Monday, October 22, 2012

Welcome to 1983 again: The new international free agent salary caps have kicked in, so don't expect the Yankees to buy their way out of misery

Everyone knows how billionaires love-love-love capitalism and hate-hate-hate commies - you know, like Obama and George Soros. Hell, they didn't get to be billionaires by organizing co-ops. Nevertheless, something happens when they buy baseball teams. Then, they turn pinko. Things like top-down artificial salary caps make sense. Last year, they managed to put one into place on the international free agent market.  Thus, the days of the Yankees being the Yankees, exercising their financial might and paying the most for overseas talent - them days be ovah.

I say this because two young stud Japanese pitchers have announced plans to come to America. They'll pitch against us soon. One is a high school wunderkind, the other is still in development stages. Last year, we might have signed them. This year, forget it. We have no money, because of the cap.

The Yankees have managed to screw themselves into the worst of all worlds. We are oldest, craggiest and most injury-prone team in baseball. We are the organization that -  due to the high prices of home games - cannot afford the luxury of a two or three-year rebuilding phase. And we cannot spend our way out of the doldrums, as we did in 2009 and basically throughout the 20 years. Our ownership has ceded control to a cozy front office, which in turn ceded control to players with long-term contracts, which mean we the fans can only just sit there and watch the turd pile collapse.

Look at Baltimore. Look at the ages of their lineup. If they do nothing next season, just watch TV and play with the kids, they will improve.  Same with Toronto and Tampa. At least Boston adopted a rebuilding plan, though it might take two centuries. We are on the verge of tumbling back into 1983 - yes, Bill Cosby is king, the Thompson Twins are recording, and we face a long, dark stretch of failing seasons and high payroll, with anger gurgling throughout the fan base and the Mets rising to become New York's signature team.

It amazes me when people think this cannot happen. Look at history, folks. It always does. 

How can we avoid it? Well, if Michael Pineda turns into Justin Verlander, that would help. But he didn't undergo Tommy John surgery. It was his shoulder. (In other words, good luck, pally.) And one of our kids - say, Slade Heathcott or Mason Williams - quickly rose through the system to become the star Austin Jackson should have been, well, that would help immensely. Trouble is, we don't let kids rise through the system like that. Our lineup is too bottled up with contracts and home run hitters.

Folks, the problem isn't A-Rod, or Grandy, or Swish or any one person. This collapse didn't happen in a week. It's taken years to crumble, and despite the assurances from Hal and Hank that they are not happy, there are new rules in place. The billionaires have spoken. Che Guevara lives!

2 comments:

Bernard said...

Dude, Soros is infinitely richer than the president.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/erincarlyle/2012/05/16/obamas-worth-nearly-6-million-see-why-hes-down-since-last-year/

Bretrand Russell said...

Bernard, dude, please do not come to this blog looking for a picayune adherence to small details and trivial truths. Instead, this site presents larger truths and commentary that will help you better understand the Yankees, John Sterling and the natural order of things -- not necessarily in that order. Do not attempt to confuse the conversation with inconsequential details. Thank you.