Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Yankees Take Scorn for (Gasp!) Spending Money

Yankees Are Doing There Job, Filling Stadiums, In It To WIn

By Victoria Floethe, Newser User

Posted Jan 15, 2009 7:56 PM CST

(Newser) – Given the reaction to the Yankees' deep-pocketed acquisition of three big-name players, it's easy to assume the team is nothing less than evil personified, writes Sean Collins in Spiked. But set aside for the moment that the moves are actually a wise investment for a team that's building a new stadium and needs to field a good team. The real reason for the over-the-top scorn is that the Yanks have the nerve not to act glum amid our recession.

"Many seem to believe that we all have a moral duty to cut back and not enjoy life too much," writes Collins. "And if we are fortunate enough still to have money, we shouldn’t flash it." But the Yankees don’t "owe it to New York to spend responsibly,” he writes. In 2009, we'll need little luxuries like ballgames. "We should lighten up and stop trying to endow professional sports with more than what they are—a form of entertainment."

[Images (4)]

[Quotes (5)]

Mark Teixeira laughs as he attributes his choice to become a Yankee to his wife Leigh during a press conference. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

In this Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008, file photo, New York Yankees pitchers A.J. Burnett, left, and C.C. Sabathia share a laugh after they were introduced to the media at Yankee Stadium in New York. (AP Photo)

New York Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett, left, is shown with New York Yankees president Randy Levine, center, and co-chairman Hal Steinbrenner at Yankee Stadium in New York, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

New York Yankees new first baseman Mark Teixeira, left, puts his arm around sports agent Scott Boras. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

No one could have imagined the kind of shameless shopping spree the Yankees have been on...at a time when more than 10 million Americans are out of work and another four million might join them in 2009. - Wallace Matthews, Newsday

The Yankees also thought about these moves carefully: for example, last year they could have traded young talent for another high-priced top pitcher, Johan Santana, but they held off and waited for Sabathia this year instead. - Sean Collins, Spiked

The Yankees have come to serve as a general symbol of bad behaviour. The moralism around the recession is affecting other sports, too.
- Sean Collins, Spiked

Last year the Tampa Bay Rays won the division with a bunch of young, no-name, exciting players and it’s theirs until the Yankees take it from them. And, personally, I wish the Yankees spent more money, not less – specifically on developing younger talent. - Sean Collins, Spiked

In fact, the reactions express a more and more common sentiment that, in the midst of today’s recession, we must be, or appear to be, miserable - anything else is bad form.
- Sean Collins, Spiked

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Stats Can't Explain Sox Collapse

It was spectacularly unlikely

(NEWSER) - “It’s hard to describe how epic the Red Sox collapse was,” writes Nate Silver in the New York Times , calling it statistically like Bill Buckner’s famous botched play of 1986 “multiplied by itself two or three times over." On Sept. 3, the Red Sox had a 99.6% chance of making the playoffs. What’s more, by the time the Orioles were down to their last strike last night, the Sox had about a 98% chance of winning the game. More»

Red Sox Miss Playoffs After 'Worst Collapse Ever'

Last-day losses cap miserable month for Red Sox, Braves

(NEWSER) - The Boston Red Sox are in the record books and out of playoff contention after a terrible night capped a terrible September. The Red Sox allowed two ninth-inning runs in a 4-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles last night, the AP reports. Minutes after the Red Sox trudged off the field—still tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for the final playoff spot—the Rays secured the spot by beating the New York Yankees 8-7, having fought back from being down 7-0 in the middle of the seventh inning. More»

Yanks' Rivera Makes Record 602nd Save

Fans third Twins batter to ice it

(AP) - Mariano Rivera set the major league record with his 602nd career save, pitching a perfect ninth inning today to preserve the New York Yankees' 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins. With fans standing and cheering from his first pitch to his last, Rivera retired Trevor Plouffe, Michael Cuddyer, and Chris Parmelee to end it. Parmelee looked at strike three—it appeared to be Rivera's signature cutter—as Yankee Stadium roared in approval. More»

A-Rod Faces Suspension Over Poker Games

League to interview Yankees' Rodriguez about alleged gambling

(NEWSER) - Alex Rodriguez may have wagered more than he thought. The Yankees slugger is facing possible suspension over alleged involvement in high-stakes poker games, reports ESPN . The third baseman is accused of playing in at least two games—one at the Beverly Hills mansion of a record producer that included open cocaine use and the threat of violence when another poker player lost "more than a half-million dollars," according to a person who claims to have been in the game. (Details on that from Star, via Radar .) More»

Ex-Yankee Hideki Irabu Dead; Suicide Suspected

Former pitcher was 42

(NEWSER) - Onetime Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabu has been found dead in his Southern California home at age 42. Police are investigating the case as a suicide, reports AP . Born in Japan, Irabu was signed in 1997 with great fanfare by the San Diego Padres, but he was traded to the Yankees the same year; he said they were the only team that interested him. He went 29-20 over 3 years for the team and was traded to the Montreal Expos in 1999 before retiring in 2002, the New York Post reports. He was 34-35 overall, never quite living up to expectations of being the Japanese Nolan Ryan. More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Yankees Take Scorn for (Gasp!) Spending Money