Mark Teixeira

[KYSportsWriter]

I think the Cash signing may end up being vital before the season ends, especially if Posada has to spend a lot of time DHing.

The Yanks can pretty much move Posada to DH with Molina and Cash behind the plate.

Don't know too much about Cash. Does he have any kind of power?

 

[outofplace]

Like I really needed another reason to ignore Major League Baseball.

Why would you ignore it? The AL East just became the best division in baseball again and will be a great three-team - and possibly four-team - race.

The Yankees essentially improved their team by 5 or 6 wins with these moves. People seem to forget they lost Hall of Famer Mike Mussina, Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu. It's not like they kept their offense intact and added Mark Teixeira.

Anyway, the AL is going to be a lot of fun next year.

I'll be quite happy ignoring it as long as it continues to have its asinine policy regarding team payrolls. For all the stupid things the NFL does, the fans of no teams feel as though they're hopelessly out of contention before the start of the season just because of money/payroll issues.

When MLB's inmates stop running the asylum and the powers-that-be create an equal playing field, I'll come back. Not until then.

Well, this baseball fan won't miss you.

Have fun watching a league which doesn't allow you to keep players because of asinine salary cap reasons.

In fact, more teams have a "chance" in the NFL because of the unbalanced schedule than the salary cap.

The Seahawks, one year removed from being a very good NFC team, can expect to be back near the top next year since they will get a cake walk schedule next season.

Actually, it is the combination of legitimate revenue sharing, the salary cap (complete with floor) and the schedule that creates the level playing field in the NFL, though the exact system would not work in baseball (less revenue tied up in the national TV contracts, among other things).

Major League Baseball teams lose players for financial reasons as well, Angola. The difference is it happens to every team in the NFL, but not every team in baseball. I wonder if perhaps you don't see this because your favorite MLB team never loses a player for financial reasons. Or perhaps you just enjoy a system that stacks the deck in favor of your team, which is understandable.

My own past and present rooting interests obviously play a role in my opinion as well. The Steelers have taken tremendous hits for cap reasons over the years and I am fine with that. It's the price of a level playing field. It is part of the system that has allowed a small-market franchise to begin just about every season in my lifetime feeling like it at least has a chance to compete.

That is also where perception comes in. I think trifectarich's post oversimplified things a bit, but that is the way many fans and former fans of baseball feel. Right or wrong, they feel like the system is giving their team no shot to win and they end up disgusted with it. The NFL has always valued the importance of competitive balance. MLB does not and to some fans, that is a reason to turn away. Personally, I still love baseball. I just can't bring myself to give a **** about the Pirates like I used to, though that is as much due to their own incompetence as it is the finances of baseball.

 

[Moderator1]

Like I really needed another reason to ignore Major League Baseball.

Why would you ignore it? The AL East just became the best division in baseball again and will be a great three-team - and possibly four-team - race.

The Yankees essentially improved their team by 5 or 6 wins with these moves. People seem to forget they lost Hall of Famer Mike Mussina, Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu. It's not like they kept their offense intact and added Mark Teixeira.

Anyway, the AL is going to be a lot of fun next year.

Easy, now.

Moose had a great year. His chance of repeating it in '09 had he come back was less than 10%.

Giambi's been stealing money from the Yankees for years.

And Bobby "Oh, a wall? Eeek!" Abreu? Taking up a roster spot on a team with
serious aspirations? No, thanks.

Correct, particularly on Moose, who was smart enough to not hit on 20 (literally).

But there is absolutely no encouraging evidence suggesting Teixeira, Burnett and Sabathia will be better prepared for the cauldron than Giambi and Abreu and A-Rod have been. And as they have proved over and over and over again, it doesn't take until October for the collars to tighten.

I'll bet right now that Teixeira is booed by the end of the first homestand at the absolute latest.

I won't be there until later in the summer!

But I won't boo Teix. I have no reason to do that. I wish him no ill will.
His team?
F 'em.

 

[hockeybeat]

I think the Cash signing may end up being vital before the season ends, especially if Posada has to spend a lot of time DHing.

The Yanks can pretty much move Posada to DH with Molina and Cash behind the plate.

Don't know too much about Cash. Does he have any kind of power?

I would argue that your team has more than enough power--especially after they sign Manny.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

I think the Cash signing may end up being vital before the season ends, especially if Posada has to spend a lot of time DHing.

The Yanks can pretty much move Posada to DH with Molina and Cash behind the plate.

Don't know too much about Cash. Does he have any kind of power?

I would argue that your team has more than enough power--especially after they sign Manny.

Part of me hopes that does not happen.

But after watching him last season after switching coasts, part of me wants to see that Manny swinging for the fences at the new Stadium.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

I think the Cash signing may end up being vital before the season ends, especially if Posada has to spend a lot of time DHing.

Posada certainly doesn't have the ability to play catcher every day anymore.

I don't think any of us know that. He was hurt when he looked that bad last year, we have to see how he recovers. Certainly possible though.

I wonder if it's a Belichek-type move, to get all of the secrets about the Boston pitchers.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

I think the Cash signing may end up being vital before the season ends, especially if Posada has to spend a lot of time DHing.

Posada certainly doesn't have the ability to play catcher every day anymore.

I don't think any of us know that. He was hurt when he looked that bad last year, we have to see how he recovers. Certainly possible though.

I wonder if it's a Belichek-type move, to get all of the secrets about the Boston pitchers.

Wouldn't that have been the case when Johnny Damon came to the Bronx?

 

[Guy_Incognito]

I think the Cash signing may end up being vital before the season ends, especially if Posada has to spend a lot of time DHing.

Posada certainly doesn't have the ability to play catcher every day anymore.

I don't think any of us know that. He was hurt when he looked that bad last year, we have to see how he recovers. Certainly possible though.

I wonder if it's a Belichek-type move, to get all of the secrets about the Boston pitchers.

Wouldn't that have been the case when Johnny Damon came to the Bronx?

He wasn't a catcher.

And he doesn't seem very bright.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

I think the Cash signing may end up being vital before the season ends, especially if Posada has to spend a lot of time DHing.

Posada certainly doesn't have the ability to play catcher every day anymore.

I don't think any of us know that. He was hurt when he looked that bad last year, we have to see how he recovers. Certainly possible though.

I wonder if it's a Belichek-type move, to get all of the secrets about the Boston pitchers.

Wouldn't that have been the case when Johnny Damon came to the Bronx?

He wasn't a catcher.

And he doesn't seem very bright.

There is that.

 

[bostonbred]

I think the Cash signing may end up being vital before the season ends, especially if Posada has to spend a lot of time DHing.

Posada certainly doesn't have the ability to play catcher every day anymore.

I don't think any of us know that. He was hurt when he looked that bad last year, we have to see how he recovers. Certainly possible though.

I wonder if it's a Belichek-type move, to get all of the secrets about the Boston pitchers.

That might be it, because Kevin Cash is basically Jose Molina-lite. He's terrible. I would think they'd want some backup with some pop.

Too bad Jesus Montero's not ready yet.

 

[steveu]

That's because those teams were home-grown. They came up through the system. The players knew each other in Triple-A.

I'm so tired of this.

Yes, Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte, Posada and Williams were home-grown -- but four of those five are still with the club.

They picked up plenty of people who were not home-grown. All this talk about how this team doesn't have heart is hogwash. They've never played a game together, so who knows if they have "heart?"

I understand everyone hates the Yankees, so of course they are going to **** all over this signing and talk about how this signing is bad for baseball - though if he would've gone to the Red Sox, it somehow wouldn't have been bad for baseball.

Anyway. The Yankees did not win four World Series titles because they were loaded with home-grown talent. Last I checked Jimmy Key, Cecil Fielder, Darryl Strawberry, David Wells, David Cone, Paul O'Neill, Scott Brosius, Tino Martinez, Chuck Knoblauch, Tim Raines, Jeff Nelson, Mike Stanton, Graeme (or however you spell it) Lloyd, Mariano Duncan, Luis Sojo, Roger Clemens, Orland Hernandez and more, were not home-grown.


And to the folks who keep saying they can root for the Rays because they are comprised of home-grown talent? Well, Matt Garza and Scott Kazmir sure as heck didn't come up through their system, and plenty of others didn't either.

The fact is, to build a winning baseball club you need to have a good mix of both. The late 90s Yankees had that mix. I'm not saying this team is going to win four World Series titles, but just because they signed the biggest three free agents instead of promoting some mysterious players from their system who don't exist, does not mean they are going to suddenly suck

Oh, and KY, you continue to show your ignorance. I'm sure there are plenty of baseball fans in the world who wouldn't mind what the Yankees have done since their last World Series title. The only year they were "choking dogs" were 2004. Other than that they lost to better teams or just didn't play very well.

I'm sure Pirates or Royals or Rays or Nats or Mets fans wouldn't mind going to the playoffs 7 of the last 8 years, even if it didn't include any World Series titles.

You're right that those Yankees weren't completely home grown. The free agents and other acquisitions they did get, however, weren't necessarily the best players available at their respective positions at that point. Tino Martinez, Chuck Knoblauch and Paul O'Neill, while certainly good and at times even very good players, were not the best at their positions. David Cone and Doc Gooden were already in the latter stages of their careers. And heaven knows Cecil Fielder and Scott Brosius weren't overwhelming talents.

What those players were, however, was winners. They worked harder than anyone else, maximized their talent and, most importantly, came through when it mattered most. They weren't glamorous, but they knew how to get it done.

The players the Yankees have brought in since 2001 (by which point those guys were gone) are souless mercenaries. Jason Giambi, Mike Mussina, Kevin Brown, A-Fraud, etc. hadn't won a damn thing before taking the Yankee dollars and haven't won a damn thing since doing so. They may be fantasy league all stars whose star power will put fannies in those expensive seats at the new stadium and bring in high ratings on YES. But they're not winners.

Will Sabathia, Teixeira and Burnett be winners? We'll see. For all of his regular season exploits, Sabathia has been very disappointing in the playoffs. And while Burnett has had a lot of success against the Yankees, he's had trouble staying healthy, and his record against teams other than the Yankees is ordinary. The jury is out on Teixeira, since he hadn't even played on a winning team until last year.

Put it this way. When CC pitched against the Phillies in NLDS Game 2, they had his ass and the Milwaukee media gave it good play.

Try a few of those choke jobs in New York and watch those back pages just fly with good Sabathia news.

 

[Angola!]

That's because those teams were home-grown. They came up through the system. The players knew each other in Triple-A.

I'm so tired of this.

Yes, Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte, Posada and Williams were home-grown -- but four of those five are still with the club.

They picked up plenty of people who were not home-grown. All this talk about how this team doesn't have heart is hogwash. They've never played a game together, so who knows if they have "heart?"

I understand everyone hates the Yankees, so of course they are going to **** all over this signing and talk about how this signing is bad for baseball - though if he would've gone to the Red Sox, it somehow wouldn't have been bad for baseball.

Anyway. The Yankees did not win four World Series titles because they were loaded with home-grown talent. Last I checked Jimmy Key, Cecil Fielder, Darryl Strawberry, David Wells, David Cone, Paul O'Neill, Scott Brosius, Tino Martinez, Chuck Knoblauch, Tim Raines, Jeff Nelson, Mike Stanton, Graeme (or however you spell it) Lloyd, Mariano Duncan, Luis Sojo, Roger Clemens, Orland Hernandez and more, were not home-grown.


And to the folks who keep saying they can root for the Rays because they are comprised of home-grown talent? Well, Matt Garza and Scott Kazmir sure as heck didn't come up through their system, and plenty of others didn't either.

The fact is, to build a winning baseball club you need to have a good mix of both. The late 90s Yankees had that mix. I'm not saying this team is going to win four World Series titles, but just because they signed the biggest three free agents instead of promoting some mysterious players from their system who don't exist, does not mean they are going to suddenly suck

Oh, and KY, you continue to show your ignorance. I'm sure there are plenty of baseball fans in the world who wouldn't mind what the Yankees have done since their last World Series title. The only year they were "choking dogs" were 2004. Other than that they lost to better teams or just didn't play very well.

I'm sure Pirates or Royals or Rays or Nats or Mets fans wouldn't mind going to the playoffs 7 of the last 8 years, even if it didn't include any World Series titles.

You're right that those Yankees weren't completely home grown. The free agents and other acquisitions they did get, however, weren't necessarily the best players available at their respective positions at that point. Tino Martinez, Chuck Knoblauch and Paul O'Neill, while certainly good and at times even very good players, were not the best at their positions. David Cone and Doc Gooden were already in the latter stages of their careers. And heaven knows Cecil Fielder and Scott Brosius weren't overwhelming talents.

What those players were, however, was winners. They worked harder than anyone else, maximized their talent and, most importantly, came through when it mattered most. They weren't glamorous, but they knew how to get it done.

The players the Yankees have brought in since 2001 (by which point those guys were gone) are souless mercenaries. Jason Giambi, Mike Mussina, Kevin Brown, A-Fraud, etc. hadn't won a damn thing before taking the Yankee dollars and haven't won a damn thing since doing so. They may be fantasy league all stars whose star power will put fannies in those expensive seats at the new stadium and bring in high ratings on YES. But they're not winners.

Will Sabathia, Teixeira and Burnett be winners? We'll see. For all of his regular season exploits, Sabathia has been very disappointing in the playoffs. And while Burnett has had a lot of success against the Yankees, he's had trouble staying healthy, and his record against teams other than the Yankees is ordinary. The jury is out on Teixeira, since he hadn't even played on a winning team until last year.

Put it this way. When CC pitched against the Phillies in NLDS Game 2, they had his ass and the Milwaukee media gave it good play.

Try a few of those choke jobs in New York and watch those back pages just fly with good Sabathia news.

True, he did struggle last year in his playoff start.

Though, I'd guess he won't have to pitch on 2 or 3 days rest just to get his team into the postseason.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

That's because those teams were home-grown. They came up through the system. The players knew each other in Triple-A.

I'm so tired of this.

Yes, Jeter, Rivera, Pettitte, Posada and Williams were home-grown -- but four of those five are still with the club.

They picked up plenty of people who were not home-grown. All this talk about how this team doesn't have heart is hogwash. They've never played a game together, so who knows if they have "heart?"

I understand everyone hates the Yankees, so of course they are going to **** all over this signing and talk about how this signing is bad for baseball - though if he would've gone to the Red Sox, it somehow wouldn't have been bad for baseball.

Anyway. The Yankees did not win four World Series titles because they were loaded with home-grown talent. Last I checked Jimmy Key, Cecil Fielder, Darryl Strawberry, David Wells, David Cone, Paul O'Neill, Scott Brosius, Tino Martinez, Chuck Knoblauch, Tim Raines, Jeff Nelson, Mike Stanton, Graeme (or however you spell it) Lloyd, Mariano Duncan, Luis Sojo, Roger Clemens, Orland Hernandez and more, were not home-grown.


And to the folks who keep saying they can root for the Rays because they are comprised of home-grown talent? Well, Matt Garza and Scott Kazmir sure as heck didn't come up through their system, and plenty of others didn't either.

The fact is, to build a winning baseball club you need to have a good mix of both. The late 90s Yankees had that mix. I'm not saying this team is going to win four World Series titles, but just because they signed the biggest three free agents instead of promoting some mysterious players from their system who don't exist, does not mean they are going to suddenly suck

Oh, and KY, you continue to show your ignorance. I'm sure there are plenty of baseball fans in the world who wouldn't mind what the Yankees have done since their last World Series title. The only year they were "choking dogs" were 2004. Other than that they lost to better teams or just didn't play very well.

I'm sure Pirates or Royals or Rays or Nats or Mets fans wouldn't mind going to the playoffs 7 of the last 8 years, even if it didn't include any World Series titles.

You're right that those Yankees weren't completely home grown. The free agents and other acquisitions they did get, however, weren't necessarily the best players available at their respective positions at that point. Tino Martinez, Chuck Knoblauch and Paul O'Neill, while certainly good and at times even very good players, were not the best at their positions. David Cone and Doc Gooden were already in the latter stages of their careers. And heaven knows Cecil Fielder and Scott Brosius weren't overwhelming talents.

What those players were, however, was winners. They worked harder than anyone else, maximized their talent and, most importantly, came through when it mattered most. They weren't glamorous, but they knew how to get it done.

The players the Yankees have brought in since 2001 (by which point those guys were gone) are souless mercenaries. Jason Giambi, Mike Mussina, Kevin Brown, A-Fraud, etc. hadn't won a damn thing before taking the Yankee dollars and haven't won a damn thing since doing so. They may be fantasy league all stars whose star power will put fannies in those expensive seats at the new stadium and bring in high ratings on YES. But they're not winners.

Will Sabathia, Teixeira and Burnett be winners? We'll see. For all of his regular season exploits, Sabathia has been very disappointing in the playoffs. And while Burnett has had a lot of success against the Yankees, he's had trouble staying healthy, and his record against teams other than the Yankees is ordinary. The jury is out on Teixeira, since he hadn't even played on a winning team until last year.

Put it this way. When CC pitched against the Phillies in NLDS Game 2, they had his ass and the Milwaukee media gave it good play.

Try a few of those choke jobs in New York and watch those back pages just fly with good Sabathia news.

True, he did struggle last year in his playoff start.

Though, I'd guess he won't have to pitch on 2 or 3 days rest just to get his team into the postseason.

Exactly. He pitched his arm off to get Milwaukee in there, and he paid for it against the Phils.

THAT sustained exertion should have concerned the Yanks . . . . but they'll worry about it next year, at Tara.

 

[BYH]

It's the sustained exertion on top of the 260 innings he threw in 2007, too.

And while his struggles against the Phillies can be chalked up to said exertion, the three bad-to-terrible playoff starts in 2007 should really give the Yankees and their fans pause re: his ability to handle October.

 

[spnited]

It's the sustained exertion on top of the 260 innings he threw in 2007, too.

And while his struggles against the Phillies can be chalked up to said exertion, the three bad-to-terrible playoff starts in 2007 should really give the Yankees and their fans pause re: his ability to handle October.

But since you're again predicting third place, why worry about October.

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

Like I really needed another reason to ignore Major League Baseball.

Why would you ignore it? The AL East just became the best division in baseball again and will be a great three-team - and possibly four-team - race.

The Yankees essentially improved their team by 5 or 6 wins with these moves. People seem to forget they lost Hall of Famer Mike Mussina, Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu. It's not like they kept their offense intact and added Mark Teixeira.

Anyway, the AL is going to be a lot of fun next year.

I'll be quite happy ignoring it as long as it continues to have its asinine policy regarding team payrolls. For all the stupid things the NFL does, the fans of no teams feel as though they're hopelessly out of contention before the start of the season just because of money/payroll issues.

When MLB's inmates stop running the asylum and the powers-that-be create an equal playing field, I'll come back. Not until then.

Well, this baseball fan won't miss you.

Have fun watching a league which doesn't allow you to keep players because of asinine salary cap reasons.

In fact, more teams have a "chance" in the NFL because of the unbalanced schedule than the salary cap.

The Seahawks, one year removed from being a very good NFC team, can expect to be back near the top next year since they will get a cake walk schedule next season.

a) Teams get to keep whomever they value

b) WHAT unbalanced schedule?

 

[hockeybeat]

I am hazarding a guess that Angola is talking about the 19 games each division rivals play against each other.

 

[Angola!]

Like I really needed another reason to ignore Major League Baseball.

Why would you ignore it? The AL East just became the best division in baseball again and will be a great three-team - and possibly four-team - race.

The Yankees essentially improved their team by 5 or 6 wins with these moves. People seem to forget they lost Hall of Famer Mike Mussina, Jason Giambi and Bobby Abreu. It's not like they kept their offense intact and added Mark Teixeira.

Anyway, the AL is going to be a lot of fun next year.

I'll be quite happy ignoring it as long as it continues to have its asinine policy regarding team payrolls. For all the stupid things the NFL does, the fans of no teams feel as though they're hopelessly out of contention before the start of the season just because of money/payroll issues.

When MLB's inmates stop running the asylum and the powers-that-be create an equal playing field, I'll come back. Not until then.

Well, this baseball fan won't miss you.

Have fun watching a league which doesn't allow you to keep players because of asinine salary cap reasons.

In fact, more teams have a "chance" in the NFL because of the unbalanced schedule than the salary cap.

The Seahawks, one year removed from being a very good NFC team, can expect to be back near the top next year since they will get a cake walk schedule next season.

a) Teams get to keep whomever they value

b) WHAT unbalanced schedule?

The fact that if you suck in the NFL you play a bunch of crappy teams the next year, but if you are good you play all the good teams.

 

[BYH]

'Gola, you know I love to argue with Cowbell on this topic, but he's right on the sked. Since the expansion to 32 teams. there's only two games per year, I believe, based on where a team finished the previous season. Everything else is locked in regardless of how a team fares.

 

[wicked]

The NFL schedule isn't weighted much nowadays, Angola. You have 14 games penciled in -- six in your division, eight against opposing divisions.