Yankees Pain Is My Gain

Today is May 12th. It's only three days away from May 15th (I know, real genius, right?) - the date that I start looking at the MLB standings and taking them seriously. But, I decided to take an early peak anyway (what's three days between friends?).

So, as I cruised the internet looking for Yahoo! Sports and their MLB standings page (who reads the paper anymore?), I saw that the New York Yankees were 15-18. Not a horrible record, but certainly not what they had in mind when they spent roughly the GDP of three countries ($423.5M) to sign three players - CC Sabathia (no periods, please) A.J. Burnett (please add the periods), and Mark Teixeira (no periods necessary).

Then I noticed that the Yankees were in third place in the AL East, five and a half games behind the Toronto Blue Jays (against whom they start a three game series tonight). My smile was starting to get bigger.

Then I decided to take a look at some individual numbers. Teixeira, the 180 Million Dollar Man, is currently hitting .198 with seven homers and seventeen RBI's. Sabathia, a notoriously slow starter (who probably can't afford his normal slow start considering the $161M he signed for), is 2-3 with an ERA of 3.94 (those are respectable numbers but not what the Yankees thought they'd get for their money). Burnett, who signed for $82.5M is 2-0, but his ERA is an ugly 5.26. My smile was getting wider by the second.

After that, I thought about the pictures I've seen of Yankee Stadium. You know, the new palace built to replace The House That Ruth Built. I saw lots of empty seats in those pictures. Sure, the 'cheap' seats are sold out, but when you watch on television and see the seats closest to the action empty, you have to chuckle. Actually, I was laughing hysterically. My smile was so wide that Joan Rivers tapped me on the shoulder and asked how many facelifts I'd had.

And, I haven't even mentioned the exploits of one Alex Rodriguez!

Here's the bottom line. I am thoroughly enjoying the fact that the Yankees are struggling. And, I think most of you are, too.

First of all, the Yankees are an organization that is pretty easy to dislike (the kind work of course). They are the Dallas Cowboys of Major League Baseball. They are the Chicago Bulls of the NBA. They are the Jeff Gordon of NASCAR. They have been so good - they've had so much success (with their 26 World Series titles) - that you can't help but kick 'em while they are down.

The Yankees have been on top for so long that their struggles make me happy. It's like when the Bulls went from being six-time NBA champions to being worse than the Los Angeles Clippers. It's like when the Dallas Cowboys went from being three-time Super Bowl champs in the 1990's to having Quincy Carter at quarterback and Dave Campo as head coach.

It's pile on time, and that's what I'm doing (admittedly knowing that I may not be able to in a month or so).

Look, I have nothing against the three free agents they signed to big money contracts this winter. All three made business deals. All three will now be able to take care of their families for a very long time. Which one of us wouldn't have taken the money? I would have, and I'm pretty sure most of you would have, too.

I don't know Teixeira or Burnett. I've never talked to them. I've never covered their previous teams. I do know Sabathia (a little bit). He was always good to me whenever I talked to him - whether it was in the locker room or on the radio. The bottom line is if someone is stupid enough to throw that kind of money around, you have to take it - even if it isn't necessarily where you want to be.

My problem is with the organization itself. When they were making their run in the 1990's (after struggling mightily in the 1980's I might add), they did it primarily with home grown talent. Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera - they were the backbone of those title teams, and they were all developed in the Yankee minor league system. Sure, the Yankees threw some seasoned veterans from other teams into the mix, but they weren't prima dona types like A-Rod. They were guys like Paul O'Neill and Scott Brosius - grinders who didn't have success right off the bat.

But something changed. The organization was embarrassed when they lost the 2001 World Series to Arizona in seven games. They decided they would never lose again. They would do everything in their power to buy championships. That's when you saw guys like Jason Giambi, A-Rod, Carl Pavano, Johnny Damon, and others come to New York for big money (admittedly Mike Mussina did as well, but there is no way you could ever consider him a prima dona).

The Yankees thought they could buy their world championships. Well, they are still looking for World Series #27. They've been close, but Florida beat them in the World Series in 2003. Boston came back from being on death's door to beat them in the 2004 ALCS. They haven't been that close in five years. But, they still think that throwing their money around is the best way to win in big league baseball.

In the meantime, teams like the Brewers, who don't have the resources the Yankees do, have to go about their business differently. Instead of throwing money around, they have to develop a winning tradition from the ground up. Teams like the Yankees look down on teams like the Brewers. So, when the Yankees fail to accomplish their stated goals, it gives me a warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

The Yankee fans need to be taught a lesson as well. Around here, Cub fans are not regarded very highly (I am being kind). But they are tame compared to Yankee fans. They don't think that winning the World Series is their birthright. Yankee fans do. Sure, it's fun to watch when Cub fans are dealt blow after blow after blow (Steve Bartman, the 2007 NLDS, and the 2008 NLDS). But, to me at least, it's a hell of a lot better to watch Yankee fans talk trash from December through September, only to have to see them eat crow in October.

Again, I know I might not get to do this all season. My bet is the Yankees, one way or another, will right the ship and start winning. But right now they are 15-18. They are in third place in the AL East. They are five and a half games behind Toronto (and almost no one had Toronto starting out like this).

So, yes, I'm taking pleasure in watching this Yankee team struggle this year.

And I imagine most of you are as well.

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