<< Although they have clearly imported the best that money can buy>>
Actually, they haven't. This entire recent run of championships has mostly been done with players who came through the Yankee farm system or who were acquired by trades using players from the Yankee farm system. Jeter, Bernie, Mo, Posada, Soriano, Pettite, Spencer, Nick Johnson - all homegrown. And the other starters? Paul O'Neill was a trade, Tino Martinez was a trade, Scott Brosius was a trade, Roger Clemens was a trade, Chuck Knoblauch was a trade, David Justice was a trade. They've had very few big free agent signings. As in almost none. Mike Mussina this year was a rarity. Okay, technically Orlando Hernandez was a free agent, but it's not like he was some other team's player first. The Yankees have almost never signed away a big-name star from another team; when it comes to position players, they haven't done it in years. What they HAVE done is overpay for their OWN players. They have lavished money on their own stars to keep them from leaving to go to other teams. They have been able to eat salaries when they made a mistake. It is true that they have significantly more resources than most other teams. It is also true that they have, for the most part, spent those resources extremely intelligently. Everyone makes mistakes, but the Yankees have made fewer than most teams. And I agree that this group has been a joy to follow, to watch every day, to cheer for. There's not a jerk in the bunch; well, Clemens has been jerky at times, but even he has stepped up and become a true Yankee. But, Yankee haters need no excuse to hate the Yankees. If the Yankees didn't make them miserable, they'd be miserable. Tom Beck "I always knew I'd see the first man on the Moon. I didn't realize I'd also see the last." - Jerry Pournelle
