Did you expect anything different?

There it is…here is what American League batters will see this year both at home and away for the Yankees…although I think the ballcap will not be as straight as this photo shows it. YES, the Yankees have landed C.C. Sabathia and by the looks of it we are not done yet. This signing is going to produce numerous reactions from baseball fans around the country. I would think the prominate one will be this one. “Here go the Yankees again, trying to buy another World Series title!” But I think that comment is as askew as CC’s cap is when he wears it. We haven’t won the World Series since 2000. Boston clearly has passed us as the spenders…they paid 50 million dollars just to TALK to Dice K! The Yankees don’t pay money just to have the rights to talk to a player…we pay it to put them in pinstripes. Now if you know me or heard any of my sports-talk shows on The Shift I have always been openly critical of tossing huge amounts of monies at ANY player…especially pitchers. The Yankees have cleared $88 million dollars off of their payroll. What did you expect them to do? Sit by and watch teams like the Red Sox and others just gobble these players up? Remember when the Yankees signed Reggie Jackson? Everybody went nuts then too…it’s all the same principle…the economics have just changed since then. One thing I have always admired about The Boss is that he took the assets he made in his team and re-invested it in his team…how many owners have lined their pockets with revenue sharing dollars and the monies their clubs made and did NOTHING to improve their ballclubs? I’m sure you can answer that yourselves. I’ve never quite understood owning a team and NOT WANTING to win titles. Isn’t that the purpose of your investment in the first place? The sad part of all of this? People like you and I won’t be able to afford to take our families to the ballpark to enjoy a game. We are being priced right out of the market. In the area I live in more than a half dozen people who ran trips to Yankee Stadium have thrown in the towel…they can’t afford to go on at the current ticket prices. I plan on making one trip to the new stadium this year just to see it. That’s it…just one trip.

     From what I am reading we are going hot and heavy at Blues-Jays discontent A.J. Burnett. I spoke to a Toronto fan that told me this guy is ultra-high maintenence…he basically is a hot-headed baby who needs constant attending to. But yet we are throwing like 85 million dollars at this guy for 5 years. I would let the Braves have this guy and go after Derek Lowe…far less monies and a pitcher with playoff experience. Then sign Pettitte for a year for less monies…Andy owes this ballclub as much…especially after his revealations about his performance enhancing drugs and the such. It’s time HE showed us as Yankee fans some love and takes a paycut. How do I personally feel about the CC signing? I’ve seen my share of Messersmiths, Gullets, Whitsons, Pavanos and the such…(I can rattle off more…believe me.) To me, a ballclub needs chemistry to win. Do I see it for 2009? I can’t comment on that yet. But I will.