Caught in the Crossfire...

I was a little pissed this morning when a friend fired off a whinny "Yankee's Suck" e-mail. First off it was in response to a "I'm Your Daddy" e-mail I sent off after the Game 2 winover Pedro. But when I read it, it was that straw that broke my 'defending the Yankees' back, I am the lone Yankee fan in a 500 mile radius not including my wife and son, so I do get a lot of shit about being a Yankee fan...

Anyway I though it was pretty good so I figured I use it as today's post, enjoy:

Steinbrenner puts together TEAMS, not over paid superstars, he takes the money earned by the Yankees and does something no one else in baseball will do: he REINVESTS it into the organization: player development, contracts to keep home grown players home, free agent signings.....then pays 'small market teams" like Minnesota MILLIONS of dollars that goes right into the owners pockets, after they get the fat check from George they cry poverty....hey Polhad you just got 56 million in Luxury tax payments how about a little to your team!!!!!!
SO we are rich over paid superstars......OK let's look

1 Ramirez, Manny $ 22,500,000 Boston Red Sox
2 Rodriguez, Alex $ 22,000,000 New York Yankees
3 Delgado, Carlos $ 19,700,000 Toronto Blue Jays
4 Jeter, Derek $ 18,600,000 New York Yankees
5 Bonds, Barry $ 18,000,000 San Francisco Giants
6 Martinez, Pedro $ 17,500,000 Boston Red Sox
7 Vaughn, Mo $ 17,166,667 New York Mets
8 Green, Shawn $ 16,666,667 Los Angeles Dodgers
9 Piazza, Mike $ 16,071,429 New York Mets
10 Bagwell, Jeff $ 16,000,000 Houston Astros

Of the top 10 highest paid players this year.....hum 2 Yankees, 2 red sox, 2 Mets.....And the Top Yankee was a trade NOT a free agent signing, meaning someone else in Major League baseball could afford 22 million a year.......

How about some Awards, these are all superstars, lets try the Cy Young:

2004 Roy Halladay Toronto
2002 Barry Zito Oakland
2001 Roger Clemens New York
2000 Pedro Martinez Boston
1999 Pedro Martinez Boston
1998 Roger Clemens Toronto
1997 Roger Clemens Toronto
1996 Pat Hentgen Toronto
1995 Randy Johnson Seattle
1994 David Cone Kansas City

Only One Yankee and that was Clemens.....the last Yankee before that was Ron Guidry in 1978!!!! So there are better players out there in baseball that do not play for the Yankees...

2003 Alex Rodriguez Texas SS
2002 Miguel Tejada Oakland SS
2001 Ichiro Suzuki Seattle RF
2000 Jason Giambi Oakland 1B
1999 Ivan Rodriguez Texas C
1998 Juan Gonzalez Texas OF
1997 Ken Griffey, Jr. Seattle OF
1996 Juan Gonzalez Texas OF
1995 Mo Vaughn Boston 1B
1994 Frank Thomas Chicago 1B
1993 Frank Thomas Chicago 1B
1992 Dennis Eckersley Oakland P
1991 Cal Ripken, Jr. Baltimore SS
1990 Rickey Henderson Oakland OF
1989 Robin Yount Milwaukee OF
1988 Jose Canseco Oakland OF
1987 George Bell Toronto OF
1986 Roger Clemens Boston P
1985 Don Mattingly New York 1B

How about MVP, with all those Superstar millionaire in the dugout we must have won every MVP award since 1994, um no, I had to go back to 1985 to find a Yankee.....so other players are paid more than us, and other teams have better players than us....what could be the difference......

How about TEAMWORK and the willingness to win, how about taking an OUTCAST, say John Olerud, released from his team and making him a postseason hero, or Aaron Boone, or Scott Brocious, or Jon Leiber........how about going out there and playing quality baseball and worrying about WINNING games for the team and not padding stats or winning awards, or breaking records...how about clutch hits from the 7,8,9 spot and don't tell me Migel Cairo, Homer Bush, Charlie Hayes, Flash Gordon, John Olerud, Shane Spencer, Kenny Lofton, Ruben Sierra, Tony Clark, et al are all Over Paid Superstars, yet everyone of them and others have contributed to Yankee wins and Yankee rings......

Maybe if more owners would reinvest in their teams, and more clubhouses were conducive to promoting TEAM success I wouldn't have to listen to Yankee haters bitch about buying another Ring.........The 1997 Marlins bought their fucking ring but theYankees work hard every fucking year and earn one once in awhile.....

So instead of bashing Yankee and Yankee fan how about slamming your own team for being a bunch of pussies and not committing to the sport of baseball.....

PS other teams that decided to play Yankee ball and win as a team and spend a little doing it: 2003 Marlins and 2002 Angels, EARNED their Rings.....

/rant

PS: No offense intended just an angry Yankee fan tired of the same old buying BS.......