The Yankees. You either love them or hate them. There's no middle ground in the battle between good and evil. So, with just a month to go before pitchers and catchers report to spring training, the Spectrum Sports editors will take this space to bicker like a married couple over a topic that's hotter than the Iowa Caucus.
JN: Despite all the action in this year's offseason, I contend the Yankees are still the best team in baseball.
Even after the debacle at the end of October that baseball tried to pawn off as the World Series - we all know that the only series that mattered was the ALCS, when the Yankees added another chapter in the miserable sports history that belongs to the city of Boston. Despite losing Andy Pettite and Benedict Arnold - ummm, I mean Roger Clemens - and even with the pending departure of Joe Torre and the rest of the Yankee coaching staff, the Yankees are still baseball's team to beat.
The Yankees will still be in next year's World Series and they will still end up atop the toughest division in baseball - the AL East.
JB: And they most definitely should be the best team in baseball. The problem with that however, is that they really aren't even a team anymore, just a collection of hired guns.
I've been a Yankee fan for as long as I can remember, but my fandom for the boys in pinstripes is in critical condition. Cheering for these guys is getting to the point where it feels like I'm cheering for the evil clown in Stephen King's "It" to steal the souls of the helpless children. That may seem like a stretch, but sadly, that is exactly what it's like.
Burns and Smithers ... er, Steinbrenner and Cashman are not content with the fact that they've made it to the postseason in nine straight seasons, winning it all four times and coming within three total games of two more titles. Being a contender year in and year out is not enough. Stealing the heart and soul's of the opposition (i.e. Jason Giambi of the Oakland A's) is what seemingly makes Steinbrenner tick.
Baseball is supposed to be America's pastime, not a microcosm of dog-eat-dog American big business.
JN: Let's break down the Yankees and Marlin's rosters from the World Series. In the starting lineup (eight position players and a designated hitter) the Yankees had more players in their lineup that came up through their minor league system than the Marlins.
Derek Jeter, Alfonso Soriano, Jorge Posada, Bernie Williams and Nick Johnson all came up through the Yankee ranks. The Marlins had Alex Gonzalez, Luis Castillo, Miguel Cabrera and Derek Lee all got their careers started in Miami. That's five Yankee products to the Marlins' four. If you throw Matsui, who was signed right from Japan, into that equation it's Yanks six Marlins four.
Sure they "stole" Giambi, but if you have the money, spend it. It's not the Yankees' fault they built up the most storied franchise in American sports. Excellence in all areas is what sports are supposed to be about.
Other than Giambi, who they darn well should have signed, the Yankees haven't "stolen the soul" of anyone else. Sheffield practically begged the Yankees to sign him. They traded the Reds one of the better pitching prospects in years for Aaron Boone, who the Reds were looking to give away. Clemens was supposedly done when they got him, and they gave up David Wells, probably the most popular Yankee at the time. The Yankees don't steal, if anything they've earned it. And most importantly they make smart decisions. After all, they could spend money like the Orioles and Mets and end up with a huge payroll and last place teams.
JB: Remember back in 1995 and 1996 when the Yankees were just budding and it was exciting to root for them? Jumping into the Wild Card spot in '95 and knocking off the highly-touted (and favored) Atlanta Braves to win the Series in 1996 are what sports dreams are made of.
But, as the playoffs commenced this year I found myself privately rooting for the Twins, Red Sox and Marlins to knock out the Evil Empire. I could not take Steinbrenner, the "team" or the fans any longer.
I wanted to see the Twins sweep the Yanks and then watch the subsequent dismantling/reloading of the pinstriped dynasty. How could you root for a team when you knew a major change to your beloved squad was imminent? The mere thought of firing Torre was, and still is, ludicrous and appalling.
It didn't even take a first round loss to the Twins to cause a major overhaul though. Since the Yankees came two games (gasp!) from winning the Series, Steinbrenner felt a change was still necessary.
Between the jettisoning of Don Zimmer and Andy Pettite, two true Yankee greats, and the un-retirement of Roger Clemens so to speak, the incessant whine of the Yankee nation can be heard from sea to shining sea.
And boy, is it a beautiful sound. Comeuppance is served. Maybe Yankee fans will finally realize that until Steinbrenner releases his Castro-like hold upon the franchise, this collection of mercenaries will be nearly impossible to root for.
JN: It's true that Herr Steinbrenner leaves a bitter taste in even my mouth. But what options are there? Are the Yankees really the second coming of Darth Vader because they try to win? They spend money they have earned smartly, and unlike a lot of teams (Texas, Mets, Baltimore) it equals success. In the words of Will Ferrell, "If you've got it flaunt it."
And Boston sucks, seriously.
