Do not hold your breath if you are expecting the Yankees to feel apologetic about all the money they are spending. After the team’s third major off-season signing, the Yankees’ president, Randy Levine, surveyed the criticism of the club and said, in effect, that a really good Yankee team is beneficial to baseball.

“The philosophy of George Steinbrenner, which has been continued by Hal and Hank, is that the Yankees are a sacred trust to their fans and they believe in continually reinvesting in the team rather than reinvesting in themselves,” Levine said Wednesday in reference to the team’s principal owner and his two sons. “We follow all the rules of baseball, we pay millions of dollars to other teams and we are essential to the revenues generated by Major League Baseball and its networks and other entities.”

In signing C. C. Sabathia and A. J. Burnett to big free-agent contracts and reaching agreement with Mark Teixeira on an eight-year, $180 million deal, the Yankees have now spent far more money this off-season than the other 29 major league teams combined. For those keeping score, it is $423.5 million to $296.6 million. That kind of discrepancy is too much for some commentators and for the Milwaukee Brewers’ owner, Mark Attanasio, who on Tuesday resurrected the idea of a salary cap as a way of reining in the Yankees.

Levine will have none of it. He said that the Yankees, by spending substantially on players, were making sure they remained a top asset in the sport.

“We are usually in the top of road attendance and we get some of the highest television ratings, both when we play national games and when we visit other teams,” he said. He said if the Yankees’ new stadium, which will be ready for the 2009 season, allows the team’s revenue to increase, then “so will the revenues of the rest of the game.”

Levine added: “We are sensitive to the economic times and our fans. We believe it is good for the franchise and good for the fans to put the best product possible on the field, and that is what we strive to do.”

Levine singled out the criticism that he said some ESPN’s commentators had directed at Yankee spending and said he wondered why they were not criticizing their own network for reinvesting in its product by outbidding Fox by millions of dollars to acquire the rights to the Bowl Championship Series.

No apologies, and a little feistiness. And less than two months until spring training.

Posted by mattshaw78:

I said this in the other thread but I have to say it hear too:

It is crazy thinking by these yankees haters out there. How many ballclubs actually pool all their revenues and dispurse it back to win games for the franchise. Is it pure jealously by yankee haters 'cause their teams don't pull all their allocated resources back into the ball club? Any fan would love their team to invest in ball players to help them win.
All these Yankee haters saying "the yankees buy their world championships" B.S. Just because the yankees sign free agents left and right doesn't mean that we bought the WS. Good example is the 2yrs that the marlins won the world series and the last world series as tampa bay could've won it all. The Marlins last year had a team payroll of like 20 million.

Those counter-examples prove nothing other than that Cash-man tried but failed to buy championships in those prior years. I'm a Yankee fan who watches nearly all the games but I'll freely admit that we *try* to buy championships. It's the league's fault (not the Yankees') for having that kind of system in place but fans look like they have their heads in the sand when they won't admit what we (and to a slightly lesser extent, the Mets and Red Sox) are doing. We certainly weren't trying to buy another 3rd place finish with the $423 mil spent this off-season! What exactly besides a championship were we trying to buy? Whether we'll succeed is a separate story. This is the only sport with this degree of payroll inequity. It sucks for fans outside of NY and Boston. That's not my problem but I'm a sympathetic guy and I have tons of sympathy for frustrated fans throughout the US and Canada.

Posted by TMS:

Posted by Bonn1997:

Posted by mattshaw78:

I said this in the other thread but I have to say it hear too:

It is crazy thinking by these yankees haters out there. How many ballclubs actually pool all their revenues and dispurse it back to win games for the franchise. Is it pure jealously by yankee haters 'cause their teams don't pull all their allocated resources back into the ball club? Any fan would love their team to invest in ball players to help them win.
All these Yankee haters saying "the yankees buy their world championships" B.S. Just because the yankees sign free agents left and right doesn't mean that we bought the WS. Good example is the 2yrs that the marlins won the world series and the last world series as tampa bay could've won it all. The Marlins last year had a team payroll of like 20 million.

Those counter-examples prove nothing other than that Cash-man tried but failed to buy championships in those prior years. I'm a Yankee fan who watches nearly all the games but I'll freely admit that we *try* to buy championships. It's the league's fault (not the Yankees') for having that kind of system in place but fans look like they have their heads in the sand when they won't admit what we (and to a slightly lesser extent, the Mets and Red Sox) are doing. We certainly weren't trying to buy another 3rd place finish with the $423 mil spent this off-season! What exactly besides a championship were we trying to buy? Whether we'll succeed is a separate story. This is the only sport with this degree of payroll inequity. It sucks for fans outside of NY and Boston. That's not my problem but I'm a sympathetic guy and I have tons of sympathy for frustrated fans throughout the US and Canada.

if u have so much sympathy for them then go root for another team... i swear to God you're freakin' annoying w/your constant negative talk about the franchise you supposedly support... at least islesfan knows what the hell he's talking about when he disses the Knicks... you don't even have your facts straight & you diss on them... name me 1 major market team in baseball that doesn't try to "buy their way to a championship" as you would call it... go root for the damn Royals or Pirates & then hate on the Yankees all u want... any Yankee fan that complains about their financial advantage is beyond stupid.

Chill pill time. I can't change teams as easily as perhaps you can; so that's not something I'd even consider. I agree 100% that other teams in major markets try to buy championships; in all other sports, there are salary restrictions that prevent them from being able to do that. You CAN'T expect the owner to do that on their own. I attribute no blame to the Yankees for trying to capitalize on an unfair system. I bolded this above to make it as clear as possible. Any negativity I've attributed to the Yankees for having a high payroll is a figment of your imagination.


[Edited by - bonn1997 on 12-26-2008 5:08 PM]

Posted by 4949:

Posted by mattshaw78:

I said this in the other thread but I have to say it hear too:

It is crazy thinking by these yankees haters out there. How many ballclubs actually pool all their revenues and dispurse it back to win games for the franchise. Is it pure jealously by yankee haters 'cause their teams don't pull all their allocated resources back into the ball club? Any fan would love their team to invest in ball players to help them win.
All these Yankee haters saying "the yankees buy their world championships" B.S. Just because the yankees sign free agents left and right doesn't mean that we bought the WS. Good example is the 2yrs that the marlins won the world series and the last world series as tampa bay could've won it all. The Marlins last year had a team payroll of like 20 million.

I am sick and tired of these Yankee haters. Stop worry about the Yanks and worry why in hell your team can't win it all half the time as the Yankees. And also ask yourself the luxury tax where the hell does it go for the other teams

Not to mention, in George's 32 years as principle owner and the millions upon millions he spent, he only was able to produce only 6 championship teams. That's about 19 %. Hardly a buy.

In a league with 30 teams on a completely level playing field, you'd expect any one team to win a championship once every 30 years or 3% of the time. In part, by outspending everyone by more than any GM has in any sport, he increased his odds of winning a championship by 600%.


[Edited by - bonn1997 on 12-28-2008 07:38 AM]

Posted by Bonn1997:

Posted by mattshaw78:

I said this in the other thread but I have to say it hear too:

It is crazy thinking by these yankees haters out there. How many ballclubs actually pool all their revenues and dispurse it back to win games for the franchise. Is it pure jealously by yankee haters 'cause their teams don't pull all their allocated resources back into the ball club? Any fan would love their team to invest in ball players to help them win.
All these Yankee haters saying "the yankees buy their world championships" B.S. Just because the yankees sign free agents left and right doesn't mean that we bought the WS. Good example is the 2yrs that the marlins won the world series and the last world series as tampa bay could've won it all. The Marlins last year had a team payroll of like 20 million.

Those counter-examples prove nothing other than that Cash-man tried but failed to buy championships in those prior years. I'm a Yankee fan who watches nearly all the games but I'll freely admit that we *try* to buy championships.

You are totally wrong dude! You don't get it. It is a sport first of all, that has become a competitive business over the years and a market like this needs to survive in. The Yankees are nothing like the loser Knicks! The Knicks are the perfect example of what 'NOT' to do. Look at the Knicks now. What are they' about 2, 3 games above .500 LIFETIME?! The Yankees have above .500 records against every major league baseball team they ever played. If the last 32 years didn't teach you a lesson then nothing will (of course without the George's meddlings).

And where were the Yankees after the last big dynasty ended with Yogi and Mantle, before George came along? We were mediocre. Owned by CBS who didn't do a thing to restore Yankee lore. George made us matter again and has put us into the future of competitiveness.

Posted by Bonn1997:

Posted by TMS:

Posted by Bonn1997:

Posted by mattshaw78:

I said this in the other thread but I have to say it hear too:

It is crazy thinking by these yankees haters out there. How many ballclubs actually pool all their revenues and dispurse it back to win games for the franchise. Is it pure jealously by yankee haters 'cause their teams don't pull all their allocated resources back into the ball club? Any fan would love their team to invest in ball players to help them win.
All these Yankee haters saying "the yankees buy their world championships" B.S. Just because the yankees sign free agents left and right doesn't mean that we bought the WS. Good example is the 2yrs that the marlins won the world series and the last world series as tampa bay could've won it all. The Marlins last year had a team payroll of like 20 million.

Those counter-examples prove nothing other than that Cash-man tried but failed to buy championships in those prior years. I'm a Yankee fan who watches nearly all the games but I'll freely admit that we *try* to buy championships. It's the league's fault (not the Yankees') for having that kind of system in place but fans look like they have their heads in the sand when they won't admit what we (and to a slightly lesser extent, the Mets and Red Sox) are doing. We certainly weren't trying to buy another 3rd place finish with the $423 mil spent this off-season! What exactly besides a championship were we trying to buy? Whether we'll succeed is a separate story. This is the only sport with this degree of payroll inequity. It sucks for fans outside of NY and Boston. That's not my problem but I'm a sympathetic guy and I have tons of sympathy for frustrated fans throughout the US and Canada.

if u have so much sympathy for them then go root for another team... i swear to God you're freakin' annoying w/your constant negative talk about the franchise you supposedly support... at least islesfan knows what the hell he's talking about when he disses the Knicks... you don't even have your facts straight & you diss on them... name me 1 major market team in baseball that doesn't try to "buy their way to a championship" as you would call it... go root for the damn Royals or Pirates & then hate on the Yankees all u want... any Yankee fan that complains about their financial advantage is beyond stupid.

Chill pill time. I can't change teams as easily as perhaps you can; so that's not something I'd even consider. I agree 100% that other teams in major markets try to buy championships; in all other sports, there are salary restrictions that prevent them from being able to do that. You CAN'T expect the owner to do that on their own. I attribute no blame to the Yankees for trying to capitalize on an unfair system. I bolded this above to make it as clear as possible. Any negativity I've attributed to the Yankees for having a high payroll is a figment of your imagination.


[Edited by - bonn1997 on 12-26-2008 5:08 PM]

You'd still be making a big mistake for taking sides. I thought you were a stand up Yankee fan. I'm disappointed.

Posted by GKFv2:

Calling Steinbrenner's ownership a failure is a joke. Most teams can't even win 1 title in 85 years(Red Sox) or 1 in 100(Cubs). Yankees won 6 in his 32 years. Unless you think he should have won every year he was owner, I'd say that's a pretty damn good number of titles for an owner.