Amen

February 16, 2004 in Uncategorized
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Let the whining in Beantown commence. My Yankees have stuck it to the Sox once again. Actually, the whining started this weekend, before the deal was even done. Boston’s Head Whiner Ben Affleck started this weekend by simply stating, “You know, George Steinbrenner is the center of evil in the universe.”

“To make money, you have to spend money,” Yankees president Randy Levine said. “The New York Yankees are in the entertainment and baseball business.”

Amen.

Let’s make something very clear. The Yankees are great for baseball. Dynasties are great for baseball, and all other sports as well. Just like in the movies, there needs to be a bad guy. There has to be someone to root against. Without Goliath, David is simply some short guy that everybody picks on. Not very exciting.

But with the Yankees signing arguably the best player in the game, the stage is set for more sports drama. They’re the target up on the wall—the only question is who will step up. You want the Yankees on that wall. You need the Yankees on that wall. Granted, he’s often a grumpy prick, but you must give Steinbrenner props for surrounding himself with the best scouts and front office in the business. And you’re darn right Steinbrenner is gonna spend more than everyone else. When you buy the team for $10 million and make the right marketing decisions to make it worth $849 million in less than 25 years, how the heck can you blame him. To make money, you gotta spend money.

1 Comment to Amen

  1. Whining? There’s whining in boston just like there’s panicking in new york – there’s some, but it’s by the media and people who don’t know much about the sport.
    First off, this move isn’t a very good one for the yanks, simply in terms of baseball. They get a slight increase in offense (which was never the yanks’ problem anyway) in exchange for their only good young player, and their last bargaining chip. They also get a lot of grumbling in the clubhouse. What happens when jeter goes on the dl (like he does every year) and a-rod shines at short, and then is expected to go back to a much harder position just because jeter, an inferior shortstop in every respect, owns that spot?
    Secondly, there’s the Affleck thing, and I want that guy to weld his mouth shut. Like bill simmons said, “When did Affleck become the voice of Red Sox Nation? Would any true Sox fan propose to some chick with a big ass from the Bronx? I mean, ever?”
    And then the whole ‘are the yankees good for baseball’ thing – sure, they’re committed to putting vast sums of money into their team (and by them I mean steinbrenner), I’ll grant you that. But which period was better for the sport in terms of generating interest – the late nineties, when the yankees won consistently and without any real opposition; or the last few years, when smaller market teams have made runs at the series, pulling in casual fans and generating huge amounts of tv ratings and interest?
    Finally, as a Sox fan, I have to throw in my gratuitous team plug – I think the sox are better. They won’t score as many runs as last year (though only mueller had a career year), but their pitching is much improved, and the yankees is much worse – no lefties in a park that’s harsh on righties, and injury prone (kevin brown won’t start more than 15 games). Anyway, that’s my rant, from someone you don’t know who happened onto your post. Enjoy the season.

    2. dennis on 25 February 2004




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