As an Orioles fan, the Yankees have been quite the delightful train wreck this offseason from their collection of bums in their rotation, to their GM’s circus tricks around Christmas, to missing out on Cliff Lee, Carl Crawford and Kerry Wood. Add this weekend’s quotes from pity-party leader Mark Teixeira and you’ve got yourself more entertainment than a 3D movie starring a teen pop star Canadian. While I’m not naive enough to think the Yankees won’t be in the playoff hunt this year, these antics have been more than humorous to watch from afar and I can’t help but hope that things blow up in the faces of the arrogant evil empire.
On Monday, Yankees co-chairman Hank Steinbrenner piled on to the embarrassment when he sounded off on Major League Baseball’s luxury tax rules after revealing that his club contributed $130 million between revenue sharing and luxury tax. Hank offered a solution to Commissioner Bud Selig;”don’t put teams in minor markets.”
The full quote from the Boston Globe was really about Captain American Steinbrenner saving baseball Rocky IV-style from the evils of Communism.
“We’ve got to do a little something about that and I know Bud (Selig) wants to,” Steinbrenner said. “There’s a way. Obviously we’re very much allied with the Red Sox, and Mets and Dodgers and Cubs, in that area. At some point if you don’t want to worry about teams in minor markets, don’t put teams in minor markets or don’t leave teams in minor markets. Socialism, communism is never the answer.”
My issue with the Yankees is the arrogance that surrounds them. I’ll never argue against their success, their 27 World Series trophies and ability to gather fair weather fans and buy championships goes unmatched in the game. What I absolutely despise is this alternate universe that the organization lives in. This universe that allows them to pay $100 million more in luxury tax and revenue sharing than the Oakland A’s entire 2011 payroll. It’s the same universe that makes Mark Teixeira think that even though he’s hitting in a lineup with Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano and playing on a team with a 2010 borderline Cy Young pitcher in CC Sabathia, that the Yankees are still underdogs.
In this universe, Hank’s universe, every team can spend $200 million a year and if players don’t work out, you simply write the next check and move on to the next one. Of course, There are only a handful of markets that can afford to do that. Every year people say that the Yankees are ruining baseball and the truth is that teams find ways to beat them. The Giants won the World Series that way and the Rays have had their number in the East for the past couple years.
The evil empire may not be ruining the game, but they sure as hell are trying.
I hate this argument about "communism" or "socialism" in sports leagues. The point of a sports league is not the same as the point of an economic system. The goal of capitalism is to provide the best product by having open competition with perhaps disproportionate advantages between companies and over time, one beats out all the others. It is designed such that the weaker brands literally die out (Pittsburgh Pirates = Circuit City).
The goal of a sports league is to provide the most entertaining product possible, and as such yield the highest possible overall revenue for the league, not just a single team. Therefore a sports league and a capitalist are at cross purposes. That goal might best be served by having a few stronger teams to pique interest by creating David v. Goliath games, but if the talent is too unbalanced it isn't entertaining, so fans lose interest. In fact, a sports league is best served with a socialist model between the teams if they want to have long term market success as a league.
Hank’s obviously never payed attention to the National Football League.
mr s is rite small team need to spend love mind yankees hate to see them give that tax money to those team plus he rite on with jeter worry about that manison GO YANKEES
Yeah I’m sure Jeter was studying blue prints and it distracted him from hitting .300 last year.
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Do you really hate the argument? I ask because you ended your whole rant with the same one.
It’s easy to blame the Yankees even though the red sawx have done the exact same thing the last few years and are now even more insufferable than any Yankee fans, ever were. If small market teams actually invested the money from revenue sharing on improving their product and not lining the owners pockets, maybe they could stir some excitement and sell some merchandise, that’s where the money’s at, not at the stadium gate. In other words, don’t name the yanks, blame your selfish owners!
Zach, I gotta agree, the Yankees appear to be off in Seinfeld's Bizzaro World. Just when you thought no one could top Tex's moronic comments about being a $200 million dollar underdog, now this from " Hank the Tank".
Look, I'm done making excuses for the Orioles failures over the last 13 years, so don't read into this. The fact that MLB has ignored economic disparity may be what eventually topples their league. While teams like Tampa and Minnesota can invest in scouting and their farm system and build contending teams, they are nothing more than player development systems for the large market franchises. They draft and develop these players only to lose them at the peaks of their careers, unable to pay the salaries they command. Look at what happened to Tampa this offseason.
Look, teams will always be mismanaged but allowing 5 or 6 teams to horde the games best players with $200 million plus payrolls will eventually give Hank just what he wants.
very good points Expatriate……HOWEVER, what happens when there’s only 1 team left standing ?????????……there ain’t no more league
How come no one ever comments on unimaginative sports writers who have nothing else to say, so they recycle the same old story? Is your “pop star” comment what passes for wit in journalism these days?
I don’t really agree with Steinbrenner’s comment. But that’s not the point. They are playing within the system, and you fault them for using the resources at their disposal. If it wasn’t for The Boss, baseball wouldn’t be what it is, in lots of good ways as well as in, perhaps, salary-escalating ways. Hate the game, not the player.
As if the Red Sox won their championship with their farm system. But no one talks about that.
No, you are not naive – just a tired hack.
Hank should count his blessings after avoiding the inheritance tax. No disrespect intended with George's death, but its easy to complain about what you don't have instead of being thankful for all of the things you actually do have. It would be one thing if Hank had actually worked himself from the ground up, but he was born into a wealthy family. Hank is by no means the mogul his father was, and consequently he shouldn't make this arguement because he really doesn't know the trials and tribulations of actually putting the investment risk his father put in. His hardwork has allowed him to get the generous gift of a baseball franchise, a lot of people work hard for ten dollars an hour.