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Post by MasterCrabby on Apr 7, 2005 22:59:09 GMT -5
Well, I would concede to Luvarchfiend that the Yankees have been dominant in past years, but do they have the team focus to rival the teams of their illustrious past?
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Post by luvarchfiend on Apr 7, 2005 23:39:01 GMT -5
i dislike predicting, especially this early in the season, but i would venture a big YES on that. ;D this year, not only do we have the bats, but, thankfully, the pitching too....and the infield and outfield aren't too shabby either. have to admit i am a bit worried about the start rivera is getting off to.... and mets fans, take heart....with a former and illustrious yankee at the helm (and a fine man all around), your future is looking brighter. have some patience and give him a chance.
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generaldu
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Post by generaldu on Apr 8, 2005 8:30:54 GMT -5
The Yankee teams of the Torre era started out like Joe McCarthy's teams of the late thirties, nearly invinciple in postseason.
Now they've begun to resemble the late Stengel era/Ralph Houk/Berra teams of the early sixties, getting to the postseason regularly but not bankable for the WS Championship.
Torre will have to manage a little harder now, especially when addressing the age of key players like Bernie Williams and Rivera, who is still a dominant closer although Boston reads him like a book.
A-Rod's complete lack of clutch play hitting or fielding has been a typical surprise. MVP-schmemMVP, I don't believe anybodys reputation until they play everyday in front of a New York crowd (or Boston or Chicago crowd, etc., those towns that don't need retro-style stadiums because they already have century-old stadiums filled with generations of fans who know the game).
Matsui has been the overall Yankee MVP since his arrival. The Red Sox, especially, can't get him out and he basically knocked Pedro out of the Boston uniform, which over 162 games should make some kind of difference.
p.s.
I'd trade Kevin Brown for a stale cheese sandwhich.
Any takers?
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Post by seven stars on Apr 8, 2005 9:06:41 GMT -5
If the Sox can't get Matsui out, that would make him the Yankee version of David Ortiz with less power. Papi owns the Yanks, this you must concede. And for all the money "The Boss" has burned on that lineup, it isn't one bit superior to that of the Red Sox. Nevertheless, the pitching advantage between the two teams has certainly swung back over to the dark side .
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Post by moreshige on Apr 8, 2005 10:00:13 GMT -5
If the Sox can't get Matsui out, that would make him the Yankee version of David Ortiz with less power. Papi owns the Yanks, this you must concede. And for all the money "The Boss" has burned on that lineup, it isn't one bit superior to that of the Red Sox. Nevertheless, the pitching advantage between the two teams has certainly swung back over to the dark side . Looking at the Yanks line-up, it looks more like a 1995 than a 2005 line-up. The five old Yankee players... Martinez and sierra adds to posada, jeter, williams: the most number of old-time yank hitters in 10 years which used to average around 3 or 4 players every year. And Rivera is not Rivera of old so far.....So will it be a 1995 year or bust?
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Post by MasterCrabby on Apr 8, 2005 10:02:32 GMT -5
I think the Yankees have a strong lineup, but New York is no place for the faint of heart. A-Rod was used to an easy time in Texas. I think Boston fans are not as hard on their players. GeneralDu, you could get Dempster for Brown. Then again if the cheese was decent, maybe the sandwich...That's a tough choice.
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Post by seven stars on Apr 8, 2005 10:54:09 GMT -5
It's ok Master C..Two or three more epidurals (spelling?) and K. Brown should be good to go... For a couple of weeks anyway.
I'm only playing, and you guys are right... No place is harder on the players than NYC, as far as the media goes. NY media is very well educated with regard to the game, and they know it. As far as fans go, I would put Philly on par with NYC regarding their demeanor toward players.
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generaldu
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Post by generaldu on Apr 8, 2005 11:24:38 GMT -5
I think the Yankees have a strong lineup, but New York is no place for the faint of heart. A-Rod was used to an easy time in Texas. I think Boston fans are not as hard on their players. GeneralDu, you could get Dempster for Brown. Then again if the cheese was decent, maybe the sandwich...That's a tough choice. Boston Red Sox fans are historically the hardest fans to play in front of in baseball history. They didn't like Ted Williams, they didn't like Jim Rice, they didn't like Wade Boggs, etc. Perhaps now that they have a championship they'll ease up a little. They have a team worthy of support. New York fans in all sports like guys who play the game hard. Management and the media may obsess over superstars and prima donnas but the players who've left their mark here with the fans have been the dirty uniform guys.
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generaldu
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The subway charms us so, where balmy breezes blow, to and fro. - Lorenz Hart - "Manhattan"
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Post by generaldu on Apr 8, 2005 11:41:42 GMT -5
If the Sox can't get Matsui out, that would make him the Yankee version of David Ortiz with less power. Papi owns the Yanks, this you must concede. And for all the money "The Boss" has burned on that lineup, it isn't one bit superior to that of the Red Sox. Nevertheless, the pitching advantage between the two teams has certainly swung back over to the dark side . Ortiz is a great hitter but Matsui plays defense and never misses a game. Were it not for Matsui's hitting the Red Sox might have have had two titles easily instead of one the hard way. Putting aside the silly Godzilla hype, day in and day out Matsui has shown himself to be a tremendous clutch player. And to Steinbrenner's credit, when all is said and done, he puts the money back into the team where other owners take the money (if not the whole team) and run.
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Post by skinz on Apr 8, 2005 12:25:03 GMT -5
Ah! A baseball thread. But one have to wonder how YSS is gonna be discussed here. Hmm....what would YSS be like if he was a manager? Would he have his pitchers throw while balancing on a log?
Anyway, Matsui is definitely the best player on the Yankees. And the best thing about it is that he's doing it quietly. A-rod,on the other hand, is just.....I don't know. I just hate the guy for some reason. He's making all that money with praises that he's the best player all-around, but he just suck with runners on base. And don't get me started with his pathetic slap of the ball last year and the obsession he has to become "one of the boys".
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Post by seven stars on Apr 8, 2005 12:36:57 GMT -5
I don't disagree... I made the comparison between the two based on hitting. No one can debate the high level of Matsui's overall game. The Yankee's payroll is roughly $200,000,000. Generaldu... ;D are you trying to tell me that other owners are socking up $120 - 140 million while the boss is somehow spending it on his players. Does he have some sacrificial commitment to Yankee baseball that other owners lack for their teams and cities. When it comes down to it, the chief virtue of the Yankee nation is good ol' American wealth. Any owner put in his position would respond in the same way. And any other team would have won at least as many World Series given those resources.
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Post by seven stars on Apr 8, 2005 12:39:52 GMT -5
Ah! A baseball thread. But one have to wonder how YSS is gonna be discussed here. Hmm....what would YSS be like if he was a manager? Would he have his pitchers throw while balancing on a log? This should be on AOW Tangents Skinz, because the Mets could use a hitting coach like the Archfiend right about now. Maybe they could send Piazza to Oakryong Temple to chop trees on the weekends. He could've used some Yi Ui-Min in that swing with the bases loaded yesterday.
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Post by Skinz Unlogged on Apr 8, 2005 12:43:49 GMT -5
I didn't see the game yesterday. I still was feeling the pain of the grand slam that Dejean gave the day before.
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generaldu
Senior Addict
The subway charms us so, where balmy breezes blow, to and fro. - Lorenz Hart - "Manhattan"
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Post by generaldu on Apr 8, 2005 13:49:38 GMT -5
I don't disagree... I made the comparison between the two based on hitting. No one can debate the high level of Matsui's overall game. The Yankee's payroll is roughly $200,000,000. Generaldu... ;D are you trying to tell me that other owners are socking up $120 - 140 million while the boss is somehow spending it on his players. Does he have some sacrificial commitment to Yankee baseball that other owners lack for their teams and cities. When it comes down to it, the chief virtue of the Yankee nation is good ol' American wealth. Any owner put in his position would respond in the same way. And any other team would have won at least as many World Series given those resources. Your argument is out of touch with today's game. Most teams are owned by corporations with much deeper pockets than Steinbrenner's. His principle business has become the Yankees during the course of his ownership and he has been relentless, if not always wise, in his efforts to provide the fans with a good team. Bud Selig, for instance, hustled Milwaukee for a new stadium, then did a fire sale on what talent the team had. The Yankees were a train wreck when Steinbrenner purchased the team and we all hated him to begin with but few owners in any sport have his passion for winning and are willing to so consistently back it up with cash.
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Post by seven stars on Apr 8, 2005 15:52:36 GMT -5
Your argument is out of touch with today's game. Most teams are owned by corporations with much deeper pockets than Steinbrenner's. His principle business has become the Yankees during the course of his ownership and he has been relentless, if not always wise, in his efforts to provide the fans with a good team. Actually I'm 27 years old so today's game is all I've ever known. Forgive me for trying to make a point in rather obtuse fashion. The most well run and successful professional sports organization in the U.S. is the NFL. Baseball is America's passtime, but Football is and has been America's favorite sport for at least a generation now. I pose this: profit sharing has played a significant role in the assencion of pro football. It has contributed to a greater competitive element than is enjoyed by any of the other 2 and 1/2 (hockey=1/2) major sports. To institute profit sharing in MLB now would be disastrous for and somewhat unfair to the Yankees organization. Having said that, the institution of profit sharing within MLB would be the best thing to happen to the sport and to MLB in the modern era. Baseball would have been best served by doing this in the 70's at the same time as the NFL (and it wouldn't have been as damaging to the Yankee's at that point either). I agree that the Yankee's should spend the money that they have (they print their own after all, don't they ). For them to be in the position to triple and quadruple other teams payrolls is not proper in the competitive arena. I know that many will disagree with me: "The Yanks bring in that money so they should be able to spend it." Remember Yankees/Giants/Jets fans... if the NFL were run that way we'd be talking about the superpower Cowboys and Raider nations, not just the Yankees in Baseball.
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