Sports Then and Now

Jeter, the Yankee captain, is asking for more than he's worth, while the Yankees are offering far less than Jeter deserves.

It’s the day after Thanksgiving, so the only thing on most minds is Christmas shopping and antacid tablets.  This probably doesn’t apply to baseball GM’s, especially Brian Cashman of the Yankees.

While the Yankees have feelers out to Cliff Lee, and despite the fact that the roster, as is, would make them a sure 2011 contender, Cashman is on the radar of many a Yankee fan.  He has developed the reputation of doing things that any GM would do if he had the Yankee bankroll behind him, but overall, many see it as a situation where Cashman only need to avoid screwing things up and the powerhouse team will prevail.

Of course, the main item in Yankee headlines right now is the ongoing negotiation with Derek Jeter, the iconic Yankee short-stop who is a free agent this year.  Unnamed sources from the Jeter side of things claim that this year’s AL gold-glover for the position is looking for a six year deal worth $150 million.  Cashman and the Yankees, on the other hand, had offered a much lower $45 million for three years.

While Jeter’s request seems insanely high, the Yankees are offering what most feel is just short of an insult to the 11 time all-star.  The majority of talking heads believe that the two sides will eventually come to an agreement.

For the sake of common perspective, here are the five most important factors that everyone should be keeping in mind about the Yankee/Jeter saga.

5. Jeter is the Yankees

Like it or not, the Yankees are a team that has a ton of fans, but roughly ten times as many people who root against them.  While the reasons for both are better left to another article, the relevant point here is that Jeter is an exception to the love’em or hate’em mentality regarding the franchise.

While Jeter’s talent level is debated, and while most are sure that his best years are past, Jeter has been the dictionary definition of class.  He has had zero scandals or controversy associated with his time in pinstripes.  He has been noted for his hard work and leadership skills pretty much from the get go.

Jeter is the team captain and his leadership position is not only important, but just about irreplaceable.  If Jeter is not a Yankee next season, who would be the locker room (positive) presence?  Posada is due to be relegated to DH-ing due to physical limitations.  If Pettitte even returns next season, it’s hard to be a leader in a once a week role.  Perhaps Cano is a possibility, but the bottom line is that Jeter would be sorely missed. Read the rest of this entry →

There was no happy ending to 2010 for the New York Yankees.

It is official. Major League Baseball will have a new champion in 2010 following the elimination of the New York Yankees. For television executives and fans of the Yankees across the World that news is the equivalent of the sky falling, but for those who are not fans of sports dynasties, it is welcomed news.

The New York Yankees haven’t made the World Series every year, it just seems that way. Since 1921, the Yankees have appeared in the World Series 40 times, winning 27 championships.

By contrast, post season play is something very new for the team that dethroned the Yankees as the American League Champions.

Since entering the league as the expansion Washington Senators in 1961 and moving to the Dallas–Fort Worth area to become the Texas Rangers in 1972, the franchise has had little success. They reached the playoffs three times between 1996 and 1999, but lost in the opening round all three times while winning only one post season game.

Just as a comparison, while the Senators-Rangers went 50 years without making the World Series, the Yankees have made 15 World Series appearances and claimed 11 titles during that stretch. In addition, they reached the playoffs nine other times for a total of 24 playoff appearances in 50 years.

Since the failed attempt to implement a salary cap in baseball in 1994, the Yankees have made the playoffs in 15 of 16 seasons with seven World Series appearances and five titles.

To many Yankee fans across the world, appearing in and winning the World Series every year isn’t just a hopeful expectation, it is considered an expected right. Over history, failure to achieve the annual objective has often resulted in quick changes, regardless of past success. Read the rest of this entry →