Hank: We’d Rather Be Darth Vader

From the AP:

TAMPA, Fla. – Hank Steinbrenner isn’t happy the Boston Red Sox are World Series champions and the New York Yankees are chasing.

“We’d rather be Darth Vader. Let them be the underdog,” the Yankees’ senior vice-president said Wednesday during his team’s first full-squad workout of the year. New York had won nine consecutive AL East titles before the Red Sox finished first last season. Boston then won its second World Series title in four years.

Alex Rodriguez, who joined the Yankees in 2004, likes not being the favourite.

“This is the first year since I’ve been here in five years that we’re not the team to beat and I think it’s a good position to be in,” A-Rod said.

Obviously there are two conflicting manners of thought here. There’s Hank, who likes being the “team to beat” (Darth Vader), whereas A-Rod sees us more as the underdog (like in the movie Dodgeball). Honestly, the Yankees are going to be looked at as the team to beat for years. As long as they have the highest payroll, the largest collection of AS players (including the future HR King), and a bag full of WS rings, then they’ll still be looked at as the Darth Vader of baseball, bullying and terrorizing the little guys.

Hank’s comments are funny because even the Red Sox don’t want to be looked at as the team to beat. They enjoy their underdog moniker and with the Yankees as the main bully, they play off that as if they’re the lesser guys, the guys that aren’t in the same league as the Yankees (financially or player-wise). All of this, of course, is untrue, but let’s face it, being the underdog is an integral part of being a Red Sox fan. It’s engrained in their identities. Even when they won this year, it was surreal to them for that reason.

It’s a way for them to rally their base, not only to get fans to believe in their team, but it helps them sell tickets to the games. It helps them sell those old and crusty looking Red Sox caps for the heads of many new fans. For them to enact the underdog role is so interesting because it’s a great rhetorical strategy for them financially and culturally. People hate the Yankees and fall in love with the Red Sox because of this characterization.

Need proof? Well, look at the following quote from Larry Lucchino. Keep in mind that this was said in late October of 2007 (4 months ago).

“Walk a mile in our shoes and see how different we think we are from the Yankees,” Lucchino said. “They have the benefit of the largest market in the Western world. We have to compete with them, but they are tens of millions of dollars higher than us. It is inappropriate to lump us with them. It is the Yankees out there and 29 other teams in the next category. We want to be the little engine that could.”

Are you kidding me? Is it really inappropriate to lump these two categories together? I mean, the Red Sox have the second highest payroll in all of baseball, they shelled out an enormous bidding fee for their #2 pitcher (earlier that year) that blew everyone else away, they have movies out, merchandising deals, you name it, this is a multimillion dollar franchise. Are these guys not a financial powerhouse? Face it, they are.

I guess some people could say that the Yankees are still at another level economically, but for Lucchino to say that it’s “the Yankees out there and 29 other teams” is simply untrue, yet, again it is smart for them to act this way. They want to be that blue-collar team and the beloved underdog amongst 30 groups, even though they have some of the biggest contracts in all of baseball (don’t forget that payroll). Lucchino is essentially lumping the Kansas City Royals, Florida Marlins, and the Red Sox in one category.

Is that really accurate? No, it’s not. But, this is the underdog myth that the Red Sox need to perpetuate in order to survive as a loved baseball team and ultimately, it’s important for the Yankees to be looked at as THE team to beat, forever because that’s how the Red Sox define their underdog identity. If the Yankees lost all their money tomorrow, the Red Sox would be lost because they wouldn’t be able to hide from their own dominance.

In the end, the Red Sox are just the best PR group in baseball. They’ve bottled the underdog concept and have sold it to millions of people everywhere.

Discussion: Is Cockfighting a Cultural Phenomenon?

Recently, Pedro Martinez and Juan Marichal were spotted in Santo Domingo being “soltadores” in a cockfight. Soltadores are the people who released the animals within a formal court, used specifically for cockfighting. Also, Aramiz Ramirez was recently featured in a cockfighting magazine, saying that he’s devoted to his… roosters.

If you don’t know about cockfighting, it’s actually considered a big sport in many places (and was legal at one point in time, here in America). Basically, roosters are trained and groomed specifically for cockfighting. The fights can last a good amount of time until there is a clear-cut winner. Often times, they have a leather strap attached to their feet which allow them to maximize the damage to their opponents (a sort of spike). Now, this doesn’t mean that the loser automatically dies, although they typicall bleed out (from cuts) after a big loss. If you want to read about an actual experience at a cockfight (with pictures that are graphic), you can read about it here.

There’s been sort of a mini uproar about these baseball players and their involvement with cockfighting. The big response being used by many to defend their actions is that “it’s a different culture,” where this form of behavior is not only accepted but held in high regard (seriously, people take their kids to these things). To be honest, I agree with this notion, but only to a certain extent (and I don’t like cockfighting or find it fun). I mean, cockfighting isn’t an inherent activity for particular populations, however, they were socialized to enjoy it and see it as a normal thing. From what I hear, they actually tend to eat the roosters afterward so how is this less humane than the typical factory farm in America (where they cut off the tips of their beaks, process them like candy, pump them with antibiotics and let them rot away in cages so small that they cannot move)?

But, before I explain further (my feelings), I thought it’d be nice to see what others may think about it. Any thoughts? I think it’d be kind of interesting to discuss this within the comments section and then I can do a recap in another post (with quotes from you guys). Let me know what you think and, no worries, no bashing here, just reflection.

So It’s Settled Then

Here’s how it shakes out:

1. LF – J. Damon
2. SS – D. Jeter
3. RF – B. Abreu
4. 3B – K. Igawa A. Rodriguez
5. DH – H. Matsui
6. 1B – J. Giambi
7. C – J. Posada
8. 2B – R. Cano
9. CF – M. Cabrera

There you have it. That’s pretty much how it’ll all pan out with Ensberg/Duncan seeing time at first to face lefties and give Giambi some ample rest. Giambi pretty much confirmed that he will play first base on a regular basis, yesterday, at ST (I wrote about it last night, but now it seems a bit more definite). Here’s what Giambi said (regarding a phone call during the off-season from Joe Girardi):

“He told me, ‘I need you at first base,’ ” Giambi said yesterday at Legends Field on the eve of the first full squad spring training workout. “It was nice to hear.”

That’s some pretty clear stuff. Girardi, a stickler for defense, still knows that the Yankees cannot afford to let great hitters (e.g. Matsui, Damon, Giambi) rot on the bench. He’ll get the most bang for the Yankee buck by playing Giambi at first. If you still don’t believe Giambi, here’s a quote from Girardi (thank you George King III).

“I told him to be in the best shape he possibly could be,” Girardi said. “We need him to do a lot of different things, go from first to third, second to home, play some first base. That’s how you get the most out of people and he looked great. I’d like to see Jason be a productive offense and defensive player.”

So, it’s settled then. It’s pretty cool to see Joe be so involved with his players in terms of their actual off-season regimen. It’s not like he set Giambi up with a specific trainer or anything (Giambi trains with a World’s Strongest Man competitor), but it’s good to see him interacting with the players, not shying away from that sort of thing and telling them exactly what is needed in order for them to succeed with the club (not just individually). That’s not to say that Joe Torre didn’t do these things, although you can definitely notice a collective change in attitude amongst the players reporting to camp.

Or hell, maybe it’s caused by them being in their contract years… Who knows.

A-Response

From the AP:

“Right now, the game is in a very not-trusting situation with our public, with our fans,” A-Rod said Wednesday in his first remarks after arriving at spring training. “Some of the things that I’ve accomplished and potentially some of the things that people think I can accomplish, my name has come up and will probably come up again in the future.”

A-Rod has been a focal point for steroid talk, although there have been so substantial evidence of any of these allegations (by Rocker or Canseco). I guess when you’re as good as he is, these are just things that you have to brush off. It’s part of being on top (seriously).

C.C. Sabathia Update Pt.7 (I Think)

Some news on the C.C. front, reportedly, the main reason he’s suspended all contract talks (extension with Cleveland) is to avoid distractions in 2008. I don’t know though. If you wanted to avoid distractions, wouldn’t you have just come to an agreement with your team? I mean, now you’re going to have to field questions about your 2009 whereabouts. C.C. will be a free agent after the season and it’ll be interesting to see how (not if) the Yankees pursue him (especially if Boston is involved).

Giambi Will Play First Base Regularly?

From Bryan Hoch (MLB):

Jason Giambi spends his offseasons in Las Vegas, so he’s not always the easiest person to reach. But after initially playing phone tag with the slugger, Girardi and Giambi hooked up for several conversations during the winter.

Girardi’s message for Spring Training struck a chord: Jason, you’d better be ready to run.

There were periods of last season where that would have been a pain sentence for Giambi, but the 37-year-old says that’s no longer the case. He dropped a few pounds over the winter and said he traded treadmills for flat ground so that he would be able to run more in camp, a staple of the Yankees’ early life under Girardi.

“I feel a lot leaner — I feel great,” Giambi said. “I want to get back out at first base, hopefully [Girardi] will give me that opportunity to get out there and play. Being on my feet was going to be the toughest thing, so I was out there making sure I was on the ground all the time.”

Giambi is in the final year of his seven-year contract with the Yankees and faces uncertainty. While he could see time as a first baseman or a designated hitter, there are numerous contenders to fill those at-bats, meaning Spring Training has a purpose for Giambi.

“I’m looking for Jason to be the hitter that he’s capable of being and play some defense for us,” Girardi said. “There’s some interesting decisions to be made. In 6 1/2 weeks, usually you can work things out.”

If Giambi is in shape and wants to play first, I say let the guy play first. He has better numbers there and should be terrible defensively, but as long as he can stand there without getting hurt, why not? Girardi seems pretty set on playing him there, which is definitely good news for Hideki Matsui who could slot in as the regular DH.

Here’s a funny quote by Giambi included in Hoch’s article:

“I’ve still got a lot of good years left,” Giambi said. “I plan to play past this year. I feel good, I love this game, and they’re going to have to tear the uniform off me.

Ha, nice try buddy. Even if Giambi puts up solid numbers and even if he’s willing to resign for a very cheap, short-term deal, I doubt he’ll be back with the Yankees. Mark Teixeira is the guy they want and I have a feeling Mark Teixeira will be the guy they get.

Two Things From PA

Okay, so today, Peter Abraham of the LoHud Blog posted two items that I found to be very interesting. The first item was the following from (and about) Johnny Damon:

“I’m ready to go out there and prove to everyone that I’m still a pretty good player. I’ve been pretty consistent over my career. But when you talk about good players in the league my name hardly comes up and I don‘t think that’s right. I need to go out there and show them.”

Pretty confident stuff. Damon said he has accepted playing left field and is determined to have a big year. Based on how he looks, he backed up those words by working out diligently this winter.

If Johnny Damon is in great shape and is ready to start the year right, then the rest of baseball should definitely be worried about the 2008 Yankees. Last year we got off to a miserable start due a variety of factors, although out-of-shape players (notably Damon) were probably the most significant hinderance to any initial success. Damon, one of the peskiest hitters in the game, will hopefully set the table for some tremendous offensive performances by the rest of the stacked lineup.

The next thing I noticed that PA had posted, was the following:

If Hideki Matsui shows he’s healthy this spring, the Yankees should trade him. Matsui is a guy who played literally every day for years. He’s not going to be effective as a part-time DH and occasional left fielder. Let Jason Giambi DH. As a bench player, Matsui is fairly useless beyond having some pop. He can’t run, bunt or play much defense.

Now I like PA, but I also like my boy Matsui. Recently, PA himself stated that Girardi could lean towards having Giambi play 1B regularly, since he hits better when he’s an active participant throughout the game (on the field). So, if this is the case, why would you lose Matsui? Granted, if Matsui’s playing time is sporadic, he may not be able to hit consistently, but if Giambi plays first, there’s your DH. Also, realistically, a healthy Matsui is a very valuable thing. What good is a healthy Giambi when he won’t be healthy for too long? Can you really trade Matsui and expect Giambi to be healthy all season?

That just doesn’t seem reasonable, but then again, if you can get a valuable bullpen arm (with some solid minor leaguers) or an actual first baseman, would you do it?