... [Buster] Olney posits the Yankees could make a run at Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado should he reach free agency a year from now.
Yep. Nolan Arenado! Get ready. We'll be writing the checks. Hot only that, but Super Hal and his front office dream team are surely already thinking of 2020, when Mike Trout might become available. (As an East Coast native, maybe he wants to be a Yankee! If so, it's practically automatic that they'll sign him!)
Don't worry, folks, if this year's buying binge suddenly looks like a mirage. We've waited five years for this free agent class, but - hey - who expected the players to want so much money? Anyway, there's always next year! What's important is to keep our payroll low, so when the time is right, we can strike.
I mean, this year, Hal has managed to return JA Happ, Zach Britton, CC Sabathia and Brett Gardner, plus he brought in Troy Tulowitzki at the minimum price... and finally, HOLY SHIT, DJ LeMahieu! And February is within sight. Who knows what bargain basement values we will find in the scrap heap. And next year, there's always Nolan Arenado.
This is what it's like to be a fan of the Kansas City Royals, eh?
HEY, HAL, DON'T BE SHY. ASK US WHAT WE'RE THINKING! We can talk about next year's free agent class, and the year after that, and the year after that. Yeah, give us a call. We know a thing or two 'cause we've seen a thing or two. And we're still waiting for that big spending splurge you've been teeing up for the last two years. Now it's Nolan Arenado in 2019? Hmmm.
Or as George W. Bush once put it, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...won't get fooled again."
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, we will, Georgie...
Apologies for the re-post but given this new information about Hal reading social media I wanted to re-state my point. I rewrote it and added some things in case he is reading today.
ReplyDeleteHal,
You win!
As fans we cling to an antiquated notion that how well a team does on the field, how many championships we’ve won, is its true measure. This leads to hand wringing over the acquisition of this player or that player, the haranguing and bad mouthing of front office personnel and owners and a general sense of outrage when OUR “team” fails to achieve OUR goals.
Maybe we’ve been going about this all wrong.
We’re clearly focused on the wrong game. I propose that we stop rooting for the players and start rooting for the front office. After all, players come and go but Steinbrenners are forever.
We will stop looking at who is coming up in the minors and focus on who in the upcoming graduating class at Stanford is a Sabermetrics whiz. Do we go for one of those or for a marketing guru out of Wharton? We understand that we can’t afford both.
Like you and Lon we will celebrate that 3,000,000th customer. It is a great achievement! Your Dad would be proud. Plus we made the Wild Card!!!!!! Any fan that doesn't appreciate that isn't really a fan. Even though we haven't won a World Series in a decade or the AL East in years. It's OK. We are on firm financial footing and are set to participate in the post season regularly. Thank you.
We shouldn’t be discussing and arguing over who plays Left Field. Who cares? Henceforth we should be discussing and arguing the relative ROI of a Sabathia bobble head promotion over one for Aaron Judge.
And speaking of ROI what does it cost to bribe the food inspector to give us an A rating? Gotta be cheaper than fixing the violations. Just a suggestion.
BTW Hal, I heard a rumor that Cleveland’s assistant to the assistant of the Assistant GM is looking for a new home. He’s the guy who moved Vampire Bat Day to a night game for obvious reasons. We should totally get him.
From now on instead of suggesting that you sign Ottovino, which costs money we will help you with ideas for merch, which makes money.
New Yankee cap! The Babe Ruth one like David Wells used to sport. Take one and put it in a box. Then sell replica caps in a sealed box for $150. One of the boxes has the real one! you could probably sell 10,000 at $150. That comes to 1.5 Million (minus the $2500 the fake hats cost. 10,000 x .25)
I'm sure you've got the winning hat lying around somewhere. Don't worry about angry fans you've pulled off the bait and switch before.
Last year we were crowned 2018 Luxury Tax Champions! Brian for Executive of the Year! Unless of course he has a performance bonus in his contract. If so, second place will be just fine.
Last thing don't even consider that if you sign Harper and Ottavino all will be forgiven. You have NOTHING to apologize for. It's a business.
As for me, I'm off to Brooks Brothers to get my Official Yankee Front office Lon Trost Pin Striped Suit. ($795 and worth every pinched penny!) I wanted a Gene Micheal but they don't make them like that anymore.
Doug K.
RIP Mel Stottlemyre. I was one year old when he last pitched but I remember him as a long time coach.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I'm still in for Trout AND Mookie in 2021! Make it happen! And a big NO to getting the entire Rockies team. Even with the good players, they still suck, so that tells you something.
RIP Mel....it shoulda been Larry but I digress...
ReplyDeleteNever thought I'd see the day when the Yanks become some penny pinchin Cheap skates... Something sketchy is going on and I don't like it
Great stuff, Doug K. One small caveat: why sign a Sabermetrics whiz when what you really need is a business school wondering who specializes in international soccer ownership and sports telecommunications?
ReplyDeleteAlso, a solid developer for those luxury towers that will surrounded the new NYCFC field.
New York land-banking: If you build it, all the worst people in the world will come!
Yeah, I did love the Trout and Nolan Arenado rumors—especially the Arenado ones.
ReplyDeleteLast year, Arenado hit .347 in Denver—and .248 on the road. Lifetime, he is a .263 hitter on the road, with fewer than 15 homers a year.
Oh, and he's right-handed, because the Yankees don't believe in signing players who hit the wrong way.
But you know, he's a really good fielder at third. Almost as good as Manny Machado...
Forgot to mention that one Josh Benjamin wrote a piece for the "Elite Sports NY" blog—fast becoming the favorite outlet of the Gammonites—informing us that "NY Yankees 3B Miguel Andujar Must Fear Nolan Arenado."
ReplyDeleteAt .248.
Yeah, not so much.
I was going to read all of Mr. Benjamin's brilliant logic, but fortunately, Elite Sports NY has installed a pay wall.
My cardiologist thanks you, my internist thanks you.
HAL....
ReplyDeleteSO GLAD YOU FOUND THIS BLOG.
LISTEN CLOSELY, FOR I AM A RABID, WILD, EMOTIONAL, AND LOYAL YANKEE FAN FOR OVER 50 YEARS...I DESPISE THE RED SOX, AND THE METS....AND I STILL GO TO THE GAMES....ABOUT 7-10 PER YEAR.
WHEN YOUR DAD WAS THE OWNER, I DIDN'T THINK TWICE ABOUT SPENDING TO GO TO THE STADIUM.
I HAD NO PROBLEM PAYING THE OUTRAGEOUS FEE OF $30-$35 DOLLARS FOR PARKING NEAR THE STADIUM.
SOMETIMES, I SPLURGE AND TAKE MY WIFE, AND ANOTHER COUPLE TO THE AUDI ROOM TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $150 PER TICKET....AGAIN, NOT EVEN A SECOND THOUGHT ABOUT THE COST.
THE $9 DOLLAR ROUNDS FOR HOT DOGS, AND THE $20 DOLLAR BEER RUNS IN BETWEEN INNINGS, NO PROBLEM....
NOTHING BOTHERED ME.
UNTIL NOW.
..... YOUR ACTIONS ARE SHOWING, YOU ARE SCRIMPING FOR FINANCIAL REASONS, ON ACQUIRING THE TOP PLAYERS WE NEED TO TAKE THIS TEAM OVER THE TOP.
I KNOW BASEBALL IS A BUSINESS HAL, BUT THIS ISN'T THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS....THIS ISN'T THE CINCINNATI REDS, THE FLORIDA MARLINS, OR THE TAMPA BAY RAYS.... THE NEW YORK YANKEES ARE A DIFFERENT ANIMAL. SCRIMPING WITH THE YANKEES NEVER WORKS. YOUR FATHER FOUND THAT OUT IN THE 80'S WHEN WE SUDDENLY TURNED TOWARD FINANCIAL AUSTERITY..... WE DIDN'T WIN THE ENTIRE DECADE, AND THEN SOME.
IN ANY BUSINESS, YOU CAN'T KEEP EXPECTING PEOPLE TO PAY PREMIUM PRICES WHEN THERE IS A "SCRIMP AND SAVE' ATTITUDE ABOVE WINNING THAT IN ALL HONESTY, HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE SINCE 2015.
TODAY IT LOOKS LIKE, THE YANKEES COMMITMENT TO WINNING IS NUMBER 2,3 OR 4 ON YOUR LIST OF IMPORTANCE.
THAT'S A DAMN SHAME.
THAT IS NOT WHAT YOUR FATHER BUILT.
THAT IS NOT WHAT YOUR FATHER WANTED.
SHOW WHAT THE NEW YORK YANKEE ARE ALL ABOUT, AND SIGN BRYCE HARPER, THE BEST LEFTY HITTER OUT THERE THAT WE ACTUALLY NEED. PLAY HIM IN LF, HE WILL BE FINE THERE.
IF YOU KEEP PLAYING THIS "AUSTERITY" GAME WITH THIS TEAM?
....GUARANTEED THE VALUE OF THE YANKEE "BRAND" WILL DECLINE, AND SOONER THAN YOU THINK.
THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU WANT EITHER IS IT, HAL?
Harper in LF, YES!!!! Save Gardy for when The Hair comes up lame or use John Carlo. It'll happen.
ReplyDeleteHal, you don't REALLY expect a good 0.5 season's worth of production from Gardner, do you?
You can get by a paywall such as the WaPo and NYT by simply using a VPN which everyone should use to keep their ID safe from phishing and your surfing completely anonymous. Nord is a good one and it costs about 30.00 a year. Use that and also hit the "block cookies" in your settings, if needed. Sometimes you don't need to use both, often you can get by the paywall just blocking cookies. Not that I'm into theft of services, you know. :)
ReplyDelete
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