankees a couple of years ago, and they're going to lose Miguel Tejada this year, all because Oakland can't afford to keep high market value players. MLB should look no further than the NFL to see what a salary cap can do. Ever since the cap took effect the NFl has seen so much more parity among all teams. Even if a team does poorly one year they have the opportunity to rebuild quickly and become competitive once again.

 

[eliza88]

Mike, you're right! Someone the other day told me about the Marlins "history" and hopefully they will not make the mistake twice. Pudge Rodriguez is a wonderful player, also that 20 year old phenom Cabrera, and Beckett--hopefully whatever the Marlins do in the Series, they will keep those guys. I do like to see teams keeping their star players regardless of their sticker price--however I would also love to see more athletes take less money so they can help their team more. Spread the wealth...

One of my co-workers is an A's fan and was crushed when Giambi went to the Yankees--I believe the A's made him a very nice offer, only the Yanks sweetened it a bit more. It's doubtful they will be able to keep Tejada--but perhaps my Mariners could pick him up!!

I love the parity in football--these last several years teams have come out of nowhere and that is exciting! I don't like to see players who have worn the same uniform for years to be traded or let go because of their age. Junior Seau in a Dolphins uniform, Emmitt Smith as a Cardinal--just rubs me the wrong way!

eliza88

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I don't see the point of the team. Is there another ball club that has the State as its name?

Florida is an immigrant state. All those retirees from all over the States. I doubt they would be fans of their adopted State. Maybe they should have called it the Orlando Marlins.

Joe

 

[heyang]

I'm Happy

Well , I'm a happy Yankees fan. No one can argue that they didn't work for it too. There's a reason that they've gone to 6 WS's in 8 years...and that's without huge turnovers. They have good players with competitive spirits.

I'll be the 1st to admit that next year will be different. They need better pitching and will have to replace ol' Roger due to retirement.

I wish it was a Cubs-Yankees WS. Then I wouldn't be too unhappy if my team didn't go all the way. Plus, I think it would've felt great for the Cubs to beat the Yankees, but alas it won't be this year.

Sorry - I just can't root for the Red Sox. During the 86 series, I rooted for the Mets due to hometown. In any series, I'd root against the BoSox - cause I was raised as a Yankees fan.

 

[Seonaid920]

Regarding the Marlins and Yankees 'buying world championships' -
The Mets have one of the highest payrolls in baseball (I think the second highest overall) so I think that proves you can't buy a championship. They are consistently terrible. Plus the Yankees won a large portion of their championships back when the players were paid the same as average working stiffs.

The Red Sox also have a very high payroll and lots of big name players. (Why do they waste their money? They're going to lose anyway.) I guess my point is, I don't think money has anything to do with it. Team chemistry and confidence is more important.

What happened to profit sharing? Are the owners taking the profits and putting them in their own bank accounts? If they aren't going to spend the money on players, then they should stop complaining.

As for the Cubs, I think it would be terrible if they won because it would take away all the allure of the Cub's tradition of losing.

Meanwhile teams like Minnesota with no big named guys can have the chemistry to take them to the playoffs and occasionally they even win.

 

[4dogknight]

As for the Cubs, I think it would be terrible if they won because it would take away all the allure of the Cub's tradition of losing.

Seonaid920, you don't live or have ever lived in Chicago have you?

My mom was one the original 'Bleacher Bums' and the mantra in our house was, "Oh well, there's always next year".
Mom was the baseball addict; we lived close to Wrigley field, well actually only one bus away. I was the football nut, no not the Bears and for several reasons. First, our family doctor was the team doctor for the Chicago Cardinals and I was indoctrinated at a very early age. Second, dad worked for the Milwaukee Road as a conductor and had the run from Chicago to Milwaukee. He knew a lot of the Green Bay Packers because during the 40's and 50's that’s how a lot of the teams traveled plus the fact the airport in
Green Bay wasn't anything to write home about. About once a month mom and I would meet dad in Milwaukee for a Saturday of shopping and dinner at Mader's. We'd ride home with dad and often the Packer team would be on the train. I remember my dad introducing me to them and they always remembered my name. (Doesn't take a lot to impress a seven year old but these guys were really kind to me.) When the Cardinals left Chicago after the 1959 season there was no way I could root for the Bears but I could root for the Pack and I haven't looked back since. I waited for 29 years for the Pack to really get back and I'll admit it, I cried like a baby in 1997 when they won the Superbowl.
Sorry, I guess I wandered away from the topic a bit but fandom is fandom no matter what the sport is.

To get back on topic; mom passed away more than twenty years ago but this year when the Cubs didn't make it, I swear to 'dog' that I heard my mother's voice saying "Oh well, there's always next year, there’s always next year."

4dk

 

[Seonaid920]

I don't live in Chicago but I've been there a bunch of times (I have a lot of relatives who grew up there).

The great thing about baseball is tradition and I think the Cubs losing and still playing in Wrigley field is one of the greatest traditions. It would be almost heartbreaking if they won it at this point. I would have liked to see them in the world series (just as long as they didn't win!) Next time I'm in Chicago I want to see a Cubs game.

and it's so true.. there's always next year!

 

[mike79]

I'm sorry but there is no justification in paying ballplayers near the money they are receiving. Just look at Alex Rodriguez's salary. It's ridiculous. No one needs to make on average $25 million a year. Baseball has been losing attendance for years, and then there was the whole contraction fiasco a couple of years ago. Montreal, Minnesota, and Florida were all on the chopping block, and Montreal had to be bought out by MLB. These teams in small markets can occasionally compete, but more often than not it is teams with money who win. The Mets are an acception to the rule, although they were in the World Series just a couple of years ago.

One other acception is the NY Rangers in hockey. They have a huge payroll, but instead of making trades to bolster their lineup, they just go get the highest salary out there and think they'll win.

But look at teams like the Yanks. They make the post-season every year, and more often than not, they win it all.

In hockey you have teams like the Detroit Red Wings who really bought a championship 2 years ago. They picked up several superstars and it ended up paying off by winning the Stanley Cup. This year the Colorado Avalanche are doing the same thing, while teams like the Pittsbugh Penguins struggle to stay in business.

Sport salaries are skyrocketing and there is no need of it. Yes the owners are greedy, but the players are too. The NHLPA is saying that they'll sit out indefinitely because they won't accept a salary cap. MLB is just as bad.

 

[heyang]

Good point about the 'tradition of losing'. Daytime Diva Susan Lucci had a long record of being nominated for Best Actress in a Daytime Drama and Losing. She finally won the Emmy, but now it's no big deal being nominated anymore - the mystique is gone.

 

[tharrtell]

Playoffs have been nothing but a disappointment. Didn't care about the Giants losing (yeah, I do live in SF, but Bonds is icky and spoils it for me - also grew up cheering for the A's), but the A's loss was a bummer. If the A's had to go down, I wanted Boston to be there (actually somewhat of a Boston fan). Boston/Cubs would have been great. Now, it's gonna be the bleep'n Yankees again. Everyone should spend as much on their payroll

 

[Seonaid920]

Hey Mike79, I agree with you partially, but the Yankees have only won 4 world championships in the last 23 years, and I think they won 3 in the 1970s. The majority of their wins (20) came before the days of trumped up paychecks. I agree the huge salaries are an outrage --(just watch MTV Cribs to see how these athletes live) but they don't seem to help teams win. Alex Rodriguez is getting paid millions but where is his team? They haven't even made the playoffs since he's been with them. The Giants haven't won with Bonds,Mark Maguire never won and the Cubs haven't won with the likes of Sammy. The Red Sox and the Mets? They're at home right now.

But, I agree with you - I am all for chopping the salaries in MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL. Go ahead and let them have a salary cap - They all get paid way to much and the fans are the ones who pay for it -(I think its $6.00 for a beer at Yankee Stadium and $4 for a hotdog) but you can't buy a championship no matter how much money you shell out. The baseball season is very long and it takes a team of guys that don't give up and the Marlins and the Yankees are two teams that never give up, even when they are down in the 9th inning with 2 outs and 2 strikes, or facing elimination in the 8th and being down 5 runs. That's what it takes to win and money isn't going to buy that.

One thing I noticed about the Marlins compared to the Red Sox -- their young guys play classy. They don't gaze at their homeruns to admire them or purposely try to start trouble, they are a mature group of guys who have a goal in mind and work together as a team to get the job done. Having a team like that is what gets teams far -- the A's are sort of like that (until they get to the playoffs) and so are the Yankees for the most part (sans a few would-be trouble makers if Joe Torre let them get away with it).

I am most impressed with Miguel Cabrera. He really handles himself in a very mature manner for a 20 year old - much more so that players like Manny Ramirez who are old enough to know better.

Although I like this Marlins team, I don't like the expansion teams in general. I'd like to get rid of all of them (including the Mets). This would make all the two-bit players go back to minor leagues and leave the major leagues to the great players -- this would help even out the talent and make it more competitive. Right now there just aren't enough quality baseball players to fill each lineup and bullpen.

 

[mike79]

Although I like this Marlins team, I don't like the expansion teams in general. I'd like to get rid of all of them (including the Mets). This would make all the two-bit players go back to minor leagues and leave the major leagues to the great players -- this would help even out the talent and make it more competitive. Right now there just aren't enough quality baseball players to fill each lineup and bullpen.

I completely agree. Expansion has really been hurting pro sports. It does nothing but spread the talent pool too thin. Guys that would have never made it professionally 15 years ago are making it now. There's no excuse.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Seonaid -

"I am most impressed with Miguel Cabrera. He really handles himself in a very mature manner for a 20 year old"

Watch the Yankees buy Cabrera next year. Money, money, money.

Joe

 

[Seonaid920]

I hope so Joe, he's a hottie!