11-06-2009
From a New Yorker’s perspective, it had been a long time coming for the New York Yankees. The Yankees hadn’t made an appearance in the World Series since the 2003 season, a postseason that ended in disappointment for the Bronx Bombers as the Florida Marlins defeated the Yankees in six games to capture the title. The Yankees hadn’t won a world championship since defeating the cross-town rival New York Mets in five games back in the 2000 season. But last Wednesday night, in the their first trip back to the promise land in six years, the Yankees produced a long overdue World Series championship by finishing off the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-3, in Game 6.
When I say “New York Yankees”, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? OK, maybe it’s the 27 championships that have now been won or some of the great players that wore the infamous pinstripes, but you can’t think about the New York Yankees and not think about money.
A lot of money.
Every year the New York Yankees have the highest payroll in Major League Baseball, and it’s not even close. The Yankees’ payroll for 2009 was $201.4 million, according to USA Today.
The second highest payroll in baseball?
The other New York team, the Mets, who sported a $149.4 million payroll. This enormous payroll is the reason why Yankee fans believe that their team is a lock to be in the World Series year in and year out. It makes sense, right? The Yankees have the most money and therefore, they can go out on the free agent market and buy the best players. Having the best players should translate into beating the rest of the teams in the league on the way to the World Series. But it hasn’t happened that way. Before this season, it had been six long years since the Yankees had been in the Fall Classic. Why had it been a struggle for the Yankees to make it back to the World Series, and what finally changed this season? Why 2009?
After the 2008 season, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman went on his usual Christmas shopping spree. However, this time, he spent his money smarter. Pitching wins championships. Everybody knows that. If you don’t have top-notch pitching, you aren’t going to go very far. Instead of re-signing veteran hitters like Bobby Abreu and Jason Giambi, Cashman let them go and turned his attention to the free agent pitchers. With plentiful resources and an endless budget that no other team could contend with, Cashman hit the jackpot. The Yankees signed All-Star hurler C.C. Sabathia to a 7-year, $161 million contract, which is the richest contract ever signed by a pitcher. Cashman also landed another gem in flamethrower A.J. Burnett, signing the 32-year-old to a 5-year, $82.5 million contract. Just like that, the Yankees had a dominant and proven 1-2 punch at the top of their rotation. Throw in coveted first baseman Mark Teixiera, who signed with the Yankees for eight years and $180 million, and New York was being tabbed as a World Series favorite by mid-December.
A breakout performance by maybe the biggest star on the Yankee roster didn’t hurt, either. Alex Rodriguez, who is the highest-paid Yankee at $33 million a year including incentives, had been haunted by poor postseason performances since he first suited up in pinstripes. In Rodriguez’s previous postseasons with the Yankees preceding the 2009 season – a time that spanned four seasons and five playoff series – the Yankees slugger hit just .230 with four home runs and nine RBIs while striking out 22 times. A-Rod redeemed himself in this year’s postseason, batting a healthy .378 with six long balls and 18 RBIs while only fanning 13 times. Rodriguez – and some dominating pitching – carried the Yanks all the way to a World Series championship, and the Yankee faithful couldn’t have been happier to see it. The quarter-of-a-billion dollar payroll had finally fulfilled its main purpose. It had accomplished what it was brought to New York to do.
It takes more than just money, no matter how much you’ve got, to be a championship team. Teamwork, cohesion, chemistry and relationships – those are just some of the additional ingredients that are needed to be a champion. That’s why the phrase is repeated over and over again: Money can’t buy championships.
Or can it?
The 2009 New York Yankees may have disproven that theory.
