Yankee Haters Rejoice

Another Major League Baseball trading deadline has come and gone, and it seems as though many experts are singing the praises of the New York Yankees, and proclaiming them as one of the big "winners." Well I for one don't know what they're looking at, because from my view it looks like they've simply injected more chaos into an already volatile situation. Sure the Yankees managed to nab another big named player, making big time bucks. But has anyone been paying attention to his production lately? If fans think A-rod if no good, then wait til they get a load of this guy. Although maybe Bobby Abreu has already achieved his ultimate goal in life. I mean what baseball player doesn't put in all those years of practice so he can one day hit 24 home runs in the first round of home run derby, not to mention win the whole thing? Quite frankly I'm surprised that he didn't retire right then and there.

First off, if you think most major league players are on some sort of performance enhancing drug, then you would be a complete idiot not to expect that they are using all sorts of corked bats for an exhibition such as the home run derby. So the mere notion that he should be considered this all-powerful home run hitter because of a home run derby performance is laughable. Don't get me wrong, he's a nice player with speed to boot, but can anyone tell me with a straight face that he is the missing piece to the Yankees puzzle? I would bet that if you asked the Red Sox which new Yankee worries them the most, they would say Cory Lidle without a doubt. I hate to burst your bubble George, but whoever it was that told you it was a rule that the Yankees had to scoop up every outfielder who is considered an offensive threat, plays no defense, and has a high salary, was lying.

And I'm sure this newest Yankee move will do wonders for their teams morale. I assume Gary Sheffield was the first to greet Abreu when he got into town. I mean, what player heading into his option year wouldn't love his team to trade for yet another high priced player, who plays the same position as him and will effectively bump said player to the role of DH once he's finally back from the disabled list. Although I guess the good news if that Sheffield doesn't have to worry about a long drawn out negotiation in the off-season. I think its pretty clear that the Yankees have gotten their use out of him, and will be happy to send him on his way after the season. Of course I'm sure that Sheffield, being the professional and consummate team player that he is, will do everything in his power to help the Yankees be the best team they can be once he is back from the DL. It's not like he's the type of player who would hold a grudge and quit on his team. Thank goodness for that at least.

So once again the Yankees have made the "safe" deal. You know, the deal that might make the majority of fans, the ignorant ones, happy in the short term (Yes, that would be the same Yankee fans who boo Alex Rodriguez despite his continued above average offensive numbers). The same philosophy that brought them Jason Giambi, Gary Sheffield, Alex Rodriguez, Javier Vasquez, Randy Johnson, Jared Wright, and Johnny Damon. With the exception of Damon, who is playing in his first season with NY, the other players on that list never seemed to bring that World Series title back to NY. They did, however, manage to dilute the talent pool across the rest of Major League Baseball, but that's another conversation entirely. When it's all said and done, the Yankees, like all big market teams, will be judged on if they win the World Series or if they come up short. The fans may be content now, but it's only a matter of time before there's something else to complain about. And when they fail to win the World Series yet again, the trade that brought the mighty bat of Bobby Abreu to the NY Yankees will be a distant memory, and the focus will return to what big named, highly paid, free agent they will bring in next. Because afterall, its not whether you win or lose, but how many papers you can sell in New York.

RAC'S RANT will appear twice each month on SportsLizard.com. You can contact Dick Richards at racsrant@hotmail.com

I'm Dick Richards, and I write a column for one of the great up and coming sports collectible sites on the web, Sportslizard.com. While I have written about more serious topics in the past, i.e. sports memorabilia and its authentication processes, I enjoy sharing my thoughts on lighter topics which center around the world of sports. Whether its ripping the commisioner or baseball, criticizing a member of the media, or adding levity to the steroid situation, I thoroughly enjoy expressing myself on the issues of sports. Im also very lucky to be associated with Sportslizard.com, which has a lot to offer to sports fans of all ages and interest levels, whether it be the autograph collector, sports figure enthusiast, and your average 20-something sports junkie. I look forward to writing more and more articles for sportslizard for many years to come.