Let's Talk Yankees

[Andre the Giant]

I figure to give some courtesy to the fans of the 4 remaining teams.

I'd like to quickly cover a few topics before I go to bed:

Joe Torre: the key to next year. I think he will be back. If he wouldn't, they'd have announced it by now. George is obviously having second thoughts about what he said. Particularly since he wants to win and Torre could be the key to keeping his talent. I love Joe Torre and I hope he stays.

Alex Rodriguez: George no longer makes all the decisions. A-Rod is the man there and expect him to be back in Yankee pinstripes next year. Expect a World Series too.

Mariano Rivera: He'll be back if Joe does, guaranteed. If no Joe, maybe no Mo?

Andy Pettitte: See Mo. Otherwise, he'll retire.

Jorge Posada: He'll be back no matter what.

Jason Giambi: I wish he was out of contract.

Anyone know who is off the books this year? Is it finally the time we get to say goodbye to Carl Pavano?

If the Yankee Haters bitch about us now, imagine how much they'll bitch when we get some financial flexibility!

-kev

[Shake]

If the Yankee Haters bitch about us now, imagine how much they'll bitch when we get some financial flexibility!

-kev
PSSH. the yankees will always be buying out other teams for the best players and theyll always be paying their players alot more than other teams

[Quagmire]

PSSH. the yankees will always be buying out other teams for the best players and theyll always be paying their players alot more than other teams
Such is the business world, so why dont you guys find a decent reason to bitch and hate on the Yankees? Not to mention we havent won it since 2000, so what we're doing isnt working...so shouldnt that make you all happy and make you want us to spend?

[Andre the Giant]

You do realize we won most of our World Series before free agency kicked in, right? I mean seriously you people hate the Yankees because we win, not because we're rich.

And Quagmire's right, this is a business. Baseball is a sport, Major League Baseball is a business. That's life. If you don't like it, there's plenty of communist countries out in Asia. They'd love to have you over there I'm sure.

-kev

[James89]

What does the rotation look like next year? Is Jobe going to become a starter?

I meant Joba.

[AlecTrevylan006]

I'm not a Celtics fan and I don't hate the Celtics because they have the most championships.

In fact, I'd say it's because of the abrasiveness and seeming belief of entitlement in the Yankees fanbase more than anything else that has made them one of the most hated franchises in the world. This seems even more likely to be true now that the Red Sox fanbase has done the same thing and is quickly becoming almost as hated as the Yankees. Spending money isn't as big a deal as the fans, or else everybody in the NL would hate the cubs.

DISCLAIMER: I am not, of course, insinuating that all Yankees fans are evil. This is not a slur on any of your characters. But saying that people are just jealous of the Yankees payroll and rings is like saying that western Europeans hate Americans because they're jealous of our power and economy, and nothing else.

THAT SAID... I've talked with some Yankees fans on other forums, so here are some responses.

Joe: Getting older, having to put up with all of Stein's ****, they've been training up replacements all season. Would have to sign a new contract, and I'm not sure he'd want to do it for that much longer. On the other hand, he's successful and free agents might hang on him. I think it's at best 50/50 that he comes back. Personally, I think the Yanks should try to keep him, but who knows.

Alex Rodriguez: Cashman said he wouldn't pay him if he opted out. And he'd have been a fool not to say that. Still think Arod opts out, Yankees pay up, nobody else can match their offer. Might go out west or something, but any talk of Boston is just to drive up the price, because I doubt they give him more money than NY, and after the **** he's put up with in the NY media I doubt that if he DID move he'd go to another east coast high pressure market.

Mariano Rivera: Need him back. With Joba potentially starting, who can you rely on in that bullpen? Again, only Yankees will be able to offer him enough money, especially since there are few other closers (and none near his quality) so the Yanks will be forced to go for him.

Andy Pettitte: Clemens is gone? Torre is gone? Then Petitte is gone. If either stays, it's more interesting.

Jorge Posada: Probably back.

Jason Giambi: Perhaps a buy out.

1st Base: I still think the Yanks are best off with Dougie M. With THAT lineup, if you can't get gets when a weak hitter is in the 9 hole, you've got problems that putting Pujols at first couldn't solve. Also, with ground ball pitchers like Wang, Dougie M's value goes up even more. You really shouldn't need the top notch first baseman run production.

Lots of Yankees fans seem to be pushing for getting more big bats (which is reasonable if you lose Arod but not if you resign your big guys), but adding big hitters can only solve so much. Save that money that you'd spend on Torii Hunter and put it into getting some pitching help. The Yanks had statistically top of the league pitching in the 90s, and bottom/middle of the league pitching from '05 til now. This year was skewed by Igawa and all the April/May spot starters, but still...

[Insane man]

I love when Yankee fans complain when someone mentions their spending. I think it is a perfectly legitimate reason to hate a team. But I find it funny that the Yankees spend and spend and spend but can't buy a world series. I am tired of people saying how great a job Joe Torre did as manager this year. It was an embarrassment for that team to be as far out as they were. I don't think Torre should be back because you are paid to win world series as a Yankee not get bounced in the first round. Since the world series win in 2000 they've lost in the world series twice, lost in the ALDS 4 times, lost in the ALCS in the worst collapse in history. Every year the Yankees have one of the best offenses but every year in the playoffs recently those bats disappear.

Joe Torre-gone
Rivera- i think he'll stay
A Rod- i think he is gone he has never and will never be embraced by Yankee fans. The only reason they embraced him is cause they knew he can opt out.
Andy Pettite-I think he'll retire
Jorge Posada- I think the he drives up the price and either the Yankees overpay or they let him go across town to the Mets.
Clemens-He is retiring and if he decides to come back the Yankee should not pick him up again

from Bill Simmons
1. They're 25-31 in the past seven postseasons.

2. They lost seven different playoff games that could have finished off opponents.

3. They've had the highest payroll for every season -- including 2007 -- and yet, with their playoff lives on the line, they had to throw out Chien-Ming Wang on three days rest.

4. Not one, not two, but three different teams have ended Yankee seasons on Yankee soil.

[DeeD]

I love when Yankee fans complain when someone mentions their spending. I think it is a perfectly legitimate reason to hate a team.

It's legit, sure, but it's also a bit irrational.

In reality, most teams could spend more money, they just choose not to. There are a good number of teams that generate big revenues, they just decide not to spend a big portion of it on the team's payroll. Can't blame the Yankees for taking advantage of their good fortune.

I agree with Alec's post. Most of the Yankee hate I see is due to the sense of entitlement Yankee fans have. Hell, Steinbrenner's sense of entitlement alone would be enough for me to start hating them. Just the same, the Red Sox are creeping up there. They were spending big before, but before they won their World Series and some of their fans' attitudes changed, nobody hated them. In fact, a lot of people loved them. On the flipside, the Cubs spend a lot of money and still nobody gives a damn about it, despite the fact that they lost worst (being swept) than the Yankees did.

As for the rest:

Torre: Gone, though I'd like to see him back. I think he deserves to be back, and it's a shame to see him have to go through this every year. At this point, either they get rid of him, or he says "screw you" to Steinbrenner and leaves anyway.

Rivera: He'll be back. Of course he'll have options, but the Yankees will do enough to keep him.

Posada: Same as Rivera.

Pettite: I don't think he'll retire, but I don't know where he'll end up. He's my favorite Yankee not named A-Rod, so I'd just like to see him play, no matter where it is. I could see him back in NY, but with Torre gone, I think he'll play somewhere else.

A-Rod: I really don't know. The Yankees would be stupid to not re-sign him, but they haven't yet, so it makes you wonder. I think he'll opt out and either re-sign with the Yankees, or go to Anaheim.

[Cyanide]

Can't blame the Yankees for taking advantage of their good fortune.
No, but you should blame the Commissioner for allowing them to do so
Just the same, the Red Sox are creeping up there.Yeah, they are second but it's no where near the ridiculous pay roll of the Yankees.

[~Shotgunnova~]

Anybody here who hates the Yankees are just jealous because Yankees>everyone else. Same goes for Pats and Celtics haters.

Oh, and I really would like to see A-Rod and Torre back next year. People need to realize that our trouble is with pitching, and everything should not be blamed on A-Rod and Torre.

[DeeD]

No, but you should blame the Commissioner for allowing them to do so

I don't know if it's a matter of "should" or "could".

I said for a long time that baseball should have a salary cap, and I'm still not opposed to that. At the same time, I've learned a little more about how some teams choose to handle their revenues since then, and my stance has changed a little. Basically, I'm at the point where I don't care one way or the other as far as that goes.

True, nobody's making as much money as the Yankees. However, there are teams that do less than they realistically can do right now, and I doubt that would change much even if there was a cap. The ability for a lot of teams to compete is already there, but you can't force everyone to take advantage of their resources.

[Freakish]

Anybody here who hates the Yankees are just jealous because Yankees>everyone else. Same goes for Pats and Celtics haters.

Oh, and I really would like to see A-Rod and Torre back next year. People need to realize that our trouble is with pitching, and everything should not be blamed on A-Rod and Torre.

Jealous of a team who spends 200 million and can't win a title. Nice analytical skills there Sherlock. I'll pass on your help on my next reading comprehension test.

All I know is that Torre and A-Rod are gonna get the **** outta Dodge. There's no reason for them to stay becuase no matter how well they play, they will get ripped. I would also like to point out that with the bases loaded in a much needed situation, Derek Jeter ended the inning. Very clutch of him

[~Shotgunnova~]

Jealous of a team who spends 200 million and can't win a title. Nice analytical skills there Sherlock. I'll pass on your help on my next reading comprehension test.

Can't win a title, huh? They have the most world series wins and appearences in the MLB history. So your history skills are much lower than my comprehension skills. I believe you get an F- there, genious. :^:

[Rick52]

Knock it off. The next 'dur ur stupidier thanme' post, and it along with those two get pushed to the Thunderdome.

First off, the Salary Cap doesn't balance everything just like that. Not every team has to spend x amount of money. They can spend as much as x amount, or spend as little as y amount.

The NHL has a salary cap. You'll see teams like the Red Wings and Rangers spend up to and near the cap to bring in talent. Yet, there are still teams like Phoenix who won't spend crap for anyone, and they become the NHL version of the Devil Rays. You would have to assume that, if the MLB were to ever have a cap, teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Tigers, etc., will spend near or at the cap while other teams like Tampa and Florida will still be in the gutter only spending as much as the cap requires them to.

Alec nailed it on the head, though. People don't hate the Yankees because they spend, people hate the Yankees because the media keeps forcing that fact down their throats. A bunch of other teams spend and spend, but the media doesn't mention that much. People just hate teams that they hear way too much about from ESPN and that like (Yankees, Patriots, USC, Lakers, etc.).

As for the future of several Yankees:

Torre: he's gone, but he'll retire before he gets fired, I think. His contract is up, after all.

A-Rod: I bet he'll go to a team no one expects him to go to. A team whose city will have far, far less media scrutiny than New York, whose fans don't give two craps about their team. The two teams who really fit that are "we can't sell out Game 1 of the NLCS" Arizona and "we were defending World champs at one point and we couldn't even come close to selling out" Florida. Though personally, for some reason I keep thinking Atlanta, I dunno why, and for some reason I can't fathom him going to Chicago.

Rivera: If Torre goes, I think the only way he stays is maybe if Giradi gets hired (though it'll be weird being managed by a guy who used to catch for you). If not... the Tigers could use an excuse not to bring Todd Jones back, though he's not the reason the bullpen sucked hard for them this past year.

Pettite: He'll probably retire.

Posada: He's not leaving.

[NY_Yankees26]

but he'll retire before he gets fired
Torre alreayd said that he's not ready to retire and that he still wants to manage.

Torre: Stays. I think steinbrenner realizes how dumb it would be to fire him, and realizes that he may potentially lose some players if he fires joe.

A-rod: i think he stays a yankee because i dont believe any other team can afford to pay him. Plus i think hes finally starting to like it in NY.

Rivera: I think he stays. I also feel that he just threatened to "test the waters" to try and get more money.

Posada: I think he get offered good money and stays.

Pettitte: I think he picks up his option and stays one more year

clemens: please, just go crawl in a hole.

[breebree]

PSSH. the yankees will always be buying out other teams for the best players and theyll always be paying their players alot more than other teams


yea really their not gonna stop payin top money for the players they want

[Dan_Dunn]

First off, the Salary Cap doesn't balance everything just like that. Not every team has to spend x amount of money. They can spend as much as x amount, or spend as little as y amount.

The NHL has a salary cap. You'll see teams like the Red Wings and Rangers spend up to and near the cap to bring in talent. Yet, there are still teams like Phoenix who won't spend crap for anyone, and they become the NHL version of the Devil Rays. You would have to assume that, if the MLB were to ever have a cap, teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Tigers, etc., will spend near or at the cap while other teams like Tampa and Florida will still be in the gutter only spending as much as the cap requires them to.

You nailed my stance on the salary cap right on the head there. I posted an example before siting the NFL salary cap and the 31 million dollar spending difference between the highest payroll and lowest payroll in the NFL.

Salary caps don't work because the Yankees are still gonna spend more money than the devil rays regardless of a spending limit on them.

Now to get back on topic, because I absolutely hate talking salaries...

Torre: I hope they re-sign him. He's not really going to get "fired" because his contract is up. I feel like there really isn't a suitable replacement for him out there right now and that alone is reason to let him stay. He wants to manage, and if they let him go he could hired somewhere and be followed by a lot of key players on the Yankees.

A-Rod: I heard that the Yankees are going to offer him a 3 year, 30 million dollar extension to his current deal. I believe that the Yankees will let him walk if he decides to opt out of the contract as well, and if I was a betting man I would bet that he ends up somewhere else next year, like San Francisco or the Chicago Cubs.

Pettite: If Torre stays, Pettite's going to pick up that 16 million dollar player he's got for next year. I would like to see him come back because he's a great second half and postseason pitcher still, even though he can tire out deep in the game sometimes.

Clemens: He's going to retire.

Joba: I know the Yankees want to put him in the starting rotation. Their rotation would be something like Wang, Pettite, Chamberlain, Hughes, and either Mussina or Kennedy. I like the idea of them going young with the rotation, because if they use Mussina and he's only gonna go .500 anyway, they might as well give one of the kids the chance at that spot.

Posada: I think he isn't leaving, but he could follow Joe Torre if the Yankees decide not to keep him in as the manager.

Rivera: Keeping this guy should be priority number one for New York. He's going to make a lot of money, but I'm worried he's gonna walk.

[Andre the Giant]

I still don't see A-Rod leaving. But 3 years 30 Mill? Don't you mean something more like 130 mill, lol? I'd been hearing 5 years 150M.

-kev

[Quagmire]

My guess is Joe is back, George would have fired him already if he was serious about it. Maybe no one will sign ARod, what is he asking for?...er I mean, the Satan in flesh and blood scott boars? 12 years, 260 million? or something like that?

[Andre the Giant]

I think he wants more, lol. The way I see it is he's going to want at least 30M a year. So at 12 years, that means at least 360M. Damn.

-kev

[NY_Yankees26]

My guess is Joe is back, George would have fired him already if he was serious about it.
Actualy, the yankees are having a meeting in tampa sometime this week. (tuesday i think) And thats when the decision on torre is to be made. Brian cashman said that on a NY radio show

[Andre the Giant]

I'm convinced he's staying. When you have a meeting, that means more people than Steinbrenner, which means common sense will rule out.

-kev

[Quagmire]

I think he wants more, lol. The way I see it is he's going to want at least 30M a year. So at 12 years, that means at least 360M. Damn.

-kev
Thats right...thats sounds like the number I heard...260 is too little...some how :bashhead:

Actualy, the yankees are having a meeting in tampa sometime this week. (tuesday i think) And thats when the decision on torre is to be made. Brian cashman said that on a NY radio show
Which means the boss wasnt fully behind what he said...Torre will stay, he is needed to try and keep Rivera and Posada.

[AlecTrevylan006]

Torre turns down contract.

Thoughts?

[Zell 17]

Thoughts?

AHAHAHAHAHAHA

KISS YOUR GOOD TEAMS GOODBYE YANKEE FANS

[Rick52]

Now, let's not mock yet.

For all we know, they may be fortunate and hire a guy that can take a team full of mercenaries to the top.

Then again, they might hire MLB's version of Norv Turner.

That being said, I've heard a couple of things that makes both sides look bad here. The offer to Torre, while considerably for less than what he was making before and only for a single year, would of still made him the highest payed manager in MLB. Conversely, I've also heard that the Yankees made the offer "low" on purpose knowing Torre would decline, making it an effective lay-off without actually firing the guy.

I'm not sure what to make of this yet, it depends on who the Yankees actually hire as their next manager.

[XZ]

Now, let's not mock yet.

For all we know, they may be fortunate and hire a guy that can take a team full of mercenaries to the top.

Then again, they might hire MLB's version of Norv Turner.

That being said, I've heard a couple of things that makes both sides look bad here. The offer to Torre, while considerably for less than what he was making before and only for a single year, would of still made him the highest payed manager in MLB. Conversely, I've also heard that the Yankees made the offer "low" on purpose knowing Torre would decline, making it an effective lay-off without actually firing the guy.

I'm not sure what to make of this yet, it depends on who the Yankees actually hire as their next manager.
Any idea who this could be? Hmmm....
Apparently, their one secret source to be their manager...the minor-league coach, is now going to be the manager for the Royals. And i highly doubt Mattingly's going to become the manager...nice guy and all, but i dont see it happening.
Who ever the Yanks pick up, he'll get ripped by the media...for being too aggressive, or not aggressive enough, and constant comparisons. boom.

[Insane man]

It may have been less than the 7 million or so he was making but with incentives he could have earned 8 mil next year. 1 million for winning the Division Series, one million for the LCS, and one million for winning a world series. I mean he was still the highest paid manger in the league.

[AlecTrevylan006]

It's not about getting more money than other managers. It's a slap in the face.

1 year contract? And IF he makes the playoffs, which he's done every damn year? Especially when Steinbrenner said he was out of a job if they didn't advance, now it's as if they're saying

"Well, we realize that it would be bad for us in OTHER ways if we fired you, but we still don't have much faith in you. You haven't really been showing us good enough results. But hey, you might be useful in other ways. So, here's a contract for just long enough for you to continue being useful, with some incentives in hopes that they will convince you to do better, and in the mean time you can continue to be subjected to our whims"

He deserves at least a little respect as probably the most successful Yankees manager of all time, and arguably the most successful manager of all time

[Freakish]

It may have been less than the 7 million or so he was making but with incentives he could have earned 8 mil next year. 1 million for winning the Division Series, one million for the LCS, and one million for winning a world series. I mean he was still the highest paid manger in the league.

Like Trevy said, the entire deal was a slap to the face to Torre. He made the playoffs every year for 12 years, a few World Series, one or two more WS appearances, and he gets a pay cut. Torre can't control whether or not his team wins the Series (case in point, they should have beat the Indians but the fact that A-Rod and Jeter both sucked = loss) and shouldn't deserve a pay cut. Granted he has one of the best teams ever assembled but he's proven himself to deserve the salary that he gets paid.

On possible replacements, I could see Joe Girardi although his demeanor might piss off the Steinbrenner's

[NY_Yankees26]

Im not sure that girardi would be a good fit with this team because he played with some of these guys and they might not listen to him as much as another manager (like mattingly, la russa, bobby valentine, torre) all people that have been around for a while and have a lot of experience. Girardi managed a young marlins team and so he was much older than all of them and so they kind of looked up to him and would probably listen to everything he said. All im saying is that i cant see a-rod taking pointers from a guy like girardi.

because there close in age, and giradi wasnt an extremely successful player and so he doesnt have the aurora to him that makes the players listen to him. You know what im saying?

[Insane man]

Five million a slap in the face? Why should he get the same contract he had? The guy has not won a world series since 2000 his team has been bounced n the past three division series. His team was also the team that blew a 3-0 lead the only time in history it has happened. Why should he get multi year contract? You don't reward a guy for losing. If he feels like it's an insult go manage Kansas City. Making the playoffs with a 200 million dollar payroll doesn't cut it. For the first time the Yankees are keeping their young prospects and trading them away. Sometimes you have to move on.

[AlecTrevylan006]

Jesus Christ, he's made the postseason every season. That's a far more fitting analysis of his ability to manage than the postseason.

His team goes on a cold streak: Jeter grounds into a half dozen double plays, Arod sucks in back to back seasons, Wang sucks... what can he possibly do? Unless he can pick up a bat AND pitch a perfect game, there's not much he can do.

I'm not saying he deserves the original contract. Not the best manager in baseball. But Steinbrenner treated him like sh!t, they drop money off his contract, make it ONE YEAR... it's them saying they don't trust him any more.

I mean, anybody can win with a 200 million dollar team, but his Yankees term remains the best managerial streak in history, and has brought the most stability to the Yankees in 50 years.

"He's ONLY won 4 world series, 12/12 postseason appearances, ditch him!" Damnit, I thought only stereotypical Yankees fans were allowed to be that spoiled >_>

[Insane man]

Post season is not good enough though. You think making the playoffs is good enough for teams like the Yankees then you are delusional. It's just like the Alabama's of the world anything less than a national championship is failure. That's saying get this team back to the glory days back to the world series. I am not saying Steinbrenner didn't treat him well, but when your boss says i want results are else. With that payroll though you are expected to make the playoffs so that doesn't get you any sympathy. When you're expected to get to the playoffs your not surpassing expectations. Everyone expects Boston and New York to get there cause of their huge payrolls. Personally i don't care what the Yankees do i hate them. But when you win you create expectations. The Royals if they make the playoffs it's good cause no one expects them too but when your the Yankees you are supposed to be better than losing in the division series 3 years straight.

[Freakish]

Dude, its not possible to win every single year. And its not like Torre has any real control. You think he could get away with sitting an ice-cold A-Rod or Jeter? No. He has to play them. Torre helped the Yanks make the playoffs after that horrendous start and had the best record in baseball the last 4 months of the year with his ****ty pitching staff.

Its also not just the money that made the move a slap in the face, its the one year contract. Torre has never had any support from the Yankees front office except from Brian Cashman and whne that support left this fall, he had no reason to stay. All the player like Torre and know he would take a bullet for them, there's no reason for this tomfoolery

[Insane man]

1. They lost seven different playoff games that could have finished off opponents.

2. They've had the highest payroll for every season -- including 2007 -- and yet, with their playoff lives on the line, they had to throw out Chien-Ming Wang on three days rest.

3. Not one, not two, but three different teams have ended Yankee seasons on Yankee soil.

[Freakish]

Look at the A's. They lost multiple games where they should have clinched a berth into the next round of the playoffs. Was it Art Howe's fault that Mulder, Zito, and Hudson couldn't come through.

And why the **** not throw out Wang? Its either him or Philip Hughes. Who do you want out there, a veteran who has been in a situation like this or a rookie who hasn't even pitched a full year in the majors. Torre was in a situation where he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. You really need to look at all the facts before you make statements about this as 2 of them don't even give support to why Torre should be let go. Maybe the 25 guys on the Yankees roster should have their salaries reduced as obviously they are getting paid way too much to not produce in the playoffs

[Quagmire]

Look at the A's. They lost multiple games where they should have clinched a berth into the next round of the playoffs. Was it Art Howe's fault that Mulder, Zito, and Hudson couldn't come through.

And why the **** not throw out Wang? Its either him or Philip Hughes. Who do you want out there, a veteran who has been in a situation like this or a rookie who hasn't even pitched a full year in the majors. Torre was in a situation where he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. You really need to look at all the facts before you make statements about this as 2 of them don't even give support to why Torre should be let go. Maybe the 25 guys on the Yankees roster should have their salaries reduced as obviously they are getting paid way too much to not produce in the playoffs
Didnt the A's lose two divisional series in back to back years after being up 2-0? The A's problem is that they are cheap...they dont spend. Develop prospects and either trade them or let them leave in FA. I would have had no problem with either Hughes or Wang starting. Wang is vastly superior pitching at home than on the road although I dont think Wang has the stuff to be a #1 starter, a #2...but he doesnt seem to have the killer edge at times...gets rattled too easily at times...esp when someone gets on base.

[Dan_Dunn]

In fairness to Joe Torre, the payroll isn't his to manage. How come a team can't win with such a high payroll is a question you should ask the GM.

As far as the contract goes, clearly the Yankees didn't want to keep him. It didn't have to do with the money as much as the incentives and their unwillingness to negotiate with him. I say if you don't want to keep him then say you don't want to keep him.

On the other side of the coin, the Yankees lost in the postseason because they don't play with any passion. They've personified themselves like Joe Torre, where they look and play like they aren't really into the game. When they hire a new manager, they need a guy who will bring passion and a much better pitching coach.

That said, the goal of the Yankees is to win the world series every single year, and they haven't done it in seven. It sounds crazy that you'd let a guy walk after taking you the postseason for 12 years in a row but that's life with the Yankees.

As far as Wang goes, I think he has the stuff to be the #1, but he has to develop a little more command of his pitches. He's still inconsistent and he can't strike out a batter when he needs to. He'll be better with time.

This makes me wonder who the Yankees are going to hire. I'm betting on Mattingly getting the job.

[Noise]

Looks like Girardi's taking over. The Yankees made him an offer.

[Andre the Giant]

Pettitte opts out, but it's either Yankees or retirement for him.

-kev

[slickkid001]

andy has another year left in him.

[Andre the Giant]

Foxsports.com is reporting that we just locked Posada up for another 4 years.

-kev

[NY_Yankees26]

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071114&content_id=2300183&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy

I think A-rods coming back. Its not official, but a-rod released a statement just a few minutes ago, that he contacted the yankees and has had "healthy" discussions. And all of this occured without boras. So i think hes pretty much back. Becuase the yankees have him in their back pocket. A-rod came crawling back to yanks, and know from what i can tell boras may be out the window with a-rod now. And if he wants to be a yankee, hes going to have to do what ever hank and hal say. Becuase if he doesnt want to be here then they dont care. They'll go after someone else, and a-rod will be stuck trying to get a huge contract from some other team (who may not want to pay him). So i think hes back in NY next year.

[Quagmire]

I am glad that the Yankees told Boras to stay away. I hate that guy, he is an ******* and is bad for baseball.

[Andre the Giant]

omg, we can only hope eh?

-kev

[XZ]

http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20071114&content_id=2300183&vkey=news_nyy&fext=.jsp&c_id=nyy

I think A-rods coming back. Its not official, but a-rod released a statement just a few minutes ago, that he contacted the yankees and has had "healthy" discussions. And all of this occured without boras. So i think hes pretty much back. Becuase the yankees have him in their back pocket. A-rod came crawling back to yanks, and know from what i can tell boras may be out the window with a-rod now. And if he wants to be a yankee, hes going to have to do what ever hank and hal say. Becuase if he doesnt want to be here then they dont care. They'll go after someone else, and a-rod will be stuck trying to get a huge contract from some other team (who may not want to pay him). So i think hes back in NY next year.

....I don't understand why every Yankee fan i see thinks A-Rod's coming crawling back and begging to the Yanks. I honestly think the guy's got other offers, and the Steinbrenner's were the ones who made the move. Boras not being there, well, about time he dumped him.

Seriously, A-Rod can go on without the Yanks. I can still see a ton of teams offering him 20 mill a year.

[Cyanide]

Yeah, some team will match his old salary (at least) and he'll go somewhere that will love him.

[Andre the Giant]

They LOVE him in New York, did you miss all of last season?

By the way, wonder what the odds of A-Rod getting an opt-out in this new contract are.

Either way, the great news is A-Rod is a Yankee again and forever!

-kev

[NY_Yankees26]

and the Steinbrenner's were the ones who made the move
Uh, no, a-rod even admitted that he contacted a third party person to tell the steinbrenners that he wanted to talk to them. (apparently the person was the owners of modell's sporting goods). And the steinbrenners could have said no way, but instead they welcomed him back with open arms. So a-rod did come crawling back.

[Freakish]

I really hope the Yankees tell him to **** off. Granted its not his ****ing 35 million a year but 27.5 is still ****ing outrageous especially when he opted out at a douchebag time so he could get his ass out of New York. Someone needs to sign him for the league minimum and not pay a dollar more. ********er thinks he's bigger than the game and is going to be the reason why I can't afford to go to games anymore.

[Andre the Giant]

I'm beyond glad we brought him back. A-Rod is the reason we always have a chance to win it all. But it is fitting that the best player stay with the true best team.

-kev

[Cyanide]

They LOVE him in New York, did you miss all of last season?Yeah, they'll love him after what he did now.

[Andre the Giant]

I hope you aren't being sarcastic. The fact that he came back and gave up 20M to play for us really says something.

-kev

[XZ]

I hope you aren't being sarcastic. The fact that he came back and gave up 20M to play for us really says something.

-kev
And YET Yankee fans and the Post over here will keep Sh*tting on him.

[Freakish]

I hope you aren't being sarcastic. The fact that he came back and gave up 20M to play for us really says something.

-kev

That nobody else could afford or want him.

[Noise]

They LOVE him in New York, did you miss all of last season?...You obviously don't live in New York.

The fans like him when he's hot, in a stretch where he hits .400, with 15 home runs and 40 RBIs in a month.

Any time where he's just hitting at an average level, the fans and the media are all over him.

[Andre the Giant]

Yeah, the pains of being in a big city. Now that they know they have him for the next 10 years (I really want to know if there's an opt-out in there), I'd like to see their reaction. The fact is he is our best chance to bring a World Series home, and I hope the fans do appreciate him like they did all of 2007.

-kev

[Insane man]

Please the only reason the fans appreciated him in 07 is because he saved their ass. Without him they would not have made the playoffs. He hit a lot of regular season game winning HR's.

[James89]

I'm beyond glad we brought him back. A-Rod is the reason we always have a chance to win it all. But it is fitting that the best player stay with the true best team.

-kev

Historically? Yes. The Yankees are the most successful franchise in the history of all sports.

But if you are referring to last year or even this upcoming year, no. They are not the best team. They are a playoff team, not a championship team.

[Andre the Giant]

Let that be checked on Opening Day as to whether we have a championship team in New York, not in the middle of November.

-kev

[James89]

Alright thats fair.

[Andre the Giant]

Looks like we're going for Mike Lowell at 1B. I really want this move. I think he still has some pop in the bat, but his defense would be great at 1B as well. This would mean the most expensive DH platoon in history of Giambiano and Damon.

-kev

[NY_Yankees26]

i dont think teh yanks are really trying to pursure lowell, i think they may just be trying to make the sox feel scared that the yanks are "trying" to get him. But im worried about mariano more than lowell. I mean will they sign him already