Yankees 2004 Thread

Now if you could only fill that hole at Shortstop...

The faith Yankee fans have in Lieber is suprising. Not you in particular, but I hear people saying that Lieber is better than Contreras right off the bat. The guys a quality starter, with one great year, who hasn't pitched in two full seasons.

Hell, I have more faith in Contreras working out his personal issues, than Lieber being a difference maker. At least I know Contreras still has great stuff.

And nice to see a Yankee fan (you are one, right?), need somebody to take the other side in order to balance the hatred.

Oh, I thought it was patently absurd when Jim Henry cried about competitive imbalance.

Then again, I'm one who thinks Baseball has been pretty "balanced" since I started seriously watching it (1991).

Hey now. I'm not saying Henry says the smartest things, but there is definitely something wrong when the team with the highest payroll (Yankees) is up $65 million over the team with the second highest payroll (Red Sox)! That's just plain crazy. Throw in the teams that have payrolls of $50 mil or less, and it gets really nuts.

This isn't a recent development, either. The Yanks have always had the highest payrolls...it wasn't until they actually started developing talent again, and had some great roleplayers when they started winning more titles "recently".

Sure, the Sox try to keep up, and they have lots of money, but no team can even come close to matching what the Yanks can do.

That's just one of the many reasons why people dislike the Yanks.

My point is, when you own a franchise that spends 4X as much as other teams in the league, you have no right to bitch and moan about other teams spending a lot.

For me, as a Red Sox fan, everything is a reason to dislike the Yanks. (ch)Oakland blew a four-run lead with six outs left? Yep, I hate the Yanks. It's raining outside? Yep, I hate the Yanks. I just wrecked my car? Yep, I hate the Yanks.

Oh, and Bucky "bleeping" Dent.

Seriously, I know where you are coming from. Joe Morgan had a good article on ESPN recently saying how this year's Yanks are just a bunch of sluggers, and they desperately need players back like Brosius, O'Neil and others that were leaders and great roleplayers. Ones that could play some small-ball...make something happen instead of just trying to hit one out everytime. Without a doubt this year's team is going to score a lot of runs, but there a so many other intangibles that they are missing. And their depleted farm system is killing them.

Which all of that, of course, is fine by me, but it seems like the Yanks (and their fans) are feeling the effects. Still, ever since the stupid A's blew that game, they have won four in a row...dammit.

As for reasons non-Sox fans dislike the Yanks? The super-high payroll; their ability to just sign anyone at anytime (and they usually do); Steinbrenner (though that one's jealousy as anyone would want Stein as their team owner); Jeter; the fans that think the Yanks' shit don't stink. Probably a few others, but my vision is just a bit skewed.

Finally, I have deep, deep respect for the Yanks and their history. MLB history has always fascinated me, and what better subject than the Yanks success of the great teams of old?

Agreed. However, that would make the Yanks' payroll 8x that of other teams, which is double the insanity (obviously). Plus, the Yanks keep signing anybody they want. What is it so far? 17 former All-Stars on that team currently? 2 of the last 3 AL MVP's? C'mon, something has to be done about this.

Fortunately, buying up everyone isn't a guaranteed recipe for success (ala Florida and Anaheim), but it's guaranteed to get you to the post-season.

Damn! Are the Yankees ever going to lose again?

Stupid Oakland....

Well, bout damn time the Yankees start playing some real ball. Yay for actually hitting the ball!

That 100K will pay for one of A-Rod's games, so why not?

I am glad to see the Yankees finally turning into the 800 lb gorilla that they were supposed to be before the season started.

Fucking HELL. Are the Yankees EVER GOING TO LOSE AGAIN? My GOD.

What's amazing more than anything on this recent tear is the fact that teams that get the lead against them can't hold it, no matter if there are 6 outs left, or 1 strike. Amazing.

If I had to bet, I'd say the same one that's shown up every year since 1995. They'll be in the mix (if the not the cream on top), and no one will want to play them, just like any other year.

Damn! I just saw that they gave up 6 in the top of the 13th.

As far as trades go, there's a rumor going around about the possibility of the Sox/Mariners/Royals working something out, but unfortunately, it's just that...a rumor. How bad is the Yankee farm system? I've heard it's pretty decimated, but that there's some hope in the lower levels (A, AA).

How mad do you think Stein was when Vidro signed that extension with Montreal? It was good money, no doubt, but that shows some serious loyalty, eh? Vidro could have gone away easily, but chose to stay.

Yes, and this pleases me.

The Yankees are the one team this year that the Mariners can consistenty produce runs against. Too bad they can't hold them to a none or just a few.

A good game today.

Any chance the RedSox or Yankees are interested in a guy like Leiter—assuming he gets over his tendinitis? I'd gladly take a Navarro or a Ramirez (Hanley).

It's amazing how so many in NY have soured on Jason Giambi, can somebody find me the $100+ million contract that's actually worked out for the team that's issued it? I mean for the duration of the contract BTW.

Manny Ramirez still has four years to turn Boston against him, the Texas Rangers had to ship Alex Rodriguez off to the Yankees to remain competitive, the Los Angeles Dodgers ditched Kevin Brown, and it took a massive deal to get Mike Hampton out of Colorado.

Derek Jeter perhaps? His production has dropped significantly since he signed it though...

I would say a $100+ million contract would hamper the team too much for any person to "help" their team, but it doesn't work that way in baseball, unfortunately. Todd Helton has one, and he's put up insane numbers, but the Rockies are doomed to suck. No, I honestly don't think contracts like that really help in the way that they should, given their stupid monetary numbers.

Still, considering the Yanks have what, 4 of the 7 $100+ million contracts in baseball, we'll see what happens at the end of the year I suppose...

rivera sucked that entire inning. he was extremely lucky that arod made an amazing play. anyways what a fucking game. i've seen hundred's so far this season and this was clearly the best one. so many great moments in extra innings from arod's play to leskanic's pitching in the bottom half of the 11th to jeter's gutsy catch and then finally with the yanks scrambling with 2 out and nobody on in the bottom of the 13th. this one hurt's for the bosox.

Did Jeter break his cheekbone on that play? He looked really bad.

Kudas to Pedro for hitting Sheffield after he called time twice.

Great game.

The Yankees really showed me something by the way they played today, they could have been content with winning this series, but they wanted to put the RedSox out of their misery.

Kudos to Alex Rodriguez for making the transition to third seem simple, and where was Nomah? Biggest game of the season and he's a no show? Even Giambi showed up for an at bat. Why do I get the feeling that this team wont be around in October?

And you gotta love seeing a player lay himself out like that, to those that care, Jeter's only got some lacerations and a bruised shoulder.

You know what I'm getting tired of? Yankee fans bitching about the Boss going after Randy Johnson, about how it's an "embarrassment of riches" and what not. I'm sorry, I know it must suck when the media and other fans disregard your teams "greatness" due to their absurd payroll, but you can't have your cake and eat it too.

Evil sports radio.