Hooray for spending.
The best explanation of the Yankees’ spree came from Joel Sherman of the New York Post (I think).
It goes back to the Yankees (bad) decision to pursue Randy Johnson instead of Carlos Beltran. They spent on Johnson, who stunk, and still had a whole in centerfield ... and probably still do unless Melky blossoms big time ... or Gardner works out ... or Johnny Damon develops an amazing arm, perhaps via surgery to replace his elbow tendon with that of, well, really anyone else.
Sherman’s reasoning was thus: The Yankees were going to spend the Teixeira money on someone of lesser talent next year to address the same problem, so why not do it now and get the guy they wanted?
Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Xavier Nady all come off the books next season, and the Yanks cleared more payroll this year thatn they added. So, for a team the allegedly could spend whatever it wanted, it makes sense on the field and on the payroll.
Brian Cashman is smart and savvy ... but mostly a masochist.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Where's my poster?
Years ago, when the Yankees were embarrassing, they tried to market what ridiculous little talent they had.
Thus, fans were given T-shirts with caricatures of Don Mattingly (with giant stache) Jesse Barfield ... memory fuzzy at this point ... let’s say Mel Hall and Dan Pasqua.
We had Steve Sax poster nights.
Roberto Kelly keychains.
Pasqual Perez convict placards.
Brien Taylor armslings.
So, with all the money the Yankees are tossing about, one expects the BIG GUNS poster shortly, featuring Chien-Ming Wang, CC Sabathia, Joba Chamberlain, AJ Burnett ... and someone else.
It’s a fifth-starter sweepstakes!
I vote for me, but I’m VERY biased. And I’m not 6’4, 260 pounds.
Still, I could have used the Tim Leary, Andy Hawkins, David LaPoint, Ed Whitson, Melido Perez poster for my wall. What great things the Mount Rushmore of Yankees pitching could have inspired in a young boy from New Jersey.
Thus, fans were given T-shirts with caricatures of Don Mattingly (with giant stache) Jesse Barfield ... memory fuzzy at this point ... let’s say Mel Hall and Dan Pasqua.
We had Steve Sax poster nights.
Roberto Kelly keychains.
Pasqual Perez convict placards.
Brien Taylor armslings.
So, with all the money the Yankees are tossing about, one expects the BIG GUNS poster shortly, featuring Chien-Ming Wang, CC Sabathia, Joba Chamberlain, AJ Burnett ... and someone else.
It’s a fifth-starter sweepstakes!
I vote for me, but I’m VERY biased. And I’m not 6’4, 260 pounds.
Still, I could have used the Tim Leary, Andy Hawkins, David LaPoint, Ed Whitson, Melido Perez poster for my wall. What great things the Mount Rushmore of Yankees pitching could have inspired in a young boy from New Jersey.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
I declare
If Manny Ramirez is wearing Yankees pinstripes next year, this blog, as much as I update it, will be about ballet or ping pong or something not related at all to the Yankees. The team, the very concept of the Yankees, will be dead to me until such time as he is gone.
Manny's antics are fun when they happen to other teams.
Manny's antics are fun when they happen to other teams.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
*Poof* goes the blogger
It's been a while, for those of you who bother to read this.
I last wrote about my jealousy of Hugh Jackman, a not unreasonable jealousy.
Today, I’m jealous of President Bush. No one’s ever thrown a shoe, let alone two, at me. But what makes this scenario better is how smoothly Bush handle the whole thing. He sidestepped each toss like Neo, not a shred of panic or fear. He even waved away the Secret Service guy who rushed the stage - a little too late. Suspend that guy.
Bush said he wasn’t bothered. Of course, it’s a big deal that shoes/feet are some kind of Middle Eastern insult. Message to everyone ... insult an American with an American insult. Flip him the bird. Call his mom a whore ... whatever. It’s every American’s right ... no, every American’s DUTY to be ignorant of other cultures. Bush is setting a brilliant example for the rest of us. Dodge the shoe, shrug it off, play it cool and have no idea ... and more importantly ... no care you’ve been insulted.
Not surprisingly, despite how easily Bush played it, he’s being made fun of and criticized. Dude threw shoes at our president, and he’s the hero. Bush is the idiot. I don’t get. If Anderson Cooper hurdled his Guccis at Hugo Chavez, Cooper’d get one between the eyes before the second shoes hit the floor.
I can only imagine how relieved Bush must be now he’s stepping away from the White House. It must feel like senior year of high school. You know you’re graduating, so you show up late, leave early, blow off homework. And now he’s got one last story to tell his grandchildren.
“See here kids. Ma last trip to EYE-rack, this raport’r gone and tossed his shoes at me. His shoes!! Don’t that juss beat all? B’came a nash’nal hero he did. Good arm, too. Rangers coulda used ‘im. Video got about billion hits on youtube ... youtube? Video sharing site ... ya’know what, n’ermind. But, boy, did he take a whoppin’. I think Hugo Chavez gave him a boat. Buncha nutjobs ... yer gramp’s sure happyhe ain’t doin’ tha no more.”
Oh yeah, the Yankees spent about a trillion dollars on pitching. Burnett is a mistake. Sabathia will be fine. That’s three starters, plus Chamberlain, who should stay in the bullpen, but whatever.
Now ... about that offense.
I last wrote about my jealousy of Hugh Jackman, a not unreasonable jealousy.
Today, I’m jealous of President Bush. No one’s ever thrown a shoe, let alone two, at me. But what makes this scenario better is how smoothly Bush handle the whole thing. He sidestepped each toss like Neo, not a shred of panic or fear. He even waved away the Secret Service guy who rushed the stage - a little too late. Suspend that guy.
Bush said he wasn’t bothered. Of course, it’s a big deal that shoes/feet are some kind of Middle Eastern insult. Message to everyone ... insult an American with an American insult. Flip him the bird. Call his mom a whore ... whatever. It’s every American’s right ... no, every American’s DUTY to be ignorant of other cultures. Bush is setting a brilliant example for the rest of us. Dodge the shoe, shrug it off, play it cool and have no idea ... and more importantly ... no care you’ve been insulted.
Not surprisingly, despite how easily Bush played it, he’s being made fun of and criticized. Dude threw shoes at our president, and he’s the hero. Bush is the idiot. I don’t get. If Anderson Cooper hurdled his Guccis at Hugo Chavez, Cooper’d get one between the eyes before the second shoes hit the floor.
I can only imagine how relieved Bush must be now he’s stepping away from the White House. It must feel like senior year of high school. You know you’re graduating, so you show up late, leave early, blow off homework. And now he’s got one last story to tell his grandchildren.
“See here kids. Ma last trip to EYE-rack, this raport’r gone and tossed his shoes at me. His shoes!! Don’t that juss beat all? B’came a nash’nal hero he did. Good arm, too. Rangers coulda used ‘im. Video got about billion hits on youtube ... youtube? Video sharing site ... ya’know what, n’ermind. But, boy, did he take a whoppin’. I think Hugo Chavez gave him a boat. Buncha nutjobs ... yer gramp’s sure happyhe ain’t doin’ tha no more.”
Oh yeah, the Yankees spent about a trillion dollars on pitching. Burnett is a mistake. Sabathia will be fine. That’s three starters, plus Chamberlain, who should stay in the bullpen, but whatever.
Now ... about that offense.
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