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New York's baseball/money conundrum
Rick Soisson
I spent $200 million. Now where's my pennant?
RICK SOISSON
Once again the sun came up this morning (July 11) to find the unheralded Tampa Bay Rays in first place, and both New York teams, well, somewhere else in their respective divisions. The Rays players, who are apparently paid in McDonald’s coupons, have Shocked The World by their continuing refusal to collapse in their division race with the Yankees (and Red Sox), demonstrating again the simple fact that young pitching talent and management will get you to the finish line ahead of a fat wallet.
Over in the National League East, the Mets have failed so far to catch a Philadelphia team whose team motto seems to be, “Just hit; we’re not sure who’s starting today.” While the Mets’ aggregate team salary is not wildly higher than the Phillies’ (what’s $20 or 30 million here or there?), New York National League fans are thus far greatly disappointed, and management voiced its displeasure by firing field manager Willie Randolph.
Why don’t big bucks and free-spending owners win pennants? The debate rages over such questions all season long, just as it should have when the underpaid Oakland Athletics entered the new century with the second-best regular-season record (behind the Atlanta Braves) over a ten-year period.
The Barry Bonds temptation
Management decisions and proclamations offer the most telling clue, actually, and the golden nuggets of New York idiocy are there for the picking if one looks.
On July 8, for example, the New York Post back page presented the startling image of Barry Bonds in a Mets uniform behind the two-inch-tall headline “Bonds Eye!” Stories on that page and inside the paper reported the Mets management refusing to rule out the acquisition of the alleged steroid cheat and perjurer. (Omar Minaya: “Right now, we’re going with the guys we got.” Jerry Manuel: “He’s a very special player.”) On page 67, columnist Mike Vaccaro opined, just as coyly, “It’s hard to imagine how it would be possible for Mets fans to hate this team more than they already do, although this might do it.” Pause, new paragraph/conclusion: “Unless it worked out, of course.”
Naturally, this question begs: Are the Mets trying to win their division or become the first team in history to have an outfielder hauled off the field in handcuffs for failure to appear in a federal courtroom?
Found: Two scapegoats
In the Bronx a day or so later, co-chairman Hal (the Silent) Steinbrenner spoke up about the Yankees’ woes, specifically mentioning young pitchers Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy. According to a filler piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer, these two pitchers, both now on the disabled list, are the roots of the problematic last season currently playing itself out at the House That Ruth Built. Said Steinbrenner: “The young pitchers at the beginning of the year, it was upsetting at times.” He might have said “at all times,” because Hughes and Kennedy together went 0-7 before being shut down after 15 appearances between them.
As the comedian Jon (the Liar) Lovitz might have once put it, “That’s the ticket! It’s all the fault of the youngest, injured players! They shouldn’t have been chasing Morgan Fairchild around…yeah….” It’s certainly not the sub-par performance of the rest of the $209 million players parading around in pinstripes.
It is sometimes said (or sung) that, if you can “make it” in New York, you can make it anywhere. What isn’t said is: If you can’t make it there, you’d better duck. The brickbat that hits you in the back of the head was likely thrown by your moron boss, or the criminal playing next to you in the outfield.
To read responses, click here.
RICK SOISSON
Once again the sun came up this morning (July 11) to find the unheralded Tampa Bay Rays in first place, and both New York teams, well, somewhere else in their respective divisions. The Rays players, who are apparently paid in McDonald’s coupons, have Shocked The World by their continuing refusal to collapse in their division race with the Yankees (and Red Sox), demonstrating again the simple fact that young pitching talent and management will get you to the finish line ahead of a fat wallet.
Over in the National League East, the Mets have failed so far to catch a Philadelphia team whose team motto seems to be, “Just hit; we’re not sure who’s starting today.” While the Mets’ aggregate team salary is not wildly higher than the Phillies’ (what’s $20 or 30 million here or there?), New York National League fans are thus far greatly disappointed, and management voiced its displeasure by firing field manager Willie Randolph.
Why don’t big bucks and free-spending owners win pennants? The debate rages over such questions all season long, just as it should have when the underpaid Oakland Athletics entered the new century with the second-best regular-season record (behind the Atlanta Braves) over a ten-year period.
The Barry Bonds temptation
Management decisions and proclamations offer the most telling clue, actually, and the golden nuggets of New York idiocy are there for the picking if one looks.
On July 8, for example, the New York Post back page presented the startling image of Barry Bonds in a Mets uniform behind the two-inch-tall headline “Bonds Eye!” Stories on that page and inside the paper reported the Mets management refusing to rule out the acquisition of the alleged steroid cheat and perjurer. (Omar Minaya: “Right now, we’re going with the guys we got.” Jerry Manuel: “He’s a very special player.”) On page 67, columnist Mike Vaccaro opined, just as coyly, “It’s hard to imagine how it would be possible for Mets fans to hate this team more than they already do, although this might do it.” Pause, new paragraph/conclusion: “Unless it worked out, of course.”
Naturally, this question begs: Are the Mets trying to win their division or become the first team in history to have an outfielder hauled off the field in handcuffs for failure to appear in a federal courtroom?
Found: Two scapegoats
In the Bronx a day or so later, co-chairman Hal (the Silent) Steinbrenner spoke up about the Yankees’ woes, specifically mentioning young pitchers Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy. According to a filler piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer, these two pitchers, both now on the disabled list, are the roots of the problematic last season currently playing itself out at the House That Ruth Built. Said Steinbrenner: “The young pitchers at the beginning of the year, it was upsetting at times.” He might have said “at all times,” because Hughes and Kennedy together went 0-7 before being shut down after 15 appearances between them.
As the comedian Jon (the Liar) Lovitz might have once put it, “That’s the ticket! It’s all the fault of the youngest, injured players! They shouldn’t have been chasing Morgan Fairchild around…yeah….” It’s certainly not the sub-par performance of the rest of the $209 million players parading around in pinstripes.
It is sometimes said (or sung) that, if you can “make it” in New York, you can make it anywhere. What isn’t said is: If you can’t make it there, you’d better duck. The brickbat that hits you in the back of the head was likely thrown by your moron boss, or the criminal playing next to you in the outfield.
To read responses, click here.
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