You think the yankees are the front runners in signing cliff lee?

[CollectGU]

Hey i hate to break the news to you but the yankees only have one more ws ring than the rangers do in the last decade. The idea that they have a shot every year is going down by the year. It will be hard to win a ws if that team doesnt get any younger.

1995 thru 2010 - 15 playoff appearances, 5 world series rings.... If you play for the Yankees you have a much greater chance of winning a ring, and players know this. So if they really want you, they will likely give you the largest contract and the best chance at winning a ring.....

Dave

[Bondsgloves]

The Yankees should win the World Series every year, they spend twice as much as everyone else. When you can buy the best free agent year, you should win. Basically they have been underachieving. Yankee's promote themselves as the greatest franchise and a wining tradition, but if any other team spent that kind of money they would be in playoffs every year to. Fans either love them or hate them, because of the advantage of buying championships. Really how hard is it to be Yankee fan when you can buy whatever you want and need? If you can't beat them join them... Clemens, A-rod, Wade Boggs, etc... They took the easy road to a ring..

[xpress34]

The Yankees should win the World Series every year, they spend twice as much as everyone else. When you can buy the best free agent year, you should win. Basically they have been underachieving. Yankee's promote themselves as the greatest franchise and a wining tradition, but if any other team spent that kind of money they would be in playoffs every year to. Fans either love them or hate them, because of the advantage of buying championships. Really how hard is it to be Yankee fan when you can buy whatever you want and need? If you can't beat them join them... Clemens, A-rod, Wade Boggs, etc... They took the easy road to a ring..

The reason they don't win every year is stated well in your post Bondsgloves. They BUY thier teams - they don't BUILD them. Therefore, their is little to NO Team Chemistry because outside of the 'Core Four' as they call them - Jeter, A$$Roid, Posada, Rivera) bo one else knows if they will be there next year regardless of their contract.

They have become a team of 'Mercenary Players' or 'Guns for Hire' and while that might get you to the playoffs every year, the Post Season usually seems to go to the teams who are a UNIT.

The Yankees were that 1996-2000 and then they became the Team that would pay any amount for the biggest Free Agent name just because they could. And ONE (1) WS Championship since then shows that the formula doesn't always work.

The 1996-2000 teams were BUILT by the Yankees through Farm Teams and Trades - not buying th biggest Free Agent name. When they dismantled after the 2001 WS loss the Arizona, they have NEVER been the same.

- Smitty

[LastingsMilledge85]

Take a look at the Cubs every year, they are basically the poor man's Yankees. Each year they buy top guys on the free agent market because they have one outstanding season, and then don't fulfill the outrageous contracts the Cubs give them.

[Bondsgloves]

Xpress I agree with you 100%, but having an unlimited payroll is deffinetly a major advantage. I agree you can't put a value on chemistry look at the Giants and Rangers, they are not the best teams on paper... butthey are making it work. I can't csee a comparison however between the cubs and yankees. The Yankees spending is on a entirely different level.

[xpress34]

I agree you can't put a value on chemistry look at the Giants and Rangers, they are not the best teams on paper... butthey are making it work.

Exactly. Look at the Rockies of 2007 - they were one of the lowest payrolls in MLB, but they believed in each other and had that miraculous run at the end because they knew the name on the front of the jersey was way more important than the one on the back. They are a prime example of true team chemistry and a team that helped each other out every way they could.

- Smitty

[CollectGU]

They have become a team of 'Mercenary Players' or 'Guns for Hire' and while that might get you to the playoffs every year, the Post Season usually seems to go to the teams who are a UNIT..

Come on this is all one big cliche = they play as a unit, unselfish, blah blah blah. All teams that make the playoffs have talent, and all teams ngo through hitting and pitching droughts. Mostly the teams that win are the ones that peak at the right time and don't go into the slumps.

Also, there are a ton of Rangers not homegrown!: Lee, Hamilton , Guerrero, David Murphy, Cruz, Molina...Give me a break, let's be real here!

Dave

[xpress34]

Come on this is all one big cliche = they play as a unit, unselfish, blah blah blah. All teams that make the playoffs have talent, and all teams ngo through hitting and pitching droughts. Mostly the teams that win are the ones that peak at the right time and don't go into the slumps.

Also, there are a ton of Rangers not homegrown!: Lee, Hamilton , Guerrero, David Murphy, Cruz, Molina...Give me a break, let's be real here!

Dave

Dave -

Big difference here. I'm not saying that you can't trade for guys and build a strong unit - in fact I even made the trade argument :

The 1996-2000 teams were BUILT by the Yankees through Farm Teams and Trades - not buying th biggest Free Agent name. When they dismantled after the 2001 WS loss the Arizona, they have NEVER been the same.

I'm not talking about completely or mostly home grown teams like the Rockies (outside of Giambi and Cargo the rest of the core are homegrown) and I never said that.

I'm talking about teams like the Yankees since 2001 that have (for the most part) been built by BUYING the current HOT Model from the end of the previous season - and they have ONE WS Ring for all of that money they have paid out. In the same span, Boston has TWO WS Rings and since they disbanded some of their core guys from '04 and '07, they haven't looked quite the same while following the Yankees and throwing money at FAs.

So, yes I am being REAL here.

- Smitty

[ferro39]

The reason they don't win every year is stated well in your post Bondsgloves. They BUY thier teams - they don't BUILD them. Therefore, their is little to NO Team Chemistry because outside of the 'Core Four' as they call them - Jeter, A$$Roid, Posada, Rivera) bo one else knows if they will be there next year regardless of their contract.

that simply isnt true. guys like swisher, burnett and even hinske injected new life into the team last year and are/were VERY well liked. they were extremely tight and anyone who watches the team on a regular basis knows this. in fact, id even venture to say that 2009 was the closest the team has been since the torre teams of the mid-late 1990s.

contrary to popular belief (among non yankee fans), it's not always about throwing the most money at the FAs they covet. cashman generally know very well who the good dressing room guys are

[xpress34]

contrary to popular belief (among non yankee fans), it's not always about throwing the most money at the FAs they covet. cashman generally know very well who the good dressing room guys are

So then I guess you are saying that all of the guys here who have stated as FACT that Lee will be a Yankee because the Yankees can and will outbid everyone for the players they want aren't real Yankees fans?