Not sure how this really helps out NY too much. Yes, they get A-Rod, who I think is slightly overrated, to fill the hole at 3B. But now they have a big gap at 2B, unless they plan on getting someone soon. Statisically speaking, this trade is a wash. Oh ya, the Yankees add a huge contract too.
Well, supposedly it had to do with going over the "luxury tax" and that Lucchino, John Henry, and Theo Epstein thought that contract was too much to take on to where they would really be losing money. Having whatever is invoked when you go over the luxury tax was too much to take (or so they have everyone believe). But to the MFYs (the Sons of Sam Horn's nickname for the Yankees), that stuff is never an issue. I guess my intial reaction was of disgust, but I am not surprised. That is why people hate the MFYs so much because they do these types of things; it is also why they are always in the World Series. I just find it comical that ARod wants out of Texas that badly that he is willing to eat a huge hunk of crow and that his ego will actually let him act like he is happy playing 3rd base alongside "Captain Intangibles" Jeter (another classic SoSH nickname). What happened to "I am all about winning" which we heard him espouse constantly before he signed with that dump of a team in the Rangers? Yea, he is proving it now, isn't he? I still like Boston's chances because we improved our starting pitching mightily by bringing in Schilling and if BK Kim gets his head on straight, I think our starting 5 is the best in the game. As for the MFYs, Kevin Brown is an old man who will break down at the sight of having a hangnail, Jon Lieber is nothing special and Contreras is a HUGE wildcard as a starter. Mussina is good and Vazquez is no slouch, but I will take Pedro and Schill over them every day of the week and twice on Sunday. DLowe, Wakefield, and BK round out the rest of Boston's starting rotation and they match up favorably or better than that of the MFYs: Lieber, Brown, and Contreras. As for bullpen, Foulke is right there with big-eared Rivera in terms of closers and keeping Williamson makes the Sox very strong in terms of set-up men. MFYs overpaid for Tom Gordon and Paul Quantrill (like they always do) but they will help them as I think both teams improved their bullpens a lot from last season and are about equal here. MFYs offense will be stout with Sheffield, Matsui, Arod, Giambi, another big-eared guy in Posada, Bernie Baseball, and of course, Captain Intangibles Jeter. They now need a 2B and I don't know who will DH for them (could be Giambi or Bernie but they will need a 1B since they traded Private Gomer Pyle aka Nick Johnson) but nonetheless, I think their offense is way better this year than last season. As for Boston, they return everyone except Todd Walker and replace him with Pokey Reese which is a drop-off offensively but they still have Nomar, Manny, Varitek, Ortiz, Millar, Mueller, Trot, and Damon. I am concerned that some of these guys will drop off this season as they had career years last season, but maybe that won't happen. Overall - I think that the MFYs may have the better offense. Defensively, there is no contest - the MFYs are horrible in the field. Sheffield in right? Giambi at first? They have so many holes that it isn't even funny. Also add on the fact that Jeter is really not that great of a SS defensively and you have arod playing a new position in 3B and who knows playing 2B. Also add that Bernie baseball is having all kinds of knee problems and you wonder how he will get by in centerfield just like how will Giambi get by at 1B. Boston, meanwhile, shored up their biggest defensive weakness which was 2B by getting a gold glover in Pokey Reese. Overall, the Red Sox soundly defeat the MFYs in terms of defense. It should be an interesting season and to see how everything plays out. The MFYs will be tough simply because of the mystique and the aura they have and until Boston can win one, you have to give the MFYs the edge. Oh and I will say that if I find out that the ******* named Tom Hicks didn't receive any money from the MFYs in this deal, then I will be so pissed off! However, I wouldn't be surprised because Hicks is the type to do something like that to get back at Lucchino, as the two of them did not part amicably.
Bother with what? What has been proved here is the Rangers have lost money without winning, and only certain teams can lose money and not worry about it and that is big market teams. I originally stated that 90% of the teams in baseball aren't big market teams and the numbers prove that. The Rangers payroll far exceeded their market value. They had the 4th highest payroll in the league, but are in the 7th highest market in the nation (puts them in the 75th percentile not top 10%) and they were in the read for their revenue. Truly the only big market teams are the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Cubs, Dodgers, Braves and one or two others but the Rangers sure aren't in that class. Big market teams can lose money every year on the baseball aspect of it and make up for it in their national broadcasts, local deals, branding rights, etc. There are a few other teams that are far closer to being "big market teams" then the Rangers are. San Francisco, Seattle and Colorado to name a few.
Oh well, wouldn't be surprised. Beating the Red Sox is just second to breathing for the Yankees. The Yankees getting A-Rod would just be another chapter in the sorry history of the Red Sox.
ARod the best player in baseball? Not even in the AL people. Not even in the AL East. Let's take a look at a statiscal comparison from the last 5 years between Overrated Rod and Manny Ramirez. Five Year Averages: OBP: ARod: .393 Manny: .436 OPS: ARod: 1.000 Manny: 1.077 Strikeouts: ARod: 122 Manny: 115 Walks: ARod: 81 Manny: 87 Home Runs: ARod: 48 Manny: 39 Power numbers in favor of ARod, but Manny is clearly a much better player. BUT, if you look at seasonal averages (assuming they played all 162 games) Manny projects 41 HRs compared to ARods 44. And if you want to compare progression as a hitter, Manny's 2003 season was absolutely phenomenal. He had a BB/SO ratio of over 1. Now obviously Yankee fans can spin the stats anyway they want. However, in my opinion, ARod gets alot of hype because of his power numbers. But if you look at his numbers, he has really regressed as a hitter. He strikes out a lot more, he walks less, etc. I see him becoming a nothing but another power hitter that plays short. That's all well and good, but not worth 25 million a year. All in all, I'm glad the Red Sox didn't pull the trigger on the Manny for ARod deal. I've been saying that since the beginning, you can look up that original thread on the trade. And frankly, I'm not too concerned about him going to the Yankees. He is very overrated. It just puts alot more pressure on the team. If they don't win with him, Steinbrenner will really flip out. Verdict: The Red Sox still have a better team going into the season.
And of course Manny is one of the leftfielders in the league. A-Rod is the 2nd or 3rd best player in all of baseball. It's hardly disputable.
I just disputed it. He isn't the 2nd or 3rd best player in all of baseball. He's an overrated "swing for the fences every at-bat" power hitter. He has some skill at defense, but they just decreased the value of that defense moving him to 3rd instead of actually addressing a weakness: the worst defensive middle infield in all of baseball. Yep, you heard me. Captain Intangibles is still the most overrated player in the majors, don't worry. It's just that ARod is creeping up on him.
Second or third best. Not disputable. You can argue that for weeks and 95% of the baseball world wouldn't change their stance. One thing that you can't really dispute is that the Yanks would be killing the Red Sox in this deal by dumping off Soriano for A-Rod.
First of all, what exactly were you trying to say in your previous post. Manny Ramirez plays left field? Nice work, genius. Secondly, I love how you don't address anything I said, but just repeat what you say. Newsflash, moron. Your opinion is not necessarily fact. And I doubt that 95% of the baseball world considers what you think to be the truth. And again, I disagree. Soriano plays 2nd, which is a position of scarcity. Third base is not.
It always goes to insults when you reach for stuff like this. A-Rod is one of the best fielders at SS in the league, I don't see how he can't adapt to 3rd if he had to. The Yankees right now have one of the worst defensive middle infields in baseball, true. That hasn't and won't stop them from being the best team in the AL. And Derek Jeter is the most overrated player in baseball, but what does that prove with A-Rod? Nothing.
I was reading Sons of Sam Horn and I don't know whether to laugh or cry after reading some of their posts. However, two things that were mentioned that got my attention: 1) How stupid will Joe Torre, Steinbrenner (they call him SiaS - Satan or **** in a Suit), and Jeter look by insisting on ARod - the best defensive SS in the game, to play 3B while Captain Intangibles is missing the balls in the hole at SS? 2) This could be a ploy by Boras, ARod, and Hicks to try to get the Red Sox back into the mix Oh and if the MFYs don't have to give up Contreras for this deal to go through, then they not only crapped on Boston but they tore the Strangers an absolute new one.
Why would the Yanks be in on a ploy to try to give the Red Sox the best SS in the league? Oh and Nomar, 3B is basically just as bad as SS at this moment.
I didn't say that the Yanks were involved - only ARod, Boras, and Hicks. They don't have to be in on this; ARod, Boras, and Hicks are playing the two teams off of each other or at least that is what the theory is. I don't know; I'm just relaying what some of the people on SoSH are saying.
Well, who were the two teams courting A-Rod? There's your answer. Call me crazy for jumping into the middle of this never-ending argument...but as far as Manny and ARod go, Manny is probably the better hitter, but ARod is a more valuable player due to the position he plays and his defense is better.
* Jeter should give up the SS spot to A-Rod and move to either 3rd or second. * The Yankees get better in this trade, and hopefully can just get Soriano back in a couple of years (that kid has the potential to be great). * The rotation is better than last year and every bit as good as the Boston rotation. * Mariano is twice as good as the incredible Foulke. * Yankees went to the series last year and are better this year, should get another championship, and almost certainly will win the pennant.
You're right, but it's not ManRam either. It's Jason Giambi over the last five years! OBP: .444 OPS: 1.04 SO: 107 WALKS: 122 HR: 39 I do agree that ManRam's offensive statistics are comparable to or even exceeds ARod's. Nonetheless, ARod gets the edge because: 1) ARod is a two-time gold glove winner (this is why Jeter should get a clue and move to 3B). ManRam is a liablilty in left (that's why he plays left). 2) ARod is three years younger 3) ARod has faced two divisional pitching staffs that have finished in the top 5 in ERA for the past three years: A's and Mariners. Factor in the Angels magical season and ARod's competition has been more fierce.
Not really Manny because the Rangers save 15 million a year on this deal and that was their goal: to unload ARod. I think Hicks, Sholwalter, and company are grateful that they didn't trade with the Sox. Not only do they save a ton of money, they get Soriano, who just as talented, younger, and less neurotic as ManRam. I think this stinks for baseball. I don't care what the ESPN idiots (Kurkjian, Brantley, Reynolds) say. MLB has allowed the creation of the Boston and New York Globetrotters, who tour the USA, hoping the people come out and pay good money to see them tounce the hometown Generals. Anyways, I do think the BoSox are still better. The Yanks still have holes in a washed-up Lofton, no-names at 2B, middle relief is still shaky, left handed starting pitching (huge in Yankee stadium), and starting pitching health. Also, the Soriano trade may hurt the Yanks in one critical area: the ability of Torre to play NL-style baseball.
i can watch baseball sometimes but when it comes to the yankees i just want to turn off the television. it seems like every year they pick up another great player. and as one of the great players that they picked up 5 years ago gets old they just replace him with someone else. baseball is loved by many people but i think it would do even better if they made it to where all the teams could compete with each other.
I'm so happy the Astros are in the National League. Between the Yankees, Red Sox, and the designated hitter, AL baseball is totally unwatchable.
