I love baseball, so many things about the history and the folklore. I love that World Series heroes include Reggie Jackson and Derek Jeter but also Mark Lemke, Joe Carter and yes, even Edgar Renteria. I understand baseball is different than the other 3 major sports, partly because of the salary cap. I say that if you can be successful and make more money than other peers, why not. Now maybe there is a little too much of a gap between the Royals and Yankees or the Pirates and Red Sox. But if your team and brand name can make 400 million just in the TV network, like the Yankees did in 2010, go for it and congrats on that. With that being said combined with their annually top payroll, here is my question, don't the Yankees underachieve? How do they not win every year? They generally have the best players as well as the highest and richest resources. Most free agents have to see it as a favorable destination and perhaps playing in those pin stripes adds a little sex appeal.
Here are a few reasons why I think the Yankees underachieve:
1. What if the Lakers or the Celtics had no salary cap? What if you gave UCLA or Duke basketball the ability to pay the most for top athletes? What if you gave the Rooney family or Bill Belichick the money to go get anyone they want? This is basically what the Yankees have over the rest of their sport. Throw in the nightlife and the tradition, and you have similar situations with the respected organizations I mentioned above. Think if you gave Jerry Buss the ability to get LeBron James, Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose to support Kobe and Pau? What if you gave Tom Brady the option to hand off to Adrian Peterson, throw to Larry Fitzgerald and be protected by Steve Hutchinson at the same time? It would be a safe guess to say that both the Lakers and the Patriots would have added to their recent dynasties. Look at the Yankees roster the past 6 years. ARod, Jeter, Pettitte, Sheffield, Teixeira, Rivera, Clemens, CC, and I'm leaving plenty of names out. And yet, just 1 championship in that span. Which leads me to my next point...
2. Only 5 championships post Reggie Jackson? In my lifetime, lets say 30 years, a nice round number, which is 1981-present, the Yankess have 5 World Series rings which tops the MLB (this is where I tip my hat). But, also over that span, their main rival, the Red Sox have 2 rings. Also with 2 rings... the Dodgers, Cardinals, Twins, Blue Jays, and Marlins. I'll bet most of you forgot the Jays repeated and Tom Kelly's Twins had good runs. Look at other sports in that same span. NFL - 49ers also have 5 rings, the Cowboys have 3. Also with 3, the Redskins, Giants, (tough NFC east) and Patriots. The Packers, Steelers and Broncos have two. NBA - we all know the Lakers success, 9 in that span, Jordan's Bulls have 6, the Celtics and Spurs have 4, and the Pistons have 3. Now if your team is one I mentioned above, think if they had the ability to get any athlete, at any cost and no penatly. By now you can see my point. If I haven't convinced you enough, see #3...
3. The Yankees were mediocre, yes it's true. From 1982-1993, the Yankees missed the playoffs every season. And in 5 of those seasons, they were under .500. Talk about underachieving.
Listen, I respect the Yankees and love watching Derek Jeter play and consider him a winner and a true professional. Think about it. The Yankees have every advantage, including a better farm system than people realize. Mattingly, Bernie Williams, Rivera, Jeter, Alfonso Soriano, Cano, Posada and others who have come through the Yankee system have had all star and/or Hall of Fame careers. With the money, the television exposure, the brand, the glitz and glamour, the tradition and past success, I state that the Yankees marketing team overachieve almost every year and the Yankees team on the field underachieve almost every season.
