The New York Yankees represent the very worst of America.
[Obviously he's making an absurd overstatement just to draw in the reader.]
Overstatement? Consider the times.
[Wait. He was being serious. Oh.]
Cornerstone industries are faltering, taxpayers are being asked to bail out mismanaged financial institutions and their overpaid CEOs, and decent, hard-working men and women are being laid off or worrying that they could be next.
[And it's all because of the Yankees. I mean, the causal relationship is undeniable!]
Now consider the eight-year, $180 million contract the Yankees reportedly handed first baseman Mark Teixeira yesterday. Stack it on top of the $161 million deal signed by pitcher CC Sabathia and the (relatively) modest $82.5 million promised to A.J. Burnett and you have the most egregious display of financial irresponsibility in the history of sports.
[Calling something "irresponsible" doesn't actually MAKE it irresponsible. I am willing to bet that the Yankees operate under a business model that doesn't revolve around "getting distracted by shiny objects."]
If Major League Baseball had a commissioner - that is, an independent and strong-willed leader unafraid to do the right thing - the Teixeira and Sabathia deals would be nullified based on the commissioner's sweeping "best interest of the game" powers.
[Is that a serious suggestion? Is Sheridan for real? Two parties negotiate, which ultimately results in an agreement, and some random third party should come in and nullify the deal based on the "Because I said so" principle? Worst. Idea. Ever.]
What's wrong here is obvious.
[Spoiler alert: It's Phil Sheridan.]
Unlike the NFL, NBA and NHL, baseball has no salary cap.
[I know! C'mon, baseball. Why can't you be more like the NHL??]
In fairness, MLB did create a luxury tax system that punishes overspenders such as the Yankees and Red Sox and adds revenue to the coffers of teams such as Florida and Kansas City. Of course, that system also gives some of the small-market teams a disincentive to spend money to win. They can pocket their free money from New York and Boston and continue to flounder on the field.
[Doesn't this argument cut AGAINST Sheridan's thesis?]
The Yankees have proved for the last five years that buying the highest-priced players does not guarantee you a title.
[Again. Right?]
Baseball economics always have been bad for competitive balance, but this Yankees spree is the worst ever because of real-world economics.
[Care to elaborate?]
It just smells bad.
[Check. And. Mate.]
In case anyone other than me was interested in ACTUAL analysis of this signing, check out Keith Law's blog entry.
[Teixiera is] probably the best defensive player relative to his position on the Yankees now, and could be one of only two or three who are above average depending on how the rest of the roster shakes out. He adds significant power to a lineup that had just two players slug over .500 this past year, and his .410 OBP in 2008 would have led the Yankees by 18 points.
Coupled with the loss of Jason Giambi, the signing of Teixeira means a net gain to the Yankees of four to five wins, considering both his bat and his defense. He also eliminates the need the Yankees had for a right-handed caddy for Giambi, since Teixeira is a true switch-hitter with power and patience from both sides of the plate.
[See? That wasn't so hard now was it?]
1 comment:
I am sputtering...I know that the newspaper industry is among those indsutries that is flailing, but why take it out on an industry and a business entity that isn't?
It's like damning Honeywell for investing $3 billion in a plant because that's way more than Boeing can afford and anyway spending money like that in times like these is an affront to journalists who don't really understand economics.
Post a Comment