So the New York Yankees just acquired Alex Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers.
Should we all be impressed by this recent move? Is an approximate $190 million payroll really something the Yankees should be proud of?
Better yet, will this really make a difference in the scheme of things?
My answer is no, no and no. And not because it’s the Yankees, or Rodriguez, whose contract is more of an albatross than a benefit. Unless, of course, your name is Alex Rodriguez.
What most people forget is that New York lacks a seemingly forgotten postseason ingredient.
Pitching.
Mike Mussina and Javier Vazquez anchor the rotation. From then on, though, it lacks any kind of bite. Kevin Brown is an excellent starter, but he’s been to the doctor’s office so often it would make Eric Lindros’ head spin.
Mariano Rivera is a quality closer, but the rest of the bullpen is questionable. And in the American League East, bullpens can mean 10 extra wins or losses.
So, unless George Steinbrenner finds a crown jewel from his farm system, the Yankees will have to bash their way to the pennant. Which is possible, but not a safe way to play ball.
There’s an underiding principle in all of this. The move will create a long line of assumptions that the Yankees are the team to beat.
Think twice before doing so.
Every so often these days we all make judgments in the world of sport based on shock value. So the Yankees received Rodriguez; therefore, they will be the best.
The Los Angeles Lakers acquired Gary Payton and Karl Malone this offseason. Reactions across the country suggested they would roll.
Look at them now.
It’s a fallacy to assume that a team will automatically be the team to beat because of one big move. The Florida Marlins were a ragtag team of relative nobodys before the season, yet they beat the Bronx Bombers in the Fall Classic.
The year before, the Anaheim Angels came out of nowhere to stun the San Francisco Giants for the World Series crown.
This even stretches to collegiate athletics. Sure, Southern California had a whole host of big names that carried the Trojans to a partial national championship. But USC was an all-around dominant team. The Trojans didn’t win the Rose Bowl solely on the shoulders of quarterback Matt Leinart.
No, the Trojans won because they outworked, outhustled and outsmarted their opponents. Their pieces fit beautifully and it showed in the end.
Even college baseball saw the best of what balance can do. Rice won the national championship on the heels of three great starters: Jeff Niemann, Wade Townsend and Philip Humber. But the Owls also had a balanced offense and great team defense that rounded out the club.
That, my friends, is the way baseball teams should be built. And that’s exactly what’s wrong with shock value.
It serves as nothing more than an attention grabber, which is exactly what the Rodriguez deal is doing. While he adds an incredible talent and character player — so it’s been said — he’s also a piece that’s too big for New York’s puzzle.
Watch what happens when a piece either doesn’t fit because of poor play on the field or it bends, much like an injury. While Oregon football had a successful 2003 season, imagine what could have been had everyone been healthy all season.
With Haloti Ngata, do the Ducks lose to Minnesota in the Sun Bowl? With a completely healthy offensive line, does Utah keep the Oregon offense in check?
Now, what happens if Derek Jeter goes down with injury? The Yankees don’t have a bona-fide third baseman after Drew Henson decided to go the NFL. They’d have to move Rodriguez to shortstop, opening up a hole at the hot corner.
How about the golden-aged Gary Sheffield? If he has a down year, get ready for the New York media to have a field day.
When the pundits talk about the lack of parity in the game, a golden example is the Yankees. Sure, they make it to the postseason, but recently, it has all been for nothing.
That’s the problem with shock value.
Still, when it comes to the Yankees, I’d take that any day of the week and twice on Sunday.