Deserves has nothing to do with it
DMZ · November 2, 2009 at 11:56 am · Filed Under Mariners
“Mr. Steinbrenner deserves another championship. That’s why I wear this number. We’re trying to do this for him.” — Joe Girardi
As we confront the possibility of the Yankees winning a World Series, I keep thinking back to Girardi after the ALCS win. Let’s not even make the relative deserving argument about whether he deserves it more than (for instance) the long-suffering Royals fanbase. In what world does he deserve it?
Deserves. George Steinbrenner deserves another World Series title.
Screw George Steinbrenner.
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Steinbrenner “deserved” prison time for felony obstruction of justice, but that didn’t happen, and Reagan pardoned him, and whatever . . . .
Curt Shilling, a little while after he retired, was asked about the ‘business of baseball’. He replied that if you offered a choice between a .500 and a $10 million dollar profit and 100 wins, a World Series berth, and a $10 million dollar loss, every team in baseball would take the former, save one. He said that the Yankees would rather lose money and win than make safe money with a consistently mediocre team.
He’s manifestly right about this, and it pains me, as a Red Sox fan, to admit it, but the Yankees may be the only team in baseball who’s management deserves a World Series win. Certainly the management of Kansas City doesn’t deserve one; they don’t want one.
Might be my favorite post on here ever if only for one part:
“Screw George Steinbrenner.”
I’ll even elaborate and add “Screw the Yankees.”
Sweet quote. The unforgiven is one of eastwood’s best.
Royals Management wasn’t mentioned in the post. The Fanbase was. I bet they want one.
Good post. George is the #1 reason I root against the Yankees. It’s a long list, but he’s #1.
He couldn’t be more wrong. When was the last time the Yankees ran a deficit? A few years ago there was a story about how MLB had to step in to make payroll for a couple teams. So according to Curt, they wanted it more. Also if this choice was somehow real, the latter option can’t support more than one team picking it per league. Look at some of the contracts these owners are signing and tell me that why wouldn’t take a $10 million dollar loss for a world series appearance.
“No one is getting richer faster than the No. 1-ranked New York Yankees, whose value shot up 15% this year to $1.5 billion. The Bronx Bombers pulled in $80 million–by far the most in baseball–from their rights fee with the YES Network in 2008 and moved into the most lucrative stadium in baseball this season. (Full disclosure: Forbes has a show on the YES Network.) The new stadium also means the Yankees will have to hand over a lower percentage of their revenue to rivals.
Yes, the team’s stadium revenue–tickets, suites, advertising, concessions–is likely to go up by more than $100 million this season. But MLB permits teams to deduct stadium-operating and debt expenses from revenue before calculating the amount the league will take from them to subsidize other teams.”
Typical NY media. They only printed part of Girardi’s quote. Fortunately, the rest of it was easy to find.
“And while I’m at it, I’m gonna stop at Sam’s Club on the way home and buy a case of Oreos for my neighbor’s kid,” Girardi added. “Poor kid’s nine and weighs 110 pounds. He deserves it. And then maybe I’ll watch Rocky V again to unwind. Man, Stallone deserves an Oscar for his performance in that one.”
The value of the Yankees franchise isn’t a very useful proxy for their red ink/black ink balance on a given year. The fact is that playing in New York and having ‘Yankees’ as your name is incredibly valuable and is increasing in value quite a bit faster than inflation.
The point is that the Yankees are tolerant of some degree of red ink in the pursuit of wins and championships in a way that other teams are not. Baseball’s economics are messed up, and as an emotional matter, I’m pissed at the Yankees for paying Teixera, Sabathia, and Bernett more money for the three of them than the Marlin’s whole payroll. I’m more pissed at the Marlins, the Nationals, the Royals, and other fail teams that suck on the teat of revenue sharing and government money with no apparent desire to win baseball games.
Couldn’t agree more.
I’m as fervent of a Phillies fan as anybody tonight.
This year’s been a tough one on me. If Philadelphia SOMEHOW wrestles the World Series away from the Yankees, the sight of the upheaval and uproar that would happen in Yankeeville would very nearly be the highlight of my year.
NB, I do understand part of what you’re saying. There are times when I wish the owner(s) of MY favorite team cared about winning more.
That said, I never wish they operated just like George. Kind of a moot point though, different markets make certain things viable.
Nate; sounds like we’re largely in agreement, then.
I hate the Yankees, and are rooting for them to lose. Thank you for giving me one more reason to cheer them losing!
I always love how Yankee fans act like the team’s championships are a reflection on their personal self-worth. Screw the Yankees indeed.
The only thing George Steinbrenner deserves is to be taken out back, tied to a tree and put out to pasture.
I’ve had a good year, but it’d certainly be the highlight of my fall.
I don’t necessarily hate the Yankees (much), but the tears of Yankees fans are like sweet, sweet wine to me.
Plus, between which former Mariner alum gets a WS ring this year, I’d much rather see the guy who actually wanted to come back here for a while to try to make it a better team (Raul) than the guy who bailed on a what was at the time a great team simply because the city wasn’t big enough or bright enough for him (Alex).
Actually, I think there are only two or three teams that choose to make money with a consistently mediocre team. First among those would be the Marlins, who in some years have kept their payroll smaller than the revenue sharing payments they get from the other teams, thus ensuring both mediocrity and a profit. (And the year that they managed to do well despite that low payroll their manager, the self same Joe Giardi, won NL Manager of the Year. And was immediately fired for his efforts). Notwithstanding that, the Marlins have two World Series rings they didn’t really deserve either.
Well, the Yankees win another World Series.
This is a great day for baseball and plucky $200 million teams with arroganct entitled fans and an even more unbearable tabloid media.