I would like to thank the Yankees

[Leo / loob]

Yes, me, the biggest Yankee hater there is, would like to thank them!! Ask me for what??

For not winning the World Series!!

See, with escalating salaries, free agency period I guess, there are not many home grown boys that play entire careers with teams these days.

But, thanks to the Yankees, atleast this offseason will be interesting.

Hmmm, lets see, what will they do? Well, if George is smart, he WON'T go after really high priced SPers. Mel was the heart and soul of his #1 pitching staff the last 9 years. Without him, I feel it would be a bigger waste of money than normal to acquire overpriced pitching.

I think for the Yankees, its 3rd and 18 from their own 4 yard line, its time for a quick punt. Cut your losses on your pitching staff, cause, unless your going to be getting that rocking back and forth fool pitching coach from Atlanta, there is not a pitching coach that can handle the prima donnas on that staff.

Bullpen wise, Gordon and Rivera are great, they need 1-2 more really good RPers to help cut down on the abuse they are taking.

Hitting wise, well, they need a CFer, Matsui is a LFer, not an 8, Sheff, should prob be a DH, but with his arm, he can play RF. Bernie, hey, its been great man, but, don't go away mad, just go away. Giambi is back, I guess, but is also, really a DH, Tino, probably wont be back, 2b, Cano is going to be alright I guess, Jeter, hey, its Jeter. Arod, well, 25 million, no rings, but still best regular season bat there is, prob 3rd or so best def 3b in the league also. Is Posada a FA this year? Well, if he is, they hafta sign him, as there is nobody ready.

I thought that was a pretty fair minded opinion of the Yankees for the upcoming season, givin the hatred I have of them. And its not them personally, but 200 million $ payroll? Come on....

Torre, he too, should cut his losses, get out while you can walk away on your own. You are a HOF coach, congrats. Givin the "success" of the other NY team this year, maybe they shoulda given Willie whatever the mets offered to stay on the staff, so he could coach this NY team next year?

Looking forward to this offseason, it should be fun. I wish the Yankees well, I guess, they are sorta like the 49ers, ya hate em, but ya dont wanna see a sub .400 winning % either. Ya can still respect while hating I guess.

[Jerlins]

Also a Yankee fan and I'm hoping one thing they don't do but afraid they will just to stick it to the Sox is sign Damon. I have all the respect in the world for the guy, he's a decent hitter, throws like a girl but still a good cf, but I just don't think he'd be worth signing for the 5 years he's looking for. In the 4th and 5th years we'll be looking at Bernie all over again.

What I'd like for them to do is see if something can be worked out for Rocco Baldelli, as the Rays have an abundance of top quality outfielders. Personally, I think the kid is going to be one of the elite in the game.

[Leo / loob]

Personally, if the D'rays trade Rocco to the Yankees, I would commit harry-Carry....

If any of the OFers go, it would be Huff, but he still can play 1b or DH

Crawford LF
Rocco CF
Young RF
Huff DH

Cantu at 2b

A pitcher or 3
and, .500 might be within reach next year.

Also, dont forget, the D Rays are under new management. Out with the old, basically, stupid GM. Hopefully the new owner group can get somebody young and ambitious as GM

[visick]

As a Yankee Hater as well I'd like to add that my 2 year old son could probably "could" have managed the Yankees and looked good too!
Some record Joe has in his early coaching career...:P


Phil Jackson (Lakers) is another "great" coach.


Yeah...lemme see these guys take a crappy team with limited payroll dollars and turn them into winners.

[Jerlins]

Sure, the Yankees have the highest payroll, but that doesn't necessarily relate to having talented ballplayers surrounding him. You have to take into account that some players he's managed were extremely overpaid for the talent they presently have. Pavano, Wright, Brown, Williams, to a lesser extent Johnson, Posada, Giambi, and Mussina. All former shells of what they once were. In past years, the arguement could be made that anyone could win with the talent the Yankees brought (bought) in, I'm not so sure it has legs this year.

You also have to take into account the management of egos when discussing Torre. Its not as easy as some make it out to be. If, for one minute, anyone thinks Torre would have put up with the antics of what Manny did this year, or what Pedro had done in previous years for the Sox, then they have not been watching the way Torre manages. Then again, because of his management ability, I doubt you would see these incidents, or if so, its safe to say it would only happen once. Unlike in Boston, where there is a set of rules for Manny, and in the past another set of rules for Pedro, there is one set of rules in the Yankee clubhouse, and that's Torre's. That in itself, in this day and age, puts Torre in the upper echelon of managers.

[kaviksdad]

[quote:c4e20a4e56]I wish the Yankees well, I guess, they are sorta like the 49ers, ya hate em, but ya dont wanna see a sub .400 winning % either. Ya can still respect while hating I guess. [/quote:c4e20a4e56]

No you can't :lol:

Can you just imagine what George would do after a sub .400 year? Now that would be fun! :twisted:

[ROBERTVOZZA]

Hopefully, that will be next year - and years to come. i think they would have done better signing Beltran last year. Personally, i think cutting losses and trading whomever other teams will take, while paying a portion of their salaries and re developing their once rich minor league system - is the way to go. If the Yankees are to regain their winning ways, they will have to lose(And I mean not make the playoffs) for a few years.

Eventually, this happens to all dynasties...Thank God! And hopefully it brings everyone back to reality. I still think a hard Cap of 100M and a floor of 50M could do wonders for the game and eliminate the huge and long contracts that unmotivate players to excel these days.

Lower payrolls, more parity, better competition and players more motivated to play hard without the use of performance enhancing drugs could bring back balance and integrity to the game.

I also wouldn't mind the contraction of 2-4 teams - the ones nobody goes to see as well as perform badly. Then the player pool would be less diluted as well.

[mfsleeze]

A Yankee fan's perspective - what I'd like to see in 2006:

C - Jorge Posada - but time to start looking for a successor.
1B - Paul Konerko - please overpay him George, I don't want Giles or Damon
2B - Robinson Cano
3B - Garrett Atkins - guess who I'm trading to Colorado
SS - Derek Jeter
LF - Hideki Matsui
CF - Torii Hunter - I traded Mussina for him
RF - Gary Sheffield
DH - Jason Giambi

SP - Randy Johnson - what can you do?
SP - Jaret Wright - see comment on Johnson
SP - Chien Ming Wang - shining light
SP - Shawn Chacon - shining light II
SP - Jeff Francis - I'm rolling the dice he is what they said he'd be before this year

RP - Ugueth Urbina
RP - BJ Ryan
CL - Mariano Rivera

So I traded AFraid to COL for Atkins and Francis under the premise that COL knows there is no way they keep Francis once he is eligible to leave and they know they'll sell a lot more tickets with AFraid hitting 70 bombs in Coors.

I traded Mussina to MIN for Hunter under the assumption that they would like a 1-2 punch of Santana/Mussina to compete with the Sox - probably have to throw in a good prospect as well

I signed Konerko as my only offensive free agent. Please don't give me Giles (you're going to play him in CF?) and Damon (would be Steve Kemp and Dave Collins all over again)

Then I signed Urbina and Ryan as my setup guys to Rivera, especially Ryan who I think was made for NY. He will be the heir apparent as well.

[Leo / loob]

1. Colorado cant afford Arod, only like 5 teams can
2. Twins have pitching, last thing they need, is to lesser there hitting and def at the same time
3. Ryan won't be signed in division (Balti does not have much $, but dont forget the "severance" they are getting from MLB for the Nats in their market. Balti ownership will do a sign and trade before they let a division rival get him
4. Urbina is a head case, thats the last thing the Yankees need at this point.

The Yankees, without a blockbuster deal of Arod probable are looking at taking a step back to the pack.

Let me look at who will be FA's this year.....