The Yankees Do it Again

It is alarming and comforting at the same time that as we continue sliding through the worst recession of our lifetime, the New York Yankees are now on the hook for spending $805 million on four, yes FOUR, salaries. Alarming because while the rest of us fear for our retirement and our jobs, the Yankees are still lavishing their overpaid players with salaries that have nothing to do with performance (remind you of anyone else in New York?) while most other baseball teams continue to lament and fume in mediocrity with no hope of ever improving. And it’s comforting that the Yankees and the Steinbrenners in particular still have not learned that money and payroll can’t always buy you a championship and a collection of great stars does not guarantee a great team. Just ask a Mets fan about that last fact. And the Yankees still have no clue why the rest of the baseball world loathes them.

Many blame Scott Boras for these signings (Teixeira, A-Rod and Johnny Damon are just three high-profile Boras clients who recently signed with New York), but Boras is just trying to get the best deal for his clients. Others will blame the Red Sox for blinking or not upping the ante, but I actually admire Boston’s steadfast rules with player contracts – namely no contract longer than four years and a reluctance to engage in a bidding war with Boras or any other agent. And while Boras did represent Daisuke Matsuzaka last year, he was only dealing with Boston and if Boras did not complete a deal Dice-K was heading back to Japan.

No, Teixeira only got this obscene contract because Boras knew the Yankees would do what they always do – offer the most money and the longest-term contract, and with a no-trade clause to boot! Ever since the Steinbrenners came aboard, this has been the Yankee M.O. – how much do you want and for how long? This worked in the 70s when free agency was in its infancy, but the Yankee free agent track record in the last decade or so has not been stellar. Kevin Brown, Jason Giambi, Bobby Abreu, Damon, Carl Pavano, Andy Pettite’s second turn are just some of the higher profile busts. Others were a bit better – Mike Mussina and Roger Clemens (steroids notwithstanding) – but they certainly haven’t produced a championship. And as teams like Boston and Tampa Bay have recently shown, there’s still something to be said for a good farm system and solid prospects. Posada, Jeter, Rivera and Joba Chamberlain are fine examples.

But what is most disturbing is what I have ranted about long before – how baseball’s class system is contributing to the long-term decline of baseball’s relevance today. Baseball still ranks fourth in popularity of all professional sports. The luxury tax has helped a bit, but the Teixeira signing could finally be the straw that breaks the Pittsburgh and Kansas City’s fans backs. Every other sport has a salary cap to prevent these inequities, and perhaps this could finally pave the way for this to happen in baseball.

And something else is lost too. When I was a kid, my dad would often take me to games at Yankee Stadium, where we would often sit near first base. Total costs for transportation from Jersey, parking, hot dogs, tickets and souvenirs would be less than $30 for both of us. Now, as this great Sports Illustrated article illustrates, attending professional sports games is practically impossible for a middle class family.

It has also been disgraceful to see a team with the Yankees’ wealth fleece the City of New York for another $259 million in tax-exempt bonds on top of the $940 million they were already given to build their new billion dollar stadium. No city, especially one with New York’s budget issues, deserves to lavish public subsidies on a team that does not pay property taxes.

Perhaps Teixeira and Sabathia are the missing pieces the Yankees need to win a championship. But even if that is the case, there is still something artificial and greedy about the whole affair. I recently read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with my kids, and I realize the Yankees have become Veruca Salt – getting whatever they want no matter what the cost is to them, to their fans who ultimately pay for it, or whatever they sacrifice in respect and class along the way.