Yankees? OK, Dolfan. You were right.

[CBAreject]

I won't do it this year. I won't go into my annual muaha's. I will however post your quote from 1 year ago....

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So, enjoy your laughs. The Yankees will be back again next year and will be spending more money to fix their holes and again next year you will cry about them spending it and I will enjoy reading your sad posts about it.

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You were right. The Yankees did spend more money. This year, the payroll was sicker than ever. They even added to it with a disgustingly overpaid Bobby Abreu. That gaudy collection of contracts made it all the more pleasurable to see them fail to EVEN MAKE IT COMPETITIVE against the small market Tigers, whom they outspent by over 130 million dollars, whose payroll they nearly tripled. WOW. JUST WOW.

Gotta love this headline, too:

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NEW YORK -- Four hours after they were eliminated by the Detroit Tigers, the New York Yankees pulled up to Yankee Stadium in three buses late Saturday night, greeted by fewer than a dozen fans.

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So much for diehard fans. I guess we better spend 300 million or else even those last dozen will turn on us.

Aw, hell. I just can't help it....

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[joannes3000]

They have spent nearly 900 MILLION since 2000 in payroll. Zero championships since then.

[Eddielives]

^^Makes a smile come to my lips. How sweet to see such insane money being spent to try and buy a championship only to come up miserably short. Gotta love it!!

[Plainview1981]

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^^Makes a smile come to my lips. How sweet to see such insane money being spent to try and buy a championship only to come up miserably short. Gotta love it!!

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Don;t you guys think it's kinda cliche to hate on the rich all the time?

[Admin]

I forget, are you a Red Sox fan, or a Braves fan, or what?

As far as your comments, it doesn't bother me one bit. The Yankees had a very successful regular season and have learned a lot about themselves. Personally I am ready for Torre to be let go because he baby the players too much. I am ready for a guy like Pinella to come in and light a fire under their *sses. There are several players that I would love to see not in a Yankees uniform next year, starting with Pay-Rod. He is the biggest waste of a superstar player I have ever seen. I would be thrilled for the Yankees to trade him for a young star or pitcher and bring in a solid young 3rd baseman who wont consistently make errors to replace him. I don't want to see Bernie back next year. He is a major liability in the outfield. I don't want to see Sheffield back next year either because he isn't anything special in the field and he doesn't do anything in the post season either. I am luke warm on Matsui. He has had some pretty poor playoff performances, but I am willing to give him one more year. I am ready to see Randy Johnson playing for someone else. I hope that Mussina comes back. I am thrilled with what I have seen from Cano, Wang, and Cabrera. Those 3 young kids have very high ceilings.

So feel free to do your annual Yankees bashing. It doesn't bother me a bit this year. We finished ahead of the Red Sox and that's all that matters to me. I am extremely disappointed in how the year ended but if it leads to big changes in the organization it will be well worth it.

And finally, yes the Boss will spend money again next year and if that truly makes you sad then maybe you should go picket the commish's office because that is going to happen year after year.

Oh and I really hope the Braves can finish somewhere near .500 again next year. Talk about exciting.

[Plainview1981]

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I forget, are you a Red Sox fan, or a Braves fan, or what?

As far as your comments, it doesn't bother me one bit. The Yankees had a very successful regular season and have learned a lot about themselves. Personally I am ready for Torre to be let go because he baby the players too much. I am ready for a guy like Pinella to come in and light a fire under their *sses. There are several players that I would love to see not in a Yankees uniform next year, starting with Pay-Rod. He is the biggest waste of a superstar player I have ever seen. I would be thrilled for the Yankees to trade him for a young star or pitcher and bring in a solid young 3rd baseman who wont consistently make errors to replace him. I don't want to see Bernie back next year. He is a major liability in the outfield. I don't want to see Sheffield back next year either because he isn't anything special in the field and he doesn't do anything in the post season either. I am luke warm on Matsui. He has had some pretty poor playoff performances, but I am willing to give him one more year. I am ready to see Randy Johnson playing for someone else. I hope that Mussina comes back. I am thrilled with what I have seen from Cano, Wang, and Cabrera. Those 3 young kids have very high ceilings.

So feel free to do your annual Yankees bashing. It doesn't bother me a bit this year. We finished ahead of the Red Sox and that's all that matters to me. I am extremely disappointed in how the year ended but if it leads to big changes in the organization it will be well worth it.

And finally, yes the Boss will spend money again next year and if that truly makes you sad then maybe you should go picket the commish's office because that is going to happen year after year.

Oh and I really hope the Braves can finish somewhere near .500 again next year. Talk about exciting.

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Honestly, it doesn't bother me that they spend so much money... But it's sad in the poor choices they make in players.

Really.... How are Jarett Wright and Bobby Abreu going to help? Jarett has always been a mediocre pitcher and always will be. Bobby doesn't add much to the team. Giving Randy Johnson a 3 or 4 year contract at his age was never going to work.

I think Cory Lidale would be a decent addition to the Yanks. But if they're going to spend money, they should try harder to be wise about it.

[DrReality]

It couldn't happen to a nicer owner!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Admin]

the addition of he and Cano coming back from injury took a Yankees team that was 5.5(ish) games behind the Red Sox to an 11.5 game lead over them. That is a tremendous turnaround and that can be directly linked to those 2 players each hitting over .350 the final 2 months of the season. Abrue might not hit the HRs, but he is a doubles machine and works the count like nobody else in the game.

Lidle is garbage. He belongs in the NL where pitchers can have weak arms and spotty control. Johnson is done. 1 good game every 5 is not nearly good enough in my book.

[bird_dirt]

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Don;t you guys think it's kinda cliche to hate on the rich all the time?

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it's not about hating the rich--it's just fun to hate on the rich when they're also arrogant and stupid to boot!

[bird_dirt]

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I am thrilled with what I have seen from Cano, Wang, and Cabrera. Those 3 young kids have very high ceilings.

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that's the problem with george/the yankees. the 3 players you're so thrilled about are all young players making their way up. honestly, it's amazing they they have even been given a chance to play, much less start, in pinstripes. steinbrenner's m.o. has always been so much WIN NOW/don't think about later that he out prices the rest of the market for any free agent, and what players he doesn't get through free agency, he trades what few remaining prospects they do have. the yankees have been dealing with a horribly depleted farm system due to this very reason (though cashman has been trying his damnedest to change that). i find it very amusing when they so obviously overpay for players (like "the big unit")just to make sure they get them and no one else does, and then that player has maybe one good year followed by spinning decline in the remaining 3 years of an overblown contract. serves them right. when they are so willing to pay so much for so little, it makes every other crap player believe they deserve they should get that and then some. i know, it's a free market, so i won't fight for some communist control over the game, it just makes yankee bashing that much more worth while. honestly, as far as a-rod goes, i really, really, really wished he would've stayed in texas for the remainder of his contract. i think the rangers should have been forced to keep the burden of his rediculous contract they gave him. it's sad that if a player has any amount of above average skills, then there is always a "get out of jail free" card in the yankees if their team signs them for too much. i really believe teams sign players to contracts with escallating salaries with the intention of trading them to the yankees down the road, because they are the only ones dumb enough willing to pay them.

really, though, what george does with his money is his own business, so i don't really care that much. it's just seems boring to me when a team collects all those players because that's the only way they know they can win. it's like playing a video game. i can trade for all the best all-stars and win it all easily, but it's not that much fun. it's much more interesting and exciting to be able to do it with a bunch of players that came up through the same team's system and a patchwork of other players that could've just as easily have been a .350 win club as a .750 win club.

[Plainview1981]

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the addition of he and Cano coming back from injury took a Yankees team that was 5.5(ish) games behind the Red Sox to an 11.5 game lead over them. That is a tremendous turnaround and that can be directly linked to those 2 players each hitting over .350 the final 2 months of the season. Abrue might not hit the HRs, but he is a doubles machine and works the count like nobody else in the game.

Lidle is garbage. He belongs in the NL where pitchers can have weak arms and spotty control. Johnson is done. 1 good game every 5 is not nearly good enough in my book.

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I don't know if Cory worked out, but he seemed like a decent gamble. Just because a move doesn't work out it doesn't mean it wasn't a good move.

Pitchers have weak arms and crappy control around the league. In fact, I'm not sure the league as a whole even has a real good pitcher right now.

There wasn't even a 20 game winner in baseball this year. That about says enough. Moreover, even the best pitchers these days struggle to get through six innings.

[AHF]

Lidle and several of the other Yankees pitchers were high likelihood bust gambles. I am very unimpressed with the pitching additions (through trade and free agency) of the Yankees. For a team sporting a 200M payroll, they haven't taken the same measures to acquire young pitching talent like they have hitting talent. They would have been much better off getting a different third baseman and using the ARod money/trade assets on a couple young pitchers.

For that matter, I like the Abreu addition but they would have been better off using that money to make a great offer to Ben Sheets than acquiring an OF when they had so many good ones that Gary Sheffield had to play 1B to get in the lineup. They had enough pop in the lineup to ride their injuries out even during the absence of both Matsui and Shef.

[Plainview1981]

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Lidle and several of the other Yankees pitchers were high likelihood bust gambles. I am very unimpressed with the pitching additions (through trade and free agency) of the Yankees. For a team sporting a 200M payroll, they haven't taken the same measures to acquire

young

pitching talent like they have hitting talent. They would have been much better off getting a different third baseman and using the ARod money/trade assets on a couple young pitchers.

For that matter, I like the Abreu addition but they would have been better off using that money to make a great offer to Ben Sheets than acquiring an OF when they had so many good ones that Gary Sheffield had to play 1B to get in the lineup. They had enough pop in the lineup to ride their injuries out even during the absence of both Matsui and Shef.

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Well its not easy to find good young pitching because there isn't any out there.

[AHF]

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Lidle and several of the other Yankees pitchers were high likelihood bust gambles. I am very unimpressed with the pitching additions (through trade and free agency) of the Yankees. For a team sporting a 200M payroll, they haven't taken the same measures to acquire

young

pitching talent like they have hitting talent. They would have been much better off getting a different third baseman and using the ARod money/trade assets on a couple young pitchers.

For that matter, I like the Abreu addition but they would have been better off using that money to make a great offer to Ben Sheets than acquiring an OF when they had so many good ones that Gary Sheffield had to play 1B to get in the lineup. They had enough pop in the lineup to ride their injuries out even during the absence of both Matsui and Shef.

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Well its not easy to find good young pitching because there isn't any out there.

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Sort of.

When you have the Yankees resources they become a little more available.

Some former Yankees who would have been fantastic additions to this team:

Andy Pettite

Roger Clemens

Kenny Rogers

Orlando Hernandez

A couple of other guys who would have been better investments than in bats:

Chris Young

Scott Kazmir

Freddy Garcia

Josh Beckett

Tim Hudson

Pedro Martinez

[Plainview1981]

Some former Yankees who would have been fantastic additions to this team:

Andy Pettite-He was crappy this year.

Roger Clemens-Who knows if Clemens would want to go back

Kenny Rogers-Don't know about is situation

Orlando Hernandez-He's ok, but not a difference maker.

A couple of other guys who would have been better investments than in bats:

Chris Young-Could they have got him? I guess he's about as good as it gets.

Scott Kazmir-Don't know him

Freddy Garcia-Ok, but nothing great

Josh Beckett-Horribly overrated. what was his ere this year, 5 something?

Tim Hudson-He isn't all that great.

Pedro Martinez-Most people have known for the last 3 year that his time is about up. His fastball is almost totally gone and he has been terrible the second half of the year.

[AHF]

Some former Yankees who would have been fantastic additions to this team:

Andy Pettite-He was crappy this year.

July 3.77 ERA

August 2.27 ERA

September 2.60 ERA

Really think they wouldn't kick ARod to the curb during the playoffs to have him on the team?

Roger Clemens-Who knows if Clemens would want to go back Yep - definitely an unknown if they could convince him/accommodate him. No question they need him.

Kenny Rogers-Don't know about is situation They ditched him and he has been better than expected since.

Orlando Hernandez-He's ok, but not a difference maker.Pitching is the difference-maker for this team. El Duque may not have been the answer but for the price he costs how could he hurt?

A couple of other guys who would have been better investments than in bats:

Chris Young-Could they have got him? I guess he's about as good as it gets. Former Yankee Javier Vazquez drove the trade that acquired him.

Scott Kazmir-Don't know him You will - he is a young stud who was acquired for the very mediocre Victor Zambrano.

Freddy Garcia-Ok, but nothing great Great WHIP every year. Would have been a good addition. Not a world beater - agreed.

Josh Beckett-Horribly overrated. what was his ere this year, 5 something?I'm not even a fan of his but he has stepped up in the post-season and no one on the Yankees staff has for the past several years.

Tim Hudson-He isn't all that great.Again, I agree but the Yankees' staff has sucked. Another bat doesn't do much for this team compared to a pitcher.

Pedro Martinez-Most people have known for the last 3 year that his time is about up. His fastball is almost totally gone and he has been terrible the second half of the year.this year he has hit the injury wall. Think they couldn't have used him and his 2.82 ERA and 0.95 WHIP, though? Pedro would have been worth more than the $$ spent on Abreu this year.

[Plainview1981]

July 3.77 ERA

August 2.27 ERA

September 2.60 ERA

Really think they wouldn't kick ARod to the curb during the playoffs to have him on the team?"

I guess I managed to see mainly his bad outings this year. I've thought he was a good pitcher over the years, but the times I seen him he just didn't look very sharp.

"

Josh Beckett-Horribly overrated. what was his ere this year, 5 something?I'm not even a fan of his but he has stepped up in the post-season and no one on the Yankees staff has for the past several years."

Step up? It's hard to believe he'd be effective this year with that high era. He had a good run a few years ago, but that don't mean he'd offer anything in this years playoffs.

I know he's got the stuff, but he hasn't proven much since the WS year.

.

"Again, I agree but the Yankees' staff has sucked. Another bat doesn't do much for this team compared to a pitcher."

Hudson had an era of 5 this year... He's not much of an upgrade over anybody right now. Maybe it was just a down year... Who knows? Never been a big fan of his anyway.

I'd say my favorite pitcher would probably be Barry Zito. I can't get enough of watching that curveball. Sucker for it everytime he's on tv.

[AHF]

Zito is a name they should go after this offseason even if they can't resign Sheff or go after another big bat because of it. They need to get some of these guys in their prime, unlike Randy Johnson.

[Admin]

getting Abreu was a great pick up for the Yankees. I stand firm by that. Sheffield needs to pack his bags and leave NY and Abreu gives the Yankees a guy to immediately not only fill the void by Sheff but in reality increase the production from it on an overall basis. He won't hit the homers but he will do everything else better IMO.

The key to next year will be trading A-Rod and finding a permanent 1st base and 3rd base solution, as well as getting some young pitching (A-Rod trade). Giambi should be the DH next year. Cabrera should be the 4th outfielder.

[bird_dirt]

i'd agree that abreu was a good pick up, too. fairly solid across the board.

the yanks won't be able to trade a-rod unless they agree to pay at least 15 of the 25 mil he's owed each year for the remainder of his contract. the yankees were the only ones capable and dumb enough to take on that salary from texas. they may get some decent prospects back from trading him, but they will still be carrying the burden of his contract after he's gone. i guess the boss has already shown, though, that money is not an issue.