August 4, 2007

Imitation

Murray Chass of the New York Times writes that the 2007 Red Sox
are doing a terrific imitation of the Yankees, the team they have long maligned for doing precisely what the Red Sox have done since the end of last season [signing free agents]. ...

By acquiring Eric Gagne last week, the Red Sox forfeited their right to criticize or whine about the Yankees, their longtime archenemy and nemesis, the team their chief executive once called the Evil Empire. This year, there's a new show in town, and the Red Sox have cast themselves as the Yankees. As such, they are giving an award-winning performance ...
Sadly, this tired meme -- that the Red Sox have become exactly like the Yankees -- gets as much play in Boston as it does anywhere else.

For some reason, these writers and announcers (and fans) think that the Red Sox spending a lot of money for players for a couple of years is the equivalent of the Yankees spending a lot of money for players for several decades.

Chass rattles off some of Boston's deals. One of his examples, the deadline trade of 2004 (which sent Nomar out of town) lowered the team's payroll and thus contradicts his premise. Murray bangs out more than 1,000 words on the subject before closing with this apparently unimportant tidbit:
"... the Red Sox current payroll is $148.6 million, the Yankees' $215.2 million."
So Chass's info has the Yankees' payroll $66.6 million more than the Red Sox's. (66.6 - Evil Empire, anyone?)

Meaning you could take the Red Sox's current payroll, add the salaries of
Ichiro Suzuki
Miguel Tejada
Kevin Millwood
Barry Zito
Albert Pujols
Dontrelle Willis
and still be about $1 million shy of the Yankees' current payroll.

I'm not saying the Red Sox don't enjoy a tremendous advantage over the majority of teams, because they obviously do. But to put the Yankees and Red Sox payrolls into the same bracket is ludicrous.

12 comments:

laura k said...

But since when is spending money to improve the team a bad thing? Isn't that what everyone wants their team's ownership to do?

A lot of that whining about spending money is -- has always been -- jealousy. Don't shoot me, folks, I'm not saying everyone wants their team to be the Yankees, but who doesn't want their owners to be free-spending in an all-out pursuit of the Big Prize?

If the Red Sox draw a little of that ire, Sox fans should be proud and enjoy it.

San Francisco Red Sox Fan said...

I don't think spending money makes us like the Yankees. What I don't like about the Yankees (and their fans) is the expectation - the entitlement of winning (especially in the post). That is the evil, arrogant and obnoxious Yankee way.

laura k said...

What I don't like about the Yankees (and their fans) is the expectation - the entitlement of winning (especially in the post).

That is a major part of what drove me away. I can't see it as evil, but it sure is arrogant and obnoxious.

But my questions remain.

allan said...

I like my team spending its money to get good players. I hope they keep doing it.

However, the idea that now (post-2004*) the teams are the same is what annoys me. Because the out-in-the-open evidence shows that they definitely not.

215 is nowhere close to 148. ... Is anyone saying the Red Sox at 148 and Team X at 82 ($66 less than Bos) are "the same"?

Maybe the Red Sox could spend $200+ million a season, I don't know. But they don't.

*: This has come out really after the Sox won the WS. Now people can more easily say they are the same, both spending for a title.

laura k said...

the Red Sox ... enjoy a ... advantage

/orsillo

laura k said...

Get in touch with your inner New Yorker. Learn to love the hate.

allan said...

Learn to love the hate.

Not a problem!

But I also hate the blatant lies of the media.

9casey said...

redsock said...
I like my team spending its money to get good players. I hope they keep doing it.


Since 04'
Clement
Renteria
lugo
Drew. all free agents who to this date have been a bust...


Theo's free agent signings are still in question..

Except maybe Ortiz and no one wanted him...

Jere said...

Just because you choose to make a deal at the deadline, doesn't make you like the Yankees. Especially when your team is smart enough to grab a key pitcher, instead of adding another bat to a bloated lineup, and ignore pitching, like the Yanks consistently do--leading to them never winning World Series' any more.

I still can't believe what these papers print.

allan said...

Since 04'
Clement
Renteria
lugo
Drew. all free agents who to this date have been a bust...


Clement and Renteria: Yes, though E6dar was clearly playing hurt all of 2005. He does do quite well when not wearing a Boston uniform, though.

It is way too early to say whether the last two signings have been a bust.

Lugo: 2/3 of 1 yr into 4 yr deal
Drew: 2/3 of 1 yr into 5 yr deal

...

Theo brought in Ortiz, Mueller, and Millar. He traded for Curt Schilling (giving up Casey Fossum, Brandon Lyon, Jorge de la Rosa and Michael Goss).

He made some gutsy moves in July 2004 that may not have been the best deals, but they played a part in winning the 1st WS in 86 years.

He and the Sox signed Dice and extended Beckett for 3 years at a measly 10 per.

And he's been good so far at bringing in younger players as the team ages: Lester, Bot, Pedoria, MDC, Yook and (soon) guys like Ellsbury and Buchholz.

No GM can make perfect moves 100% of the time -- or even 75%. We could be doing a lot worse.

9casey said...

redsock said...
Drew: 2/3 of 1 yr into 5 yr deal


No one in baseball would have given him that deal......

laura k said...

9Casey, did you write "except maybe Ortiz"?

except maybe Ortiz???

except

MAYBE

Ortiz

????