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July 31, 2006
The Latest Yankee Rape
I don't know why it can still amaze me that the New York Yankee$ get away with rape every year. But every year, I still shake my head at the brazen-ness with which the Yankees attempt to merely purchase another division and World Series title. But while the shamelessness, classlessness and merecenary nature of the Yankee organization shouldn't be a surprise to anyone, the sheer stupidity of other baseball teams continues to astound.
The Philadelphia Phillies traded one of baseball's premier players, Bobby Abreu, along with a journeyman pitcher named Corey Lidle, to the Yankees for four minor leaguers (only one of whom will ever see a game as high up as even AAA), and an agreement that the Yankees would buy off incur the $23 million remaining on Abreu's and Lidle's contracts. Also in the deal, the Yankee$ gave the Phillies a bag of donuts (plain, not glazed or with sprinkles), an empty Baby Ruth wrapper, a 1999 Backstreet Boys desk calendar, one size 8 Doc Marten boot, and one prophylactic, soiled.
As ESPN's analyst put it, "The Yanks bartered in money (of which they have plenty), instead of key prospects (of which they have few) and made out like bandits, while the Phillies came away with some salary relief and not much more." In other words, yet again, the Yankee$ are just trying to arrogantly buy themselves what they are incapable of developing on their own: a championship team.
Of the Yankee$ roster, fully two thirds -- including their entire non-injured starting outfield (Damon, Matsui, Sheffield, Abreu), half their starting infield (Giambi, Rodriguez), and most of their starting rotation (Johnson, Mussina, Lidle, Ponson, Wright) came from other teams; the Yankee$ had to buy them away from somewhere else because they're incapable of developing their own talent. Yankee "fans" (many of whom have suspiciously migrated to Shea this season, now that the Yankee$ are struggling and the Met$ are winning... New York does love to be seen around winners, loyalty be damned) may whine about last millenium's titles and how they pretend to have the "best" organization in baseball, but the truth is, they don't. They only have the richest. A good organization would develop its own stars.
(And yes, Ramirez, Ortiz, and Varitek did not come from the Red Sox' organization. But all those young pitchers we have coming up -- Papelbon, Lester, Hansen, Delcarmen, Clay Buchholz, Edgar Martinez, Bryce Cox, Kris Johnson -- are all home grown. We may miss the playoffs this year -- then again, we may not -- but at least we're restocking from within. The Yankees have only two major-league potential prospects in their system. And inexplicably -- and infuriatingly -- the Phillies managed to not get either one of them.
A bag of donuts, an empty candy bar wrapper, a seven year old desk calendar, and a used condom. Nice trade, Philly.
Comments
hmmm... In addition to the offensive 3 you listed,
Schilling...Wakefield...Beckett...Crisp...and the SECOND highest payroll.
During their last World Series win, Martinez...Meintkiewicz and Damon.
The Red Sox just WANT to be the Yankees, and thus spit such loathesome venom towards a club that should simply be considered its older brother bully.
And don't even try to defend your farm system against ours because I can list 4 starting/ 5 relieving pitchers, 3 starting/2 alternate outfielders, and 3 starting infielders all developed by the Twins organization. (Who by the way you can also thank for your lethal weapon DH)
I know, it is the duty of all baseball fans outside the Bronx to hate the Yankees.
But where would Terry Francona be with 60 million in pay outs, instead of 140?
Posted by: Cuzin Jose at July 31, 2006 11:46 PM
You're oh so right, Cuzin. The Twins are the most superior organization in the history of the planet. I don't know why anyone bothers to even try to compete with their clearly superior intellect and holier-than-thouness. Well, except for that you can't even beat the Tigers.
ANd if your damn Twins were so forkin' smart, why'd your stupid ass management let Ortiz walk? Don't forget -- we didn't steal your DH, you let him leave. So much for all that superiority crap you always lay on everyone about how great the Twins organization is.
And don't forget -- Liriano and Nathan, your two keys, were GIANTS prospects traded to the Twins in the Pierzynski deal. How's Rondell White working out for you? Shannon Stewart? Luis Castillo?
Smug superiority from the pot calling the kettle black... that's rich.
Posted by: Curmudgeon at August 1, 2006 12:12 AM
Perhaps you're taking this the wrong way.
The point was that the Red Sox are just as guilty of purchasing their winning seasons as the Yankees are, but you continuously try to defend their honor by comparing them together.
At no time did I say the Twins were the smartest, or the most superior. Liriano was, and is, still raw with control problems surrounding his fastball. Nathan was just lucky.
I wont go into the fact that Ro has hit in almost every game since coming back from rehab. Hes like 50, I expected him to be cut long ago.
As for the Tigers, they still have our number. Oh well, last time they were the best team in baseball, we won the world series.
How many times have the Red Sox beat the Twins this year?
Posted by: Cuzin Jose at August 1, 2006 07:38 AM
