The Royals in the 2010 World Series

by KHAZAD on Apr 4, 2010 2:26 PM EDT

I wrote the following in response to Yankees fans who claim that tremendous baseball acumen, rather than a limitless supply of money, makes the Yankees great.

They often point out that the Royals spend their money badly as an example. I can't argue with that, but the money is the main difference.

My response is below the jump:

The Yankees had 6 players in the top 25 in payroll in 2009. Those 6 players made $122 million (which would be the 3rd largest payroll by itself.) They spent more on the rest of their team than the Royals entire payroll as well.

What if the Royals were the team with that kind of money? You could add those 6 players to the Royals as they stand now, and have a World Series Contender:

Jeter-SS
Callaspo-2B
Texeira-1B
Arod-3B
Butler-DH
Dejesus-CF
Gordon-LF
Ankiel-RF
Kendall-C

Pena backs up catcher, Aviles, Maier, Podsenik and Getz on the bench. IF they kept only 13, that would make Getz an I-29 guy, because he has options. With injuries, etc. he would still spend most of his time here.

Greinke
Sabathia
Burnett
Meche
Bannister

Soria would set up for Rivera, or, with Rivera already on the team, perhaps Soria is a starter with Meche and Bannister fighting for the 5th spot. (Loser gets traded for a catcher).

Assuming Soria as set up guy, that leaves Tejada, Hochevar, Hughes as a lefty, and Cruz, Colon and Farnsworth fighting it out for the last two spots. I am unaware if any of these guys other than Hughes has options left. (I think we know who this blog would cut.)

Some Yankee fans would respond that Jeter and Rivera are home grown. If the Royals and Yankees payrolls were reversed, that wouldn't matter now, because they would be long gone.

I just turned a crappy team into a World Series contender with 6 guys!

So for the Yankees fans who say it's not about the money, I say Child, Please!!

P.S. The Yankees spent $2.38 on payroll for every dollar other teams spent. If your family suddenly brought home $2.38 for every $1.00 you bring home now, would your life change? Would you have more, or better, things? I think you would. So do the Yankees.

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Well said

I wrote the following in response to Yankees fans who claim that tremendous baseball acumen, rather than a limitless supply of money, makes the Yankees great.

Boy Yankee fans are special. Was it tremendous baseball acumen that made them able to afford to acquire ARod, Teixeira, and CC? Was it tremendous baseball acument that made them able to afford to retain Jeter, Cano and Mendoza? Now obviously that FO knows what it’s doing. They recognized where to spend their huge money and made good choices. But even if Dayton Moore realized that it would help his team to sign those players, it wouldn’t make a difference because he couldn’t possibly sign them (not that there aren’t other positive things Moore could do with the money he has). And they have enough money to spend their way out of mistakes like the big contract they gave to Pavano.

The immoderate moderator

by Scott McKinney on Apr 4, 2010 2:47 PM EDT reply actions

It's a lot easier to make those good choices

When you’re picking between a pair of “sure things” and fishing in the bargain barrel. There’s a reason why some guys are cheap and some aren’t- performance quality and reliability.

by sterlingice on Apr 5, 2010 2:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Yea, well

Kansas City’s tremendous baseball acumen has gotten us Jason Kendall & Willie Bloomquist, so we win.

BOOM! ROASTED!

by GoBabies!! on Apr 4, 2010 5:37 PM EDT reply actions

Kinda makes me sick

but I have to cheer for Jeter tonight. I was trying to bid him up in an auction fantasy draft and no one wanted him, so I got stuck with him.

by i before e except after Grrr on Apr 4, 2010 7:50 PM EDT via mobile reply actions

Here's the statement I would have closed that out with:

I don’t think you grasp just how much more than $1 $2.38 is. If you were making $7 an hour and you got that raise, you’d bring home — after taxes — an additional $1000 a month. And that’s some schlub at the bottom of the foot chain. But regardless of how much you already make — whether it’s $7 an hour or $70 an hour or $700 an hour — your raise would, in and of itself, cover every expense you already have and then some.

Don’t pretend the money doesn’t matter. I made almost $100K a year before the recession hit and I got laid off. You know what the biggest difference between then and now is? Back then, when I went to the grocery store I bought whatever the hell I wanted, and now I don’t. And that’s the exact difference between the New York Yankees and the Kansas City Royals; the Royals have to choose between filling their shopping cart with a month’s worth of bargains, or treating themselves to two thick juicy steaks and then buying three cases of ramen noodles so they don’t go hungry the other 28 days of the month.

This space for rent.

by jonfmorse on Apr 4, 2010 8:39 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs