Mark Teixeira & New York Yankees---The Soothsayer Liveth

I've tried to keep this to myself as I never wanted to be a columnist that blew his own horn or write the proverbial 'I told you so' type of article. But what the heck...I'm new to this and have an excuse for not knowing any better. Something interesting happened today in the sports world today... Major League Baseball (MLB) free agent, Mark Teixeira inked an 8 year, $180 million contract with the New York Yankees. Teixeira was highly coveted by numerous teams including the Yankees' main rival, the Boston Red Sox. However, the signing ended up coming down to the type of culture and environment the player wanted to surround himself with and based on his choices, I can see why.

In Boston, Anaheim (Angels), Washington, D.C. (Nationals) or in Baltimore (Orioles), he would be greeted with rabid fans and an easily impressed sports media waiting to exalt him as the player that could single handedly turn around the franchise or be a bridge to further future success. In New York, everyone in the office/clubhouse is 'the man' and if the team struggles blame can be deflected without him even saying anything or pointing fingers. Granted the media is harsh, but who do they attack when the guy who sits next to Teixiera has a larger contract than he? If the team wins, then he becomes another in a long list of players in pin-stripes that won a World Series Title. Conversely, being the shark in a sea full of tuna such are the environments of Boston, D.C., Baltimore and Anaheim he cannot hide if he struggles to justify his exorbitant salary; many a player have wilted under such heavy expectations.

Enough of the analysis...down to the soothsaying and personal back-patting and ball washing. I wrote a blog last week on some sports website, and that blog prompted me to begin my own blog endeavor. The Yankees at the time were in the background watching what other suitors were offering Teixiera and there were reports that they were willing to go up to $200 million or more over 8, 9 or 10 years. Here is my response:

'This is definitely a ploy to drive the price up on the Red Sox. And if they succeed in doing so, they will be able to get him. HOWEVER....have they not learned from the post World Series Dynasty they had? What happened to bringing in modest veterans, mixing in ONE or TWO superstars and have loaded pitching? Instead, they have continued to put together a traveling All Star team that isn't a team...remember the old saying, 20 players in twenty taxis after the game? This is what they create. It seems as if they want a corporate culture in a sports locker-room...it is TOO uptight for athletes who play for fun as much as for the money. When one supersedes the other, you don't win. I can understand now why A-Rod doesn't perform when it counts; the game is no longer fun for him.'

And I continue...

'It's a shame to see organizations try to 're-live the old days' by having a 'Murderers Row'. They seem to forget that it was those championships they won back in the 90's and early 2000's that built this new stadium, not the overpriced, underwhelming collection of prima-donas they have made a company-wide mission of fielding for the past few years. Get Paul O'Neil, Scott Brosius, or Wade Boggs type players...guys who have suffered for years on crappy teams but still performed. Players like that bring you rings, not the guys who come at the highest price.'

Now...I hate to piggy back on some of the big boys of sports media, but after Teixiera signed his contract today, Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins wrote in his article titled "Corporate' Teixeira has the temperament of a natural Yankee". Please read the comments below:

'The caricature of the New York Yankees, drawn by the legions who resent them, is that they are 25 bat-wielding CEOs, dressed in button-down shirts and pinstriped suits, carrying Blackberrys and briefcases into a clubhouse that could double as a board room. They are clean-shaven, image-conscious, supremely wealthy and not a whole lot of fun.'

'Mark Teixeira will fit right into the caricature. Teammates joke that they have never seen him with a five-o-clock shadow, an un-tucked shirt, a hair out of place. One general manager describes him as "corporate" and "businesslike." Teixiera describes himself as "obsessive compulsive." Scott Boras, his agent, says Teixeira has "the make-up of a CEO." Some may be turned off that Teixeira does not often hang around the clubhouse after games, pounding beers and telling stories. But the Yankees, who pride themselves on their professional work environment, will not mind.'

My only point of contention is that I do not resent the Yankees. If a team has the money, by all means spend it. However, if things do not turn out as they want, i.e. a dominating 125-win season complete with a World Series, the ownership should not be pointing the players, but the men in the mirror. Secondly, it may be a good idea to check into my blog every now and again as I believe I have a good pulse on the sports industry and the thoughts of media pundits and fans. As for the Yankees prospects this upcoming season, I am not sure how that will go. I firmly believe that you cannot hit your way to a title. A team needs clutch pitching that is battle tested and mentally strong. Looking up and down their roster, I see less and less of these types of players as the years go by. I see hired guns who've been on bad teams but never lifted those teams. Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez were teammates on horrible Texas Rangers teams. C.C. Sabathia, although a recent Cy Young Award winner, can't win big games against good teams (go ahead and look up the record). A.J. Burnett for the second time in his career turned in his statistically best season during the last year of his contract.

The bottom line is you do not win with players like this; they may win some games, but against tight knit teams of lesser talent, but more heart such as the Rays of last year, the Red Sox of '04 or the Tigers of '06, they will struggle. In the past, ownership thrust players like this on classy former manager Joe Torre in the latter dynasty years and he assumed the blame for their shortcomings even when he kept them competitive despite their incompetence. Imagine what happens when these guys clash with the confrontational second year manager Joe Girardi. Good luck.