Can’t Buy Me Love ……… And Money Can’t Buy You Happiness Either …. Especially In The World of Baseball
Well with the divisional rounds of the AL and NL divisional series now behind us the championship series are now set . In the AL the Texas Rangers will host the Detroit Tigers for the first two games in the best of seven games series format to decide the AL pennant and the representative for the World Series from that league. In the NL we have the Milwaukee Brewers hosting the St Louis Cardinals with the privilege of the pennant winner from that league taking on winners of the Rangers vs Tigers series.
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Slide show for your perusal .
Now while we were all enthralled by the final day finales within the league with both the St Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays garnering the wildcard berths for the postseason . It has to be said that in spite of the drama and excitement created by the improbable feats by both the Cardinals and Rays what has now happened in divisional series raises the bar to a new level. The Philadelphia Phillies , New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox has me wondering whether or not those who aspire to suggest that there is parity within the league , do they really believe that ?
The New York Yankees long considered the big money market team whose aspirations to spend big and win big has been the credo that they have simply lived by. The team with a $203 million payroll simply eschew largess and the type of opulence we are liable to see amongst the high rolling executives on Wall Street. In the ALDS the Yankees were up against a determined Detroit Tigers’ — team with their ace in the hole with the starting pitcher Justin Verlander . In a series deciding game five hosted by the AL East champions at Yankees Stadium . The game in front of a soldout crowd was raucous and electric in terms of the excitement created .
In spite of the the team’s offense and the tremendous seasons had by Curtis Granderson and Mark Teixeira during the postseason the bats of the Yankees were bewilderingly silent . Alex Rodriguez the alleged big money player brought in by the organization presumably to be the face of the team once Derek Jeter steps down has been a clear sign of why Rodriguez is not the force that many presumably believe him to be. He may well rank up there amongst the all-time leaders in terms home run hitters . During the series against the Detroit Tigers the player’s demeanor and offense like the rest of the members of this Yankees’ roster was nowhere to be seen. I will continue to maintain that Alex Rodriguez does not know what it is to play on a team much less be a teammate who can lead by example !. He has yet to prove that and never will and that is even with the fact that he has a World Series ring to his credit.
New York Yankees’ team president Randy Levine and GM Brian Cashman are already circling the wagons and looking to create the facade that their failings were due to the fact that the Tigers were simply the better team . And in that respect they are right but who could have envisaged that during the postseason this New York Yankees’ team would put up such an anemic effort ? And beyond the ineptitude shown by the Yankees’ offense one has to admit that coming into this postseason you also knew this pitching roster of the Yankees simply would not be up to the task . The only saving grace for the New York Yankees may well be the fact that beyond CC Sabathia and Ivan Nova this pitching rotation may well need to be gutted and revamped altogether .
Money may well be of no object to the New York Yankees , given the fact that they have unending resource by way of the YES Network and the thought that they can use the team owned broadcast outlet to simply use as a tax write for any losses accumulated by the baseball operations. But herein lies the caveat to this whole charade , it is that the New York Yankees are not necessarily prudent spenders when it comes acquiring talent by way of the free agency market or via trades . Consider players such as Carl Pavano , Randy Johnson and Hideki Irabu who have simply come and gone producing little if anything that one might consider tangible for the organization. But somehow & Brian Cashman and the entire front office seem to feel that this credo is still the template for success. That scenario usually works when the talent performs at an optimum level but would anyone seriously consider the season produced by AJ Burnett is worth $16,500,000 ?
The Philadelphia Phillies prior to the start of the season were seen as the prohibitive favorites to win the NL pennant and World Series . A pitching roster that has a quintet of All Stars and wealth of experience with a Cy Young award winner amongst those five. Roy Halladay , Cliff Lee , Cole Hamels , Brad Lidge and Roy Oswalt . As imposing as that pitching roster may well appear to be who could have envisaged that it would be the offense of the Phillies that would lay a goose egg in their divisional series against the St Louis Cardinals ? Another big money market team whose expenditure on team salaries for 2011 exceeded $167 million .
In what would turn out to be a game five series decider played at Citizens Bank Ballpark in Philadelphia the Phillies hosted the NL Central wildcard winners. Taking the mound for the Cardinals was their ace Chris Carpenter . And the ace did not fail to deliver , pitching a three hit shutout for a complete game and perhaps one of the greatest pitching performances in St Louis Cardinals’ postseason history .
Philadelphia Phillies’ GM Ruben Amaro Jr along with manager Charlie Manuel , the entire coaching staff and the front office will have to reassess the roster to view what changes will have to made . if the Phillies are to have any semblance of success in the upcoming season. For a team that was said to be experienced with such seasoned veterans as Chase Utley , Raul Ibanez , Shane Victorino to add alongside the highly productive Ryan Howard and you now have to ask where was the leadership on this team in their time of need ? This was a team built for the long haul with a view to making a run for the World Series and it was clear that no expense would be spared .
For a team with a payroll of $167 million it is hard to understand how the Philadelphia Phillies could have failed so miserably . Built to win but barely lasting the course because of sheer ineptitude and a complete lack of brevitas shown by these high priced players.
In the space of ten days from the end of the regular season schedule to the divisional series we have seen a fallout of seismic proportions that I feel may well force the general managers around the baseball landscape to believe that spending ostentatiously simply brings about success . And even though the effects of ” Sabermetrics” during the nineties created the euphoria and was used effectively by Billy Beane of the Oakland Athletics under the tutelage of Paul DePodesta . That was then , this now and in the present the reality is that the big money teams still hold sway . However , we can either choose to believe that within the game of baseball there is now parity within the sport or the fact that it is actually about the survival of the fittest. At the end of the day I believe it simply comes down to the will to win and not much more beyond that !
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Picture gallery for your perusal .
In light of the events of the waning days of the regular season and the divisional rounds of the playoffs what to your mind has been the main premise behind the downfall of these big money market teams ? Of the four remaining teams within the LCS which do you feel has the best chance of winning the World Series ? Simply chime in with a comment as you deem fit and anything else you feel pertinent with regard to the subject matter.
Alan aka tophatal …………
https://tophatal.wordpress.com
Picture and slide show details .
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(1) Texas Rangers’ Neftali Feliz reacts after striking out Detroit Tigers’ Ryan Raburn for the final out of Game 1 at baseball’s American League championship series Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011, in Arlington, Texas. Texas won, 3-2 . Texas catcher Mike Napoli and home plate umpire Tim Welke are at rear. AP Photo/Eric Gay …
(2) The Texas Rangers celebrate their 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers in Game One of the American League Championship Series at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on October 8, 2011 in Arlington, Texas. Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images ….
(3) New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, left, and Derek Jeter leave the field after the top of the ninth inning of the Yankees’ 3-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers in Game 5 of baseball’s American League division series Thursday, Oct. 6, 2011, in New York. AP Photo/Kathy Willens …..
(4) The Detroit Tigers run out from the dugout onto the field to celebrate with their teammates after they won 3-2 against the New York Yankees during Game Five of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 6, 2011 in the Bronx borough of New York City. Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images …….
(5) Rafael Soriano of the New York Yankees is presented his jersey and cap from (L-R) manager Joe Girardi, president Randy Levine, general manager Brian Cashman and COO Lonn Trost during a press conference on January 19, 2011 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. The Yankees signed Soriano to a three year contract. Getty Images / Jim McIsaac ……
(6) Manager Charlie Manuel looks on as general manager Ruben Amaro Jr of the Philadelphia Phillies holds the ALCS trophy as they celebrate defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-4 to advance to the World Series in Game Five of the NLCS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park on October 21, 2009 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
(7) St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Daniel Descalso, left, starting pitcher Chris Carpenter, second baseman Nick Punto, catcher Yadier Molina, and first baseman Albert Pujols, react after their 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in baseball’s Game 5 of the National League division series Friday, Oct. 7, 2011 in Philadelphia. AP Photo/Matt Slocum …
(8) Ryan Howard (6) of the Philadelphia Phillies stumbles as he runs out of the box on his ground out for the final out of the game as they lost 1-0 against the St. Louis Cardinals during Game Five of the National League Divisional Series at Citizens Bank Park on October 7, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photo by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images …..
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NLCS
St Louis Cardinals —- @ —- Milwaukee Brewers ……. Miller Ball Park , Milwaukee , Wisc ,..
ALCS
Detroit Tigers —- @ —- Texas Rangers …… Rangers Ballpark , Arlington , Tx,.
MLB probable starters for 9th October 2011
MLB teams’ postseason stats pitching ERA
MLB teams’ postseason stats hitting BA
Boston Red Sox team salaries 2011 *
Detroit Tigers team salaries 2011
New York Yankees team salaries 2011 *
Philadelphia Phillies team salaries 2011 *
St Louis Cardinals team salaries 2011
Texas Rangers team salaries 2011
NB: * Denotes teams knocked out in the divisional rounds of the playoffs
2012 MLB free agents position players
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Tophatal's Blog 
Howard was hurt since late August. The Bums quit hitting. Just because you spend bucks doesn’t mean you will win the whole banana. Ask the Eagles too. In the old days the winner of the National League played the American League in the world series. They added the wild card and all that bullshit.
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Bobby Gee
Howard may well have been hurt but what’s the excuse for the rest of the players on the team who are part of the offense that was so lauded around the league ?
And in the postseason they simply didn’t measure up .
Selig and the team owners felt the wildcard format because he felt it would create excitement and more money for the teams participating in the postseason .
Oh by the way how ’bout them Philadelphia Eagles at 1-4 within the NFC East and the league ? Pitiful at best mediocre at its very worst !
Spending money is one thing but it’s about spending it prudently and I don’t believe that has been the case with either the Eagles or Phillies ! Poor returns on their investments !
Eagles’ team salary
Phillies’ team salary
tophatal ………..
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I’d like to see the Tigers and Cards advance to the World Series, but they both face very good opponents.
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aero
This World Series I believe will struggle to even get a telling audience in terms of viewers on Fox unless one of the participants happens to be the St Louis Cardinals . As good as the Brewers are said to be , in reality they simply haven’t got the national following as perhaps either the Rangers or Tigers have . Granted their history is a storied one but it won’t mean anything at all to the passing observer showing an interest the series .
As we all know the viewers’ interest is only piqued when the Yankees — make the World Series as that’s when the ratings are at their highest .
Let’s simply hope that this postseason is littered with a great deal of excitement and really competitive — games . That’s all the fans at this juncture can really ask for I believe !
tophatal ……….
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What???? No Yankees……say it in’t so……
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al clements
The Yankees are sitting at home eating crow much like many of their obnoxious fans ! LOL,LOL,LOL, LOL !!!
How ’bout them Eagles ? All the more reason for fans in the city of Philadelphia to incite a riot and burn the friggin’ city down , as their teams ( baseball and football ) are absolute crap ! ‘nough said !
😉
tophatal …………..
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al clements
A Rod was great during this postseason (batting .111, 18AB, 2hits, BB4, 6K’s 0 HR’s) wouldn’t you say ? LOL,LOL,LOL !!! He spent more time hittin’ Cameron Diaz’s ass than he did hitting a damn baseball .
A Rod can hit this but he can’t …………….
hit this ? Go figure !
Really is he that sure of his sexuality ?
tophatal ……………………..
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I guess what we have to ask ourselves is whether this is good or bad for baseball and what that even means.
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Chris Humpherys
We’ll know from the ratings that the World Series will get with regard to the two finals teams in the baseball’s showcase event .
FoxSports /Fox Television had better hope that both finalists had better be playing really competitive baseball over the entire series and that it actually goes a minimum of 6 games for their sake. They (broadcaster) can ill afford to have a blowout in the upcoming World Series .
tophatal …………….
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All along I’ve been rooting for a Brewers vs, Tigers world series. Hope it happens, but I kinda feel like it won’t at this point… Screw what’s good or bad for baseball, that’s what I want!!
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chappy
I can’t root for the Brewers merely because of the presence of Bud Selig and the fact he’s a former owner of the team . I’d love to see the Rangers take on the Cardinals in the World Series with Washington having the final say over La Russa !
Ewa Sonnet
😉
tophatal ……
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chappy
I think that most fans would simply be happy with a truly competitive and entertaining WS rather than having any form of a blowout ! If that were to happen I think it would simply nullify the postseason and lay credence to the fact that regular day finale was more than we could have all hoped for .
Whomever the final duo are , let’s hope that they can put on a great show for the fans and the tv watching public !
tophatal ……………………….
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