I heard the news about Mark Teixeira signing with the Yankees about an hour ago, and I’ve already been through several stages. Denial. Anger. Blame.
I blame his agent, Scott Boras, for asking his clients to hold out for ridiculous contracts.
I blame the Yankees for working with Boras, and for having a payroll higher than the GDP of many nations.
I blame the Orioles for demanding a hometown discount.
I blame Mark Teixeira for signing with the highest bidder, the richest of the rich, the New York Yankees, instead of coming home to one of the have-nots for once.
I blame MLB for not having a salary cap.
I blame ESPN for basically cheering for the Sox and Yankees throughout this ordeal.
I blame myself for underestimating the depth of the Yankees’ pockets.
Most fans in the Baltimore area were hoping Teixeira would defy the odds and sign with the O’s, lending the team instant credibility. Signing Teixeira would have legitimized the once proud franchise, if not in the standings (where he couldn’t win games alone) but in terms of perception. Had they signed Tex, Baltimore would have looked like a legit landing place for free agents. Now, they look like the perennial also-rans that they have been for some time.
Now, they’ll probably have to ship Brian Roberts before the trade deadline. They’ll probably have trouble signing Nick Markakis to an extension. Why would he want to spend his entire career with a AAA team? Will the O’s be able to snag a blue-chip free agent next year, one without the local ties Teixeira has? Sure, good luck.
What’s worse, O’s fans will now have to watch Mark Teixeira wearing pinstripes in Camden Yards, another hired gun working for the Steinbrenners. Don’t like that image? Get used to it. We’ll be seeing it nine times per year for the next eight years.
Merry Christmas, Baltimore. I feel ill. Someone send me some egg nog, and please make it strong.
For more info: For Yankees Examiner Pete Sabatini's distinctively cheerier news on the Teixeira signing, click here.
Comments
Ok, so where do the O's go from here? I say go sign three quality arms...so Tex won't be hitting dingers off the likes of Liz all year long.
Did anyone of us really think he would come home to the Baltimore area??? I hope he ends up with a career ending injury and costs the Yanks Big Bucks. The city of New York finances the Steinbrenners and their madness of spending. The only ones spending more are the Fed's bailing out every business that's failing. May the Steinbrenners and the Skankies fans rot in their graves. Oh, but hey, let's give kudo's to Angelos for not opening up that wallet once again. He certainly squeaks when he walks and bumps his butt on the curb when stepping off. The epitomy of cheap-way to go Pete!
I'm not sure what all the crying is about. Teixeira owes the Orioles nothing...and by all accounts they put out the lowest bid for him. Why should he have taken it? He should do what's best for himself. And do the Orioles really want to spend 1/4 to 1/3 of their payroll on one player? Build around Wieters and Markakis and invest in some young arms and they should have the resources to compete again and be exciting over the next few years.
Oh Jay Jay, we are SO proud of you!!!!! Me and your father were talking about proposing a Mark Teixeira trade to get all of the Red Sox on your team when your fantasy league starts up again!!!!
AJ is right the 4.5 million fans that go to Yankee stadium every year finance the team. (And they fill Camden Yards ALL the time)
Players Union runs the league aka never any salary cap.
Yankees spend money to win. Other teams don't. O's need a manager that will win, and some pitchers. NewsFlash, the O's scored a lot of runs last year but also gave up the most in the majors.
They need pitching bottom line.
Teixeira signed for the money (who wouldn't) but the Nats offered more.
The sad reality is that the Yankee's largesse is really a reflection of how cheap other owners in this league really are. Hate the Yankees, but they are going to charge as much for their tickets and merchandise whether they spend the money on players or whether they put it in their pockets: their fans are probably happy to have the money spent on players.
Other owners have to realize that to make money off of your team, you have to spend money on it. As it stands, the only person on the Orioles payroll that I would go to Camden Yards to see is the mascot.
Let's not freak out here. The O's are not worse off than they were 36 hours ago. This is disappointing, but the fact is that the will was never there, on either side.
Now the O's are free to pursue what they really need -- one more big bat (Dunn?) and some proven innings-eating arms. They'll be competitive at times.
It will be annoying to see Tex in a Spankees uni, but it always sucks when NY comes to town: tix are just too costly up there, so they flood other markets (we are far from alone in this) so they can see their beloved if benighted team.
Let's not freak out here. The O's are not worse off than they were 36 hours ago. This is disappointing, but the fact is that the will was never there, on either side.
Now the O's are free to pursue what they really need -- one more big bat (Dunn?) and some proven innings-eating arms. They'll be competitive at times.
It will be annoying to see Tex in a Spankees uni, but it always sucks when NY comes to town: tix are just too costly up there, so they flood other markets (we are far from alone in this) so they can see their beloved if benighted team.
Ever think that some players take into consideration that "Crime City" is not the most desirable area to be associated with or to raise a family in.
Totally, dude. Because if you are making $20 million a year, you couldn't afford suburbs like Columbia or Westminster, right? You ain't from round these parts is you, Buster?
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