The Ryan example does not compare because it was the major leagues vs. a totally different organization. Also Texas and NY are less than a four hour plane ride apart, Japan is on the other side of the world. You also have the language and cultural differences and the difficulty for family and friends to visit that factor into that equation. It will be interesting to see what he does. I am not a Yankee fan but living in NY I don't recall a situation of them ever losing out on a free agent that they "had" to have. And make no mistake they have to have him. The team is old. Posada, Petitie and Mariano are or are close to 40, Jeter is 37 next year, Arod 36 and all have shown signs of injury and/or decline. Even the "young" guys like Swisher and Tex are over 30. Cano and Gardner are the only regular position guys under 30. The rotation is a mess after CC. Burnett is awful, Hughes is inconsistent at best and Andy is aging and injury prone. They have no pitching prospects ready to step up. The bull pen besides Mariano stinks especially now that Kerry Wood will go elsewhere to close. If they don't get Lee they will be lucky to make the playoffs in 2011. No other trade target or free agent is comparable. Werth is a 30 plus guy who benefited from a hitter's park and a deep lineup who was awful until he became a Phillie. Crawford is a 29 year old speed guy, speed does not age well and at his peak he is a complimentary player rather than a star. Grienke may get traded but with his anxiety issues he would never make it in NY with the media and fans all over him and everything he does all the time. The rest of the trade and free agent guys are medicore at best. I hope he stays in Texas but I am just being realistic and I think in a month we will get to see the press conference that they all have where they don the pinstripes for the first time and wax poetic about how they always wanted to be a Yankee. And players leave "home" all the time to come to the Yankees Giambi did it and he had much greater ties to the As then Lee does to a team he has played a few months for.

As for the Greenberg fans the guy is a blowhard he invested two million in the team I read on SI.com. Yes two million. He somehow convinced them to make him the frontman and now he talks tough on other people's money.

The State income tax and City tax in NY is high totaled about 10% of a millionaire's income. But the media opportunities offset it.