YankeesRedSox.com

He signed? Good for you !

Now as a true Yankee fan, I sincerely hope that he stays healthy all year and hits around .220 with 10 dingers, all against the Rays.

And yeah, let's please start playing some baseball. This winter and its snow are making me CRAZY !!!

game on

Mitchell, your comments fill me with rage!!!

Ok, I'm better now.

Seriously, your talk, albeit full of nonsense, is much appreciated. We do try to promote civil discussions on this site when it comes to the Red Sox and Yankees rivarly, but a good dose of smack talk does the world good.

Bring it on!!!

By the way, I was doing some math today and noticed the Red Sox have $291mm in salary obligations (i.e. guaranteed contracts/buyouts) through 2015 (2015 represents the last year of any guaranteed contract and/or buyout the Red Sox are committed to). The Yankees have over $300mm committed to Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia alone through that same timeframe and beyond!!!

And a good morning to you also, blogmaster of mine. (LOL).

The dollars figures you posted seem logical to me. That is, they make sense and really should be that way. The differences are attributable to several factors.

Fenway is a smaller park with, in essence, zero possibilities for expansion. If you run the numbers for most probable average attendances at each location, it's a sizable difference and assuming that the respective owners are willing to re-invest at equal percentage levels, then the Yankees can afford to spend more. Not only is total attendance skewed to the Yankees, but the per attendee dollars spent - and the potential for per capita dollars - are also prob higher in NYC than in Boston - which factor tilts the numbers even more strongly towards New York. Even the Sox owners (rumored to be just as smart and driven as the Steinbrenner group) have admitted publicly that New York has regained a strong advantage with the new stadium.

Owning your own concessions company, by the way, will easily pay for some expensive players. Another Yankee financial advantage perhaps?

Looking at the broadcast mechanisms (NESN & YES), I suspect that the revenue potentials are also skewed towards NY. Yes, I like Remy better than Kay, but that's got nothing to do with money - which is the topic you broached.

Merchandizing possibilities? Yankee hats are fashion statements, worn sometimes by (ahem) younger fellows who have no real interest in the greatest game ever created, baseball, and those items have a license royalty attached to each one of them sold. I don't know the actual numbers and can't know them as the team is privately held, but a dollar here, a dollar there, sold in large volumes every year - and pretty soon you're talking decent money. ;-)

Boston has always been like the little brother to New York in almost all economic and demographic aspects. That's really just the way it is. That doesn't translate into guaranteed wins or pennants, but it creates certain financial advantages for New York that can't be refuted. Trying to do so is like trying to deny that Lebron James is, relatively speaking .... tall compared to shorter people.

At least the Yankees spend their money on the team - which is a very very good thing.

Saying that the Yankees spend more is like saying the weather is usually warmer in Florida than it is in Taxachussetts. To which, most intelligent folks would respond, "Yep, that's true - what's your point".

I look forward to seeing just how well the your Nation does against my Empire this year. To seeing if the Rays are one year wunderkinds. If Tek will still suck this year like last - if Posada has anything left in his tank or will he suck also. If Dice-K will still make his little hip humpy motions before he throws the friggin ball. If Joba still really, really likes Youk and has temporary control problems on the mound when Youk is at the plate. If Ortiz is really finally officially on the great downhill slide to his retirement. If another Yankee will tell me about his "lucky thong". If ...

Andy, thanks for this board, it's much appreciated.

Peace !

Play Ball !