Following in the wake of the Yankees’ signing of star first baseman Mark Teixeira is the deluge of tears flowing from the eyes of other team officials around the league.  Brewers owner Mark Attanasio complained that he spent $220M for his entire organization, while the Yankees just spent $423.5M on three free agents this month.

But am I missing something here?  Yes, they committed themselves to pay out $423.5M in future salaries, but that is over an eight-year span.  Next year’s payroll only assumes $62M of that money ($23M + $22.5M + $16.5M), which is still $26.5M less than the $88.5M that came off the books this offseason.  So why was nobody whining when last year’s Yanks were watching the playoffs on TV with a much higher payroll?

Last I checked, the entire league didn’t resemble a nursery room full of whining babies when the Chicago Cubs signed their name on the dotted lines of nearly $300M in future salaries in the winter of 2006 after finishing with a disgusting 66-96 record.  So why all the fuss now over another off-season spending spree?

Because of the state of the current economy?  No.

Then why?  Oh yea, because we are talking about the New York Yankees - the 26-time champion New York Yankees who have kept franchises like the Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays afloat since the dawn of the luxury tax.  Teams like the envious Brewers and Marlins need to stop talking about a salary cap and start putting the revenue and profit margin they generate back on the field instead of in their pockets for the fans to enjoy - the same way the Yankees have been doing it for decades.

(Image: NYTimes.com)

Following a disappointing season that saw the Yankees fail to reach the postseason for the first time since 1993, amidst the festivities of the final season in beloved Yankee Stadium, they realize that they must make a strong statement this off-season.  There is one main objective for revamping this underachieving roster: Add young superior talent.

They have colossal holes in four main areas: the starting rotation, no true first baseman, ancient options in left field and absolutely nothing in center field.  With roughly $90M coming off the payroll, now is the time to act.

The first priority was the shortcomings of the pitching staff.  The Yanks managed to win 89 games last season despite heavy workloads from Darrell Rasner, Sidney Ponson, Dan Giese, and other hilarious options.  This is unacceptable.  Brian Cashman and his cronies ponied up to pay a combined $43.5M per year on the young power arms of C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.  Once Andy Pettitte decides to return as an anchor at the fifth starter slot at a discounted price, the rotation will be set.

However, Cashman has been susceptible in the past with his questionable decision making regarding position players.  Think of the off-season after the 2004 season - Yanks were coming off the collapse to the Red Sox and instead of upgrading their center field position with Carlos Beltran, they decided to blow their wad on Randy Johnson and Carl Pavano.  I think we all know how those two moves worked out and now they are twiddling their thumbs with Brett Gardner in center field.

The Yanks upgraded by sending little used utility man Wilson Betemit to the White Sox for Nick Swisher to play first base and outfield, and have entertained the notion of trading Melky Cabrera to the Brewers for center fielder Mike Cameron.

But why bring in another 36 year-old washed-up outfielder at $10M per year when you already have two others, Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui (each make roughly $13M), fighting for playing time?  Wouldn’t they be better off shelling out the $22M to Mark Teixeira and moving Nick Swisher into center field?

Teixeira is a 28 year-old gold glove first baseman.  Have the Yanks had a real first basemen who can play solid defense and hit for power and average since Tino Martinez in 2001?  No.

Cashman needs to realize that now is the time to strike, and strike effectively and intelligently.  Grab Teixeira, who will provide stability at the first base position for the first decade of the new Stadium.  He will crush the ball to the new short porch in right and is a solid player with a bull work ethic in the weight room.  Let Manny Ramirez go play in LA.  Then, save the $26M that will be shed off the payroll next summer (from Damon and Matsui’s corpse) and invest it in another young stud in the outfield, namely Matt Holliday.

The solution is simple - sign the high quality players while they are entering their prime, not after they just completed it.  Cashman took the first step by upgrading the pitching staff while lowering the average age.  Now its time to do the same for the position players.

(Image: Gothamist)

It’s Thanksgiving Week, which means three things: Food, Football, and Cheerleaders! While everyone else is piling plates of food and stuffing their faces, the cheerleaders will be the only ones brave
enough to bare their sexy stomachs come Saturday. All the rest of us will be eating turkey sandwhiches as we watch the Big 12 South Story unfold over the course of the holiday weekend. With potential look-ahead games looming in Bama and Tallahassee, Notre Dame trying not to look stupid(er), and the Big Ten at home waiting to sneak up the BCS ladder, what could be better than a breski in your hand, the game on the big screen, and hot southern chicks on sideline.

Check out the picks (and the chicks) after the jump!

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Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

New York Yankees pitcher Mike Mussina is calling it quits after a brilliant 18-year career.  Sure, the Moose very well might take his 270 career victories, 17 consecutive seasons with 11 or more wins, and 2,813 strikeouts to the Hall of Fame one day; but for Yankee fans, it is a time to consider that this could be the end of a relatively dark era in recent memory because of one pivotal decision gone wrong.

The Yanks were winners of three-straight titles, four of the past five, and entered the winter after the 2000 season with intent to go for the jugular.  With two prized free agents available, the Yanks knew they had to make the right choice to stay on top.

They then signed the number-one pitcher available over the number-one hitter available - Moose over Manny. Read More »

When Donnie Walsh took over as President of the New York Knicks, he vowed that there would be better days ahead for one of the NBA’s flagship franchises.  The first step was banishing Isiah Thomas from the team.  The next was bringing in Coach Mike D’Antoni.

But on Friday, he may have made his most aggressive step toward delivering on his promise to build a brighter tomorrow for New York. Read More »

With the leaves off the trees, the icy crisp in the air, and the cheerleaders waiting in the hot tub, it’s almost time for Thanksgiving football! Entering the final weekend before Thanksgiving break, the Big Ten wraps up its schedule (finally), while a few Top Ten teams have the week off.

Will some of the favorites already be stuck in early vacation mode? Will some major underdogs cause a shakeup in the BCS standings? Or will the rankings look the same come Monday morning? There is one major match-up this weekend and one that will seal the Big Ten’s fate - and oh yea, that Utah/BYU game that all the Mormons are talking about…

Check out College Football Week Thirteen: Cheerleader Edition after the break! Read More »

If ever there was a match made in heaven, it is Sean Williams and the New York Knicks.

Sean Williams is a second year power forward/center for the New Jersey Nets and is mired on the bench in frustration and anger.  Newsday reported that the giant piece of oak anchoring Williams’ nameplate was ripped clean off of his locker and found leaning against the wall after Wednesday’s game.  Seems like the dynamic shot blocker from Boston College has had enough of being banished to the bench, having only played 24 minutes in the team’s first seven games this season.

Here is where the Knicks come into play.  The Knicks have been one of the worst shot blocking teams in the league over the past couple of seasons.  They desperately need a player who can bring interior presence and shot-blocking off of help defense.  Many scouts that watched Williams perform during pre-Draft workouts  in Houston last summer believe that he has the tools to become the next Amare Stoudemire.  So why not match the next potential Amare with Amare’s most influential coach? Read More »

In shocking news out of the NBA earlier this week, the Detroit Pistons traded Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, and Chiekh Samb to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Allen Iverson.  On the surface, this appears to be a win-win trade for both teams - but for the Pistons, this deal opens the door for so much more.

The Pistons were slowly becoming the league’s most boring team outside of San Antonio.  They’ve had the same core of team-first guys for five years, never do anything spectacular, and were a gambler’s dream come true when it came down to picking the loser of the Eastern Conference Finals. Read More »