On my toolbar, always, are updates from the NY Yankees. As the season is LONG over, the updates are mostly the same with the occasional mentions of whom the Yankees are shopping for in the pool of free agents. This year, it feels like we are going to Bloomingdales and Macy's when the world has already learned to buy at Greenmarkets and Costco. What does it take for an institution to learn that it's habits are unhealthy? I guess, like a person, organizations have a hard time letting go of their addictions, in this case, to buying other club's stars when their best years are either behind them, or still in front of them -- but few and far between.
Take C.C. Sabathia. A great pitcher, but he's been such for a while. The time to have pitched for him was two years ago or even last year. Sure, he'll be a terrific addition to the club for five years or so. Maybe. Or Maybe three years. Still good, of course. But what was it that prevented us from getting him when he was a clearly gifted younger pitcher? Why do we wait for people to become veritable stars somewhere else? I hate to say it, but I feel as though I am taking away someone from a ball club which built him and had faith in him to squeeze out what's left of him. It's like buying stock in Goldman Sachs (which someone advised me, very wrongly to do). You assume because of the name that it would always be a good product even though you can see that the world is changing and the product is headed for trouble. That kind of denial was lethal for the economy.
Now, Jake Peavy would be an exception. He's still young and not an established ace. I would like to go after him as hard or harder than we are going after Sabathia.
Of course, we NEED an established ace because we have yet to build one of our own in a while and we need an aspiring ace so we have someone to follow in his footsteps. So, we are, to some extent, locked into this pattern -- unless we could buy two pitchers on the verge of becoming aces and let them grow together. The latter would be healthier and more exciting to watch as a fan. Perhaps the reports that Phil Hughes is become a strong pitcher in the AFL portend of such an event. But, why do we expect a VERY young pitcher to be more than just that? Why are we creatures of such extremes -- chasing hard after Sabathia and expecting gold of Phil Hughes or Chamberlain for that matter? What would have been wrong with purchasing Gil Meche last year, an indisputably solid pitcher who has years of good work ahead of him? Or is there something in us that loves the gamble of watching the ever-absent Carl Pavano on his rare stints on the mound, hoping to win a 100 - 1 bet that he will have a good night?
And even Jake Peavy has been a good bet for a while. What stops us from seeing what the rest of the world sees and waiting until someone is almost legend somewhere else? Are we also addicted to taking away other club's pride and joy?
Finally, why would a team which has been losing with the same General Manager for years give him a contract to 2011? Renewing Brian Cashman's contract feels to me like buying Jordache jeans in 2008. Sure, some people find wearing designer jeans cunningly retro, and they look good in a certain way, but the world has moved on, mostly.
No comments:
Post a Comment