2008 Woodie Awards
Yankees "buy" world series this October
N.Y. Yankees acquire star pitcher, future looks bright
Dane Schumann
Issue date: 1/20/05 Section: Sports
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Did anyone really doubt it would happen? Did any of us think that Randy Johnson wouldn't do it? I mean if you really look at it, the planets were certainly aligned for this kind of behavior from the major league bullies. The Yankees fail to win another world series and subsequently decide to buy themselves one next year by acquiring one of the best pitchers in recent history.
I know I'm not alone when I say that a certain sense of elation ran up and down my spine this October. A feeling that was only matched by the Yankees monumental failure against the semi-Cinderella Red Sox. Notice here that I attribute the Red Sox success this season to a Yankee failure.
I like the Red Sox, but I seem like a pessimist only because I'm not capable of purporting any feeling equal to my excitement from this fall other than my utterly unfathomable indignation for the Yankees.
For years the New York Yankees have been baseball's equivalent to the Star Wars evil Galactic Empire. Pinstripe storm troopers have battled effectively and endlessly to defend the Yankee Stadium death-star decade after decade. Until 2004 when the dark side was defeated by its Babe Ruth protégé who now only exists in memory and formerly as a curse. (Their fans and the town they live in will have to wait for another time.)
Now that we all fully understand the cinematic symbolism of this season, we can now discuss why this Randy Johnson trade will not push New York over the for hopefully a few more to come: The Yanks were soundly beaten this year by a team that was better but not necessarily more talented than them. They were beaten as a result of a team following their recipe that produced so much success in the nineties.
Much like the 2004 Red Sox, the teams of the nineties were grown and developed into a championship caliber squad over time, sweat and tears. Players like Tino Martinez, Scott Brochous, Paul O'Neal and Derek Jeter particularly stand out as a few of the players that were masterfully combined to form a superbly prosperous baseball team.
There was really no major acquisition throughout that five-year stint because most of the formerly mentioned players had their best years ahead of them when they were traded to New York.
Johnson still may have another Si Younge season or two ahead of him, but picking him up does nothing for developing the team as an entire unit. It may just end up hurting them in some regard.
Who knows, maybe I'm thinking and writing all of this because I really know the sad truth and I'm hiding from that very conclusion through denial. But can anyone really blame me? I need to be able to sit back and bask at some point and time. I just hope I can be doing the same thing next year when that blasted Billy Goat finally goes to the meat locker.
I know I'm not alone when I say that a certain sense of elation ran up and down my spine this October. A feeling that was only matched by the Yankees monumental failure against the semi-Cinderella Red Sox. Notice here that I attribute the Red Sox success this season to a Yankee failure.
I like the Red Sox, but I seem like a pessimist only because I'm not capable of purporting any feeling equal to my excitement from this fall other than my utterly unfathomable indignation for the Yankees.
For years the New York Yankees have been baseball's equivalent to the Star Wars evil Galactic Empire. Pinstripe storm troopers have battled effectively and endlessly to defend the Yankee Stadium death-star decade after decade. Until 2004 when the dark side was defeated by its Babe Ruth protégé who now only exists in memory and formerly as a curse. (Their fans and the town they live in will have to wait for another time.)
Now that we all fully understand the cinematic symbolism of this season, we can now discuss why this Randy Johnson trade will not push New York over the for hopefully a few more to come: The Yanks were soundly beaten this year by a team that was better but not necessarily more talented than them. They were beaten as a result of a team following their recipe that produced so much success in the nineties.
Much like the 2004 Red Sox, the teams of the nineties were grown and developed into a championship caliber squad over time, sweat and tears. Players like Tino Martinez, Scott Brochous, Paul O'Neal and Derek Jeter particularly stand out as a few of the players that were masterfully combined to form a superbly prosperous baseball team.
There was really no major acquisition throughout that five-year stint because most of the formerly mentioned players had their best years ahead of them when they were traded to New York.
Johnson still may have another Si Younge season or two ahead of him, but picking him up does nothing for developing the team as an entire unit. It may just end up hurting them in some regard.
Who knows, maybe I'm thinking and writing all of this because I really know the sad truth and I'm hiding from that very conclusion through denial. But can anyone really blame me? I need to be able to sit back and bask at some point and time. I just hope I can be doing the same thing next year when that blasted Billy Goat finally goes to the meat locker.