10-18-2004, 12:49 PM
I’m one of those Americans who still heralds baseball as that colorful thread tightly woven into the fabric of our culture, much like many Canadians feel about hockey. As a citizen of Cincinnati and a lifelong fan of the Reds (the very first Major League team - est. 1876), I am consumed by the game and its traditions. Despite the fact that Cincy is a NL town and that our ‘hatred’ is channeled towards divisional rivals (primarily the Cubs), there is always that lingering distaste for the NY Yankees (aka “The Evil Empire”) that baseball fans here and everywhere fall back on come October when our underachieving hometeams hang their spikes up for the winter. It’s only natural that ‘have-nots’ will cultivate a dislike for the ‘haves’ over time.
However, I personally do not share this hatred; in fact, I appreciate the Yanks for what they are and the role they play in this sport - a team wholly committed to winning, who looms like a dark cloud over every other team’s World Championship aspirations. Thus, every season’s playoffs have the potential for an epic story where David must slay Goliath, where the common man must subvert the corporate machine, where spirit must thwart legacy, where ‘will’ must triumph over birthright. The truth of the matter is that unlimited finances cannot guarantee success, as exhibited last season when the Florida Marlins (2003 payroll: $48,750,000) vanquished the mighty Yankees (2003 payroll: $152,749,814) in six games. Sure, the burgeoning NYY bankroll usually ensures a playoff appearance, but the fact remains that two other very capable AL teams get a fair shot at the Yanks every postseason, and these teams are always stocked with talent that compares much more favorably than the disparity in payrolls would suggest. Solid pitching, good defense, and timely hitting are what wins championships, and last time I checked, the Twins and Red Sox have shown the capacity do execute these three elements of winning baseball versus every AL foe.
So whenever I hear fans (especially BoSox fans) bitch and moan about payroll, and whine about the ‘outrageousness’ of Yankee fans taking pride in their team and talking smack to rival fans, I just laugh and shake my head. Here is a franchise (Boston) who spends $127,298,500 on its own roster of all-stars, wins the regular-season series versus the Yankees 11-8, yet fails to show up to the ALCS as usual. Realize that while all you Chowderheads are cryin’ in your clams, MY team, who just so happens to have the second-richest owner in baseball and 124th richest American in terms of personal wealth (1.8 billion), spent only $46,615,250 on the Reds 2004 player payroll. His name is Carl Lindner, Jr. (Chiquita, Great American Insurance Inc.), and he obviously shows no commitment to putting a decent team on the field for fans who are dying to fiscally support a winner.
This is why I respect Geroge Steinbrenner and the Yankees; he will spare no cost to improve his team, and the fans are the ones who gladly pay the bills and reap the glory. And enough with this nonsense about lack of class - the Yankees are perennially a team of consummate professionals who play the game how it is meant to be played. Despite what happens from April through September, they usually come ready to play in October, and the world watches as the stigma worms deep into the heads of the Sox, coaxing them to roll over like dogs. This phenomenon isn’t borne from ballooning player salaries; it is what emerges from one franchise's tradition of winning, and its commitment to uphold that tradition. After all, the combined worth of the BoSox ownership group exceeds that of George Steinbrenner.
So tell me, on whom does the onus of building a winner truly lie?
However, I personally do not share this hatred; in fact, I appreciate the Yanks for what they are and the role they play in this sport - a team wholly committed to winning, who looms like a dark cloud over every other team’s World Championship aspirations. Thus, every season’s playoffs have the potential for an epic story where David must slay Goliath, where the common man must subvert the corporate machine, where spirit must thwart legacy, where ‘will’ must triumph over birthright. The truth of the matter is that unlimited finances cannot guarantee success, as exhibited last season when the Florida Marlins (2003 payroll: $48,750,000) vanquished the mighty Yankees (2003 payroll: $152,749,814) in six games. Sure, the burgeoning NYY bankroll usually ensures a playoff appearance, but the fact remains that two other very capable AL teams get a fair shot at the Yanks every postseason, and these teams are always stocked with talent that compares much more favorably than the disparity in payrolls would suggest. Solid pitching, good defense, and timely hitting are what wins championships, and last time I checked, the Twins and Red Sox have shown the capacity do execute these three elements of winning baseball versus every AL foe.
So whenever I hear fans (especially BoSox fans) bitch and moan about payroll, and whine about the ‘outrageousness’ of Yankee fans taking pride in their team and talking smack to rival fans, I just laugh and shake my head. Here is a franchise (Boston) who spends $127,298,500 on its own roster of all-stars, wins the regular-season series versus the Yankees 11-8, yet fails to show up to the ALCS as usual. Realize that while all you Chowderheads are cryin’ in your clams, MY team, who just so happens to have the second-richest owner in baseball and 124th richest American in terms of personal wealth (1.8 billion), spent only $46,615,250 on the Reds 2004 player payroll. His name is Carl Lindner, Jr. (Chiquita, Great American Insurance Inc.), and he obviously shows no commitment to putting a decent team on the field for fans who are dying to fiscally support a winner.
This is why I respect Geroge Steinbrenner and the Yankees; he will spare no cost to improve his team, and the fans are the ones who gladly pay the bills and reap the glory. And enough with this nonsense about lack of class - the Yankees are perennially a team of consummate professionals who play the game how it is meant to be played. Despite what happens from April through September, they usually come ready to play in October, and the world watches as the stigma worms deep into the heads of the Sox, coaxing them to roll over like dogs. This phenomenon isn’t borne from ballooning player salaries; it is what emerges from one franchise's tradition of winning, and its commitment to uphold that tradition. After all, the combined worth of the BoSox ownership group exceeds that of George Steinbrenner.
So tell me, on whom does the onus of building a winner truly lie?
