A CHANGE IN FORTUNES
Yankees spend more, get less for effort




By: Russ Rose
Special to Yankees Talk Shop
October 27, 2004

It seems an eon ago since the Yankees last stood on top of the baseball world. The last time the Yankees hoisted the World Series championship trophy was in 2000 when they vanquished the cross-town rival Mets in five games. Who can forget the tears streaming down Joe Torre’s face as he walked off the field after the final game? Who can forget Bernie Williams raising the trophy in the midst of his teammates? The memories are still there, but they’re starting to get a little fuzzy.

In 2000 the Yankees posted the worst win-loss record in Joe Torre’s tenure as Yankees’ manager. With an 87-74 record the Yankees finished 2.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox. The team still had a large part of its roster together. Bernie Williams was the highest paid player on the team. Of the four playoff teams in the running that year the Yankees had the worst record. However, this team dug down deep, beating the Oakland Athletics (and Jason Giambi) 3-2 in the LDS and the Seattle Mariners 4-2 in the LCS. The Yankees went on to beat a very determined Mets team in five games.

The Yankees won the East Division again in 2001. They finished 13.5 games in front of Boston, who failed for the second year in-a-row to make the playoffs. In fact the playoff participants were exactly the same as the year before. The Yankees finished the season with 95 wins, trailing Seattle (record 116 wins) and Oakland (102). The Yankees were nearly eliminated in the LDS by an Oakland team who came close the year before in bouncing the Yankees out of the playoffs. Home field proved to play a big role in the LDS, but not initially as the Athletics swept the Bombers in Games 1 and 2. Oakland headed home full of confidence. If not for the highlight reel play by Derek Jeter taking an overthrow from left field by the first base line and flipping it to Jorge Posada, who tagged out Jeremy Giambi the Yankees fortunes would have ended that day. The play energized the Bombers, who went on to win that game and the next two to win the LDS three games to two.

The Yankees, who had won an AL record 114 games in 1998, made a statement against the team who beat their record by two games. They beat the favored Seattle Mariners in five games to go on to meet the Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series.

The 2001 World Series was one for the ages. The tandem of Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling proved to be as good as advertised and the Diamondbacks took a 2-0 lead in the series. Game 3 was crucial to the Yankees as they returned home hoping to change the flow of the series. Roger Clemens proved to be an invaluable stopper as he beat the Diamondbacks 2-1 to get the Bombers back in the series. Games 4 and 4 were both nail biters as the Yankees came back in both games to beat the Diamondbacks to take a 3-2 lead in the series. The series headed back to Arizona. Randy Johnson got the Diamondbacks even in the series as he beat New York 15-2. The season all game down to Game 7.

Game 7 pitted Roger Clemens against Curt Schilling, who was pitching for the 3rd time in the series. It was a classic pitching duel as the Diamondbacks were able to get a run across in the 6th inning to take a 1-0 lead. The Yankees scored a run in the 7th and 8th innings to take a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the 9th inning.

Torre handed the ball to his trusted closer Mariano Rivera. As we all know Rivera made a throwing error to second and Scott Brosius failed to throw to first after getting the force at 3rd base, which kept Arizona alive. The Diamondbacks were able to tie the game at two and with the bases loaded and Jay Bell on third Luis Gonzalez blooped a single over the head of Derek Jeter to score Bell. Rivera was distraught and the Diamondbacks were the champions of the world. After the season ended Scott Brosius and Paul O’Neill retired and Tino Martinez signed with the St. Louis Cardinals.

The 2002 season had so much promise and so little results. In the off-season the Bombers signed Jason Giambi who rewarded the Yankees with a .314 average, 41 home runs and 122 RBI. The Yankees 103 victories again won the East and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Unfortunately, the heavily favored Bombers ran into a buzz saw by the name of the Anaheim Angels. The Angels, who made the playoffs as a wildcard team for the first time since 1986, took 16 years of frustration out on the Yanks as they convincingly beat them three games to one. The Yankees went home and the Angels won the 2002 World Series.

Last year, the Yankees still stinging from their early exit from the 2002 playoffs, vowed to get back to the World Series and win their 27th championship. The Yankees had a lot of obstacles to overcome. Injuries to Jason Giambi, Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams seriously hampered the Yanks in their quest. However, other guys stepped up to help the Yankees secure their 6th straight division title. Thanks to a change in the All-star Game format the winning league would secure home-field advantage for its representative in the World Series. No more alternating Game 1 between the National and American League venues. If your league wins the All-star Game your team wins the home-field. Such was the luck for the Yankees.

The Yankees had a rough time getting through the 2003 playoffs. The Minnesota Twins proved to be a very testy team, taking Game 1 at Yankee Stadium, before dropping the next three games. Taking the ALDS set the Yankees against their long-time and hated rivals, the Boston Red Sox.

The 2003 American League Championship turned out to be one of the greatest playoff series in baseball history. The emotional ebb and flow was almost unbearable. With the series tied 3-3 and Game 7 in the bottom of the 11th inning Aaron Boone ended Boston’s bid to go to the World Series with a home run to left field off Tim Wakefield. The Yankees were off to their 39th World Series. The Red Sox were off to ponder another frustrating loss to their chief tormentors.

The Yankees met the upstart Florida Marlins, who were the National League wildcard team. The Marlins had done the improbable. Not given a chance to go far in the playoffs Florida beat both the heavily favored San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs. Remember Steve Bartman? The poor guy had to move out of Chicago after dropping a ball hit into the stands, but was catchable by Moises Alou. After the play the Cubs lost the lead, lost the game and lost the NLCS to add another year to the "Curse of the Goat!"

Once again, the Florida Marlins were huge underdogs. The Bombers had the offense and the pitching to beat these upstarts. Sadly, as Yankees’ fans remember, the team suffered a power outage and Florida’s pitching trio of Brad Penny, Josh Beckett and Carl Pavano were better than the Yankees trio of Roger Clemens, David Wells and Andy Pettitte. The Marlins beat the Yankees in six games.

During last winter’s off-season wheeling and dealing the Yankees and Red Sox engaged in a bidding war for free agent Curt Schilling. The Red Sox won the battle and signed Schilling, making him their number one starter. The Yankees needed to counter the move and they landed superstar Alex Rodriguez from the Texas Rangers. In exchange the Yankees traded popular second baseman Alfonso Soriano and a minor leaguer to the Rangers. Which team made the better acquisition? At least for this season, we got the answer to that question.

Alex Rodriguez, who has been called the best player on the planet, spent much of the year trying to find his stroke with runners in scoring position. He had a very quiet year batting 19 points under his career average. His home run and RBI production was also slightly down. The glaring stat was how he batted with RISP. Meanwhile, Schilling was putting together a Cy Young Award type season going 21-6 with a 3.26 ERA.

For all the problems the Yankees had with pitching and an average team batting average (although they set a team record with 242 home runs) Joe Torre and his players managed to win 101 games and captured their 7th straight division title. The Red Sox, who lead the American League in team batting and was third in team ERA, finished three games back and made the playoffs as the wildcard.

Anyone with half a brain knew the dye was cast. The baseball gods demanded another American League Championship Series between the Sox and Yanks. After Boston swept the Anaheim Angels and the Yankees vanquished the Minnesota Twins in four games the scene was set for another classic confrontation.

However, this year’s results were nothing like the emotional rollercoaster series of 2003. The Yankees went into the ALCS a slight underdog. For the first three games they hardly played like also rans. The Bombers swept the Sox at home and took Game 3 by crushing their opponents 19-8. It was the most runs scored on an opponent in playoff history. The Yankees also collected 22 hits, which is also a record. Now with the Yankees being up on the Red Sox three games to none it appeared to be a matter of time before the pinstriped crew popped the Champaign corks on a 40th trip to the World Series. Win one more and the series was theirs. That one victory never came.

The change of fortunes came in the 9th inning of Game 4 when the greatest closer in playoff history came into the contest protecting a 4-3 lead. Mariano Rivera faced Kevin Millar and did the unthinkable. He walked him on five pitches. As is usually the case that lead off walk came around to score to tie the game at four. Boston eventually won the game in the 12th inning on David Ortiz’ two-run shot off Paul Quantrill. It was all down hill from there.

The Yankees whose one through five hitters batted .484 in the first three games all but disappeared batting a woeful .182 the rest of the way. The Sox, in the meantime, played like a wounded animal. With every game being an elimination game they came back and beat the Yankees. The Yankees became the biggest chokers in playoff history by losing the last four games and the series to Boston.

On what would have been Mickey Mantle’s 73rd birthday the Red Sox celebrated their first series victory over the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. The impossible had been accomplished. So what were the differences in the winners and losers? How about Curt Schilling, David Ortiz, Terry Francona and wanting it more than your opponent?

Curt Schilling, who was battered by the Yankees in Game 2, was basically pitching on one wheel. With a tendon separated from and flopping around his right ankle Schilling came back to pitch Game 6. This was after the tendon was sutured down so he could throw. Schilling gutted out seven innings and completely dominated the Yankees. The Yankees big acquisition, in the last four games hit .118 with 0 home runs and 2 RBI. Although David Ortiz was voted series MVP in my mind Curt Schilling was the inspirational catalyst for the Red Sox amazing comeback.

Since 2000 the Yankees posted opening day team payrolls** of $109,791,674 (2001), $125,928,583 (2002), $153,749,814 (2003), $182,835,513 (2004). The four teams who have beaten them posted smaller payrolls. Each of those teams went on to win the World Series. So what does this mean? What it means that no matter how many times people tell you the Yankees buy championships you can’t point to the last four seasons and say no it doesn’t.

In 2001 the Arizona Diamondbacks had an opening day payroll of $81,206,513 and the 2003 the Florida Marlins had a payroll of $49,050,000. The teams that have beaten the Yankees have done more with less. Maybe it’s time for George Steinbrenner to learn this lesson. Not always does obtaining the highest paid players mean getting the highest results. The Boston Red Sox, who have the second highest payroll for 2004 still spent over $57,000,000 less than the Yankees. Today they are one game from winning their first World Series since 1918. Yankees’ fans will have to throw out a lot of gear bearing any reference to that date.

Steinbrenner has almost hocked the farm system going after big names with big salaries. The Yankees used to have the best farm system in baseball. It’s time to regain that reputation. Of the players still left over from the 2000 team only Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada are left. Bernie is slowing down and there’s a lot of mileage on Posada’s legs.

As much as I hate to say this the Yankees need to rebuild. Build it up from the inside like they did in years past. They’re proving throwing money away isn’t getting it done anymore. The fans better get ready for some lean years, because they are coming. Sooner or later the bubble is going to burst and the Yankees will have to bite the bullet. Money is not unlimited. The choice, of course, is George Steinbrenner’s. He writes the checks. He’s the one who has to look at his checkbook and ask himself, "Am I getting my money’s worth?" For the past four years George the answer is a resounding "NO!" I’m willing to wait for a better day when home grown talent and not money win championships. How about the rest of you?

PLAY BALL!

**Stats provided by The Associated Press



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