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Isn't It Funny... Re: MLB, Free Agency vs Homegrown, The Old Argument Of "Buying" Champion
MattyC
Posts: 1,335 ✭✭
in Sports Talk
I remember how often I used to hear sour grapes along these lines, when discussing baseball and the Yankees in particular...
"The Yankees are the Evil Empire. They just BUY championships. Their money is what makes them good."
This despite how the core four/nucleus of their most successful teams were homegrown players, in addition to other homegrown players on the 2009 team. And how despite their payroll they only win it as much (or lately less) than other teams, so money was clearly not providing an advantage when we looked at the bottom-line year-end results. It was a specious argument, especially when analyzing the amount of homegrown players on the rosters of different teams and comparing.
But my how things have changed. In the past years, we have seen teams like the Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels, and Tigers make huge signings of free agents, and in doing so step right up alongside the Yankees in terms of payroll.
Meanwhile, we continue to see that lavish spending on free agents is never a guarantee of success. To me, there's nothing like watching a young player rise up on your own team from the farm and rooting for him from Day One, watching him develop into a great player year by year.
I will always prefer a Cano if I'm a Yankee fan or a Trout if I'm an Angel fan or a Posey if I'm a Giants fan over the likes of say Youkilis (Yanks' latest FA signing) or Hamilton (Angels' latest FA).
"The Yankees are the Evil Empire. They just BUY championships. Their money is what makes them good."
This despite how the core four/nucleus of their most successful teams were homegrown players, in addition to other homegrown players on the 2009 team. And how despite their payroll they only win it as much (or lately less) than other teams, so money was clearly not providing an advantage when we looked at the bottom-line year-end results. It was a specious argument, especially when analyzing the amount of homegrown players on the rosters of different teams and comparing.
But my how things have changed. In the past years, we have seen teams like the Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels, and Tigers make huge signings of free agents, and in doing so step right up alongside the Yankees in terms of payroll.
Meanwhile, we continue to see that lavish spending on free agents is never a guarantee of success. To me, there's nothing like watching a young player rise up on your own team from the farm and rooting for him from Day One, watching him develop into a great player year by year.
I will always prefer a Cano if I'm a Yankee fan or a Trout if I'm an Angel fan or a Posey if I'm a Giants fan over the likes of say Youkilis (Yanks' latest FA signing) or Hamilton (Angels' latest FA).
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Comments
Mike
<< <i>Good luck to the Angels with Josh, LOL. Dude is a basket case. Glad to see him gone from Texas.
Mike >>
Completely agree with you, Mike. Can't say I'm sold on this one...yet.
Justin
Retired - Eddie Mathews Master Registry Set (96.36%) Rank 1
Man I wish the Tigers had the same payroll as the Yankees in 2012. (after all it is not my money) However, it's not even close. The difference in the Tiger's/Yankee's payroll is around 65million. Interestingly enough the Tampa Bay Ray's payroll was 65 million in 2012. Exactly the difference between NY and Detroit. MJ
Fellas, leave the tight pants to the ladies. If I can count the coins in your pockets you better use them to call a tailor. Stay thirsty my friends......
However, I don't have an aversion to a good trade or FA.
WTB: 2001 Leaf Rookies & Stars Longevity: Ryan Jensen #/25