Any Yankee fans out there

The Yankees have been tainted every since Steinbrenner bought them.

These Johnny-come-lately Yankee fans have no idea what fairness means.

And Yankee fans of longstanding know that Steinbrenner tarnished the Yankee image for eternity.

Money may buy you victories, but it does nothing for self-respect and tactfulness and righteousness.

I would say that the Yankee players themselves for the most part respect the pinstripes and the Yankee history.  Bernie Williams was always a player that I really liked.

What about lifetime Yankees fans that happen to be born after ole George took over?  Painting everyone with the same brush is not a good thing...

NYPIzzaNut


Money may buy you victories, but it does nothing for self-respect and tactfulness and righteousness.

So where does the monetary threshold for self-respect and tactfulness and righteousness lie?

Certainly not with the Yankees.

saps


I would say that the Yankee players themselves for the most part respect the pinstripes and the Yankee history.  Bernie Williams was always a player that I really liked.

And you saw where that got Bernie in the end.

GNeedles59


What about lifetime Yankees fans that happen to be born after ole George took over?  Painting everyone with the same brush is not a good thing...

They should be Mets fans.

NYPIzzaNut



They should be Mets fans.

I don't speak Spanish

You better learn!

You kind of have to in order to make sense of a post Mets game locker room interview.

Brad_Olson

NYPIzzaNut

saps


I think Yankee fans just can't handle it when they realize that in the past 20+ years, the Yankee winning tradition has been purchased, not attained. 

 
Has it only been 20 years?

The Steinbrenner era started in 1973 and IIRC his first marquee free agent signing was Reggie Jackson in 1977, so one could make a case that the "purchased" tradition has been in place for at least 33 and as many as 37 seasons now.
 
Brad

Ironically (or perhaps not so), the Yankees made the very first free agent signing - James "Catfish" Hunter after the 1974 season.  Not to nitpick, but I am pretty sure that most baseball historians would view the Yankees signing of the reigning Cy Young Award winner and future Hall of Famer as the first marquee free agent signing. 

FWIW, Hunter was paid an average of $670,000 per year for the length of his five-year contract with the Yankees.  The highest paid player in baseball in 1974 was Dick (or was he going by Richie at that point?) Allen, who made $250,000. In 1975, the major league minimum salary was $16,000 and the major league average salary was just over $44,000. 

NYPIzzaNut


Certainly not with the Yankees.

But where is it? You threw the concept out there so you must have an idea. The Phillies payroll is almost half that of the Yankess, but almost double that of the Rockies. 

I hate the inequities of the present system as much as anyone. It stinks to see teams develop outstanding talent and then have to give up on those players once they want big bucks, but I am not sure how things like self respect, tactfulness or righteousness enter the mix. 

From the standpoint of a player playing out his contract and standard free agency as we know it today, Andy Messersmith was the first free agent.

I believe Catfish Hunter's free agency arose from a dispute and a voided contract, but I think you're right in that he was the first free agent signing.

I am just a fan - I do not get paid to fix the inequities in the crazy system that has evolved over the decades.  Maybe smart expert baseball folks like Joe Torre and Joe Maddon will have some answers in the years to come, since obviously the current commissioner is clueless.

Correct.  Hunter's contract was voided because his miserly owner didn't pay an insurance premium, as required by his contract.  Again...I see this as irony.  Finley tried cutting corners any which way but loose, and Hunter bolted for the greener pastures of "buy whatever you need to win at all costs."

On a complete aside, while I was looking up the info on Hunter above, I found out that he is one of only a handful of players in the Hall of Fame whose plaque shows him wearing a generic, no logo cap.  When he was inducted, players were still allowed to choose whose cap they would wear into the Hall.  This is no longer the case because Wade Boggs (and I am sure others) tried to "sell" their team loyalty.  Anyway, Hunter wore no logo because he said that he had good memories of his time in both Oakland and New York.  I think he actually "got it."  He didn't really have a GREAT five years in NY - injury-riddled would probably better fit the latter end of his career.  So, in essence, he didn't want to insult Oakland fans - where he probably had much greater success - even though he took the money and got paid.

The Travelin Man


Ironically (or perhaps not so), the Yankees made the very first free agent signing - James "Catfish" Hunter after the 1974 season.  Not to nitpick, but I am pretty sure that most baseball historians would view the Yankees signing of the reigning Cy Young Award winner and future Hall of Famer as the first marquee free agent signing. 

FWIW, Hunter was paid an average of $670,000 per year for the length of his five-year contract with the Yankees.  The highest paid player in baseball in 1974 was Dick (or was he going by Richie at that point?) Allen, who made $250,000. In 1975, the major league minimum salary was $16,000 and the major league average salary was just over $44,000. 

I'd forgotten about Hunter - yes, I agree that he would've been the first big-name free agent the Yankees signed.  And as Saps mentioned, there might've been something amiss with his A's contract at the time...it seemed like Finley got into trouble with MLB fairly often back then.
 
Richie Allen became Dick Allen between the '71 and '72 seasons IIRC.
 
Brad

The Travelin Man
 
players were still allowed to choose whose cap they would wear into the Hall. 

So, when you are inducted into the Roadfood Hall of Fame, which restaurant's bib will you be wearing? 

Much like Wade Boggs, I will be soliciting offers.

The Travelin Man
 
The NFL realized this very early on and Pete Rozelle got every team in the league on board with a little program called "revenue sharing."  

This might have Pete's biggest contribution to the growth of the NFL & I agree that this is ruining baseball (and I'm an ex NYer, hence Mets & Yankees fan.)
 
Since the 60's, the big TV money with the NFL has been their contracts with the networks, which isn't the case with baseball. While they do have a the Fox game of the week & the playoff broadcasts (which all teams share), the big TV money comes from local & cable contracts each club has to air their whole season; the bigger the market, the bigger the dollars. The Yankees went so far as to create their own network. MLB completely missed the boat on the growth of cable/satelite TV & I don't think you're going to get that genie back in the bottle. Owners like George S. have to pay off those new stadiums.

The Travelin Man


Much like Wade Boggs, I will be soliciting offers.

I hear Tyler Chicken is offering some alcoholic chicken.

The Travelin Man
When he was inducted, players were still allowed to choose whose cap they would wear into the Hall.  This is no longer the case because Wade Boggs (and I am sure others) tried to "sell" their team loyalty. 

The Travelin Man
Much like Wade Boggs, I will be soliciting offers.

 
 

Might I politely suggest this chapeau?:

 

 

Brad_Olson
 
 
Richie Allen became Dick Allen between the '71 and '72 seasons IIRC. 
 

 
Great ball player, he owned a few race horses and once when asked about the then growing trend of astroturf answered, "if my horse can't eat it, I don't want to play on it"

Yankees Win!!
Red Sox get swept!
Have a fun winter whining about the Yanks, Chowdaheads.

Yep, it is now officially football season. Baseball is now ho hum. 

The Angels have a better chance against the Yankees.  The Yankees outspent the Twins by about 135 million.  They only outspent the Angels by over 85 million.

Oh I'm so sick of outspend..outspend...You guys count the dollars....the greatest franchise in sports will count championships!!!Heading towards 27....

Of course you're tired of hearing it, because it's true.  You can't get around the fact that the so-called "greatest franchise in sports" is able to count championships only for the fact that it purchases them.  That's why I'm guessing you used the word "count" rather than "win".

The Yankees were a great franchise, back in the days of Ruth, Gehrig, and onward to Mantle.  But no longer.  Not when they just ludicrously outspend everyone else. Enjoy the memories 

Final score of the Yankees/Twins Series:

New York Yankees   $ 201,449,189                                         

Minnesota Twins      $ 65,299,266  

You should take a lot of pride in that.  Your team outspent the Twins by over 300% and managed to sweep.  What a surprise!!                                       

saps -  They aren't breaking any rules.... and they've never said that they would be opposed to a salary cap.  They are using the rules to their advantage. 

They Yankees paid for the entire Marlins salary this year.  If the Owners of the Marlins felt the need or desire to win, they could spend their own money instead of just pocketing it. 

Who is this new clutch player Arod who is playing for the Yankees? He is getting critical hits and playing very well in the post-season. He reminds me of another player who used to play for the Yankees but always choked in the playoffs.