As it turned out, the New York Yankees weren't the best team that money can buy. How about that, sports fans!
Maybe money doesn't buy you happiness. The Yankees are loaded down with huge contracts for over-the-hill players and others who don't seem to know how to play well under the pressure of the post-season. I kind of wish my team was a little more sensible and didn't chase after big-ticket laggards.
The Yankees, boasting a $200 million payroll, lost to the Detroit Tigers in the playoffs, 3 games to 2. The Tigers showed grit and skill while the Yankees had home run-itis. Befitting their status as baseball's wealthiest, team, the players seemed to feel that hitting a single or even a sacrifice fly was somehow beneath them. So, they swung for the fences, even in situations when a single would have broken a game wide open.
I am a diehard Yankee fan. I have been all my life. When they win a game, I feel a little happier than usual. When their season ends, it's always a little bit sad because that means I'll have to wait for another six months to watch meaningful baseball games again.
I don't really have a favorite among the remaining playoff teams. My team is out of it, so it doesn't particularly matter much to me.
The result was a fiasco. Alex Rodriguez, the $27 million man, and Mark Teixeira, who has a $180 million/8-year contract, laid an egg. Derek Jeter, who pulls down about $17 million per season, didn't come close to hitting his usual mark of .300. C.C. Sabathia, who earns about $23 million a season, was the Yankees' worst pitcher in the series.
I would tell you all about Detroit's finest but I don't quite remember their names.
You see, they don't make enough money for any serious baseball fan to dwell on their heroics.
Jon Friedman writes the Media Web column for MarketWatch.com. Click here to read his latest column.
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