2008 Woodie Awards
The Yankees: the Harvard of baseball
Peter Locke
Issue date: 3/28/07 Section: Sports
- < prev Page 2 of 2
This off-season, money was thrown around like a drunk sorority girl at a cocaine store. The Cubs, God bless my team, were the principal offenders. But the Giants, Angels, and Red Sox all proved they could be completely devoid of sense. Toronto did it a year ago with AJ Burnett and B.J. Ryan. The Mets have been guilty, too. Everywhere, teams are trying to keep up with the Joneses.
Then why, given that the Yankees (and other teams now, too) are replete with bloated contracts and superstars with less chemistry than Porno acting?
Sadly, the answer is more simple than it appears. The Yankees are the Harvard of baseball. No matter what they do, other teams will try and keep up with them. As soon as Harvard abolishes early decision, every school on the East coast is suddenly rethinking its philosophy on the matter, including our own little posturing institution.
But the problem in this situation is that the Yankees made a very public display of a bad policy, but because they are the Yankees, the aforementioned teams fell in line like a bunch of Amhersts. You always try to emulate the best, but what happens when the "best" has no clue what its doing? What happens when the best is run by an old man whose fat wallet is only exceeded by the fatness of his ego?
And so I suppose I should be thankful, then, that the Yankees have started to go back to cultivating a farm system and putting together a team. That means that in 4 or 5 years, the Cubs might start to play copycat and have a legitimate shot at winning a title.
Such is the life of a Cubs fan and a W&L student, and its depressing for people in both camps, waiting around for Harvard and the Yankees to make some good decisions.
Then why, given that the Yankees (and other teams now, too) are replete with bloated contracts and superstars with less chemistry than Porno acting?
Sadly, the answer is more simple than it appears. The Yankees are the Harvard of baseball. No matter what they do, other teams will try and keep up with them. As soon as Harvard abolishes early decision, every school on the East coast is suddenly rethinking its philosophy on the matter, including our own little posturing institution.
But the problem in this situation is that the Yankees made a very public display of a bad policy, but because they are the Yankees, the aforementioned teams fell in line like a bunch of Amhersts. You always try to emulate the best, but what happens when the "best" has no clue what its doing? What happens when the best is run by an old man whose fat wallet is only exceeded by the fatness of his ego?
And so I suppose I should be thankful, then, that the Yankees have started to go back to cultivating a farm system and putting together a team. That means that in 4 or 5 years, the Cubs might start to play copycat and have a legitimate shot at winning a title.
Such is the life of a Cubs fan and a W&L student, and its depressing for people in both camps, waiting around for Harvard and the Yankees to make some good decisions.
Be the first to comment on this story