Hank Steinbrenner is learning a valuable lesson that his father to this day has never learned; sometimes throwing money at a problem isn't enough. At over $200 million the Yankees have become nothing more than the highest paid fourth place team in the history of the Major Leagues. Certainly talent can not be to blame for the lackadaisical play of this team, the talent is there, what is missing is something that has been missing from Yankee teams since the mid 90's; arrogance.
Arrogance can be conveyed in a variety of ways. The Yankees of old had a demeanor about them when they hit the field that would make grown men shudder at the thought of facing them. That is the arrogance that today's ball club is missing. In its place these Yankees have a superiority complex which demonstrates a belief that they should be feared simply because of the pinstripe uniforms and the logo on their chest.
"These players are being paid a lot of money and they had better decide for themselves to earn that money." These are the feelings of Hank Steinbrenner, and the team better start listening if they know what is good for them. The Steinbrenner's have never exactly been known for their sympathetic understanding of losing.
For the first and possibly the last time this millennia, the Yankees are looking up at the first place Tampa Bay Rays. These Rays have what the Yankees lost. It's almost as if they found the lost luggage on the side of the road containing Yankee Pride and transformed it from pinstripe to the sunburst now proudly displayed on their new uniforms.
The difference in this crop of Rays is that they not only do they want to win but they expect too. A chip has been placed on their collective shoulders, and they are not content to be in last place. Maybe in the long haul of the season the Rays will remember that they are a perennial last place team and head back that way in the standings, but for right now they are a club that the Yankees should emulate.
There is very little money invested in this club by today's standards, however one thing that is not in short supply is heart. Maybe heart is not enough without talent, however in the case of the 2008 New York Yankees, without heart, talent may not overcome.
Arrogance can be conveyed in a variety of ways. The Yankees of old had a demeanor about them when they hit the field that would make grown men shudder at the thought of facing them. That is the arrogance that today's ball club is missing. In its place these Yankees have a superiority complex which demonstrates a belief that they should be feared simply because of the pinstripe uniforms and the logo on their chest.
"These players are being paid a lot of money and they had better decide for themselves to earn that money." These are the feelings of Hank Steinbrenner, and the team better start listening if they know what is good for them. The Steinbrenner's have never exactly been known for their sympathetic understanding of losing.
For the first and possibly the last time this millennia, the Yankees are looking up at the first place Tampa Bay Rays. These Rays have what the Yankees lost. It's almost as if they found the lost luggage on the side of the road containing Yankee Pride and transformed it from pinstripe to the sunburst now proudly displayed on their new uniforms.
The difference in this crop of Rays is that they not only do they want to win but they expect too. A chip has been placed on their collective shoulders, and they are not content to be in last place. Maybe in the long haul of the season the Rays will remember that they are a perennial last place team and head back that way in the standings, but for right now they are a club that the Yankees should emulate.
There is very little money invested in this club by today's standards, however one thing that is not in short supply is heart. Maybe heart is not enough without talent, however in the case of the 2008 New York Yankees, without heart, talent may not overcome.
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