Yankees

[erpowers]

Does anyone think the Yankees are losing because their owner spent so much money to get old player instead of trying to find new young players? Some of the players on the team are old and seem like they should not have been sought after or paid large sums of money. So what do other people think?

[chelsea0011]

1. Not at all

Johnson hasn't been lights out but is still pitching fairly well. He was great last year and the Yankees went out and got him. Problem is that they went the youth way with Pavano and Wright who lives on the DL. Pavano is just a nice 3rd or 4th pitcher. Couple that with contracts of Brown(another guy who lives on the DL) with Giambi and you see why they are meandering at times. But this is new York and you will probably see Clemens and Sweeney soon. $$$$$$$don't matter.

[Bob3]

2. Yes age is part of it.

The starting 9 is just about the oldest in baseball. Now you can win with an older team (The Phillies did with the Wheeze kids back in 91 or so and last years Red Sox were no spring chickens - you need a real team effort to do that. Which has not been the Yankees style for some time now.

Randy Johnson their ace is 40+ as is Kevin Brown. Munssina is in his 30's (I forget exactly). Steinbrener has always bought or traded for established players his whole time running the Yankees - to mixed results for every Reggie Jackson you get busts like Jason Giambi or Jack Clark or the Japanese Nolan Ryan (who's name I forget). There are reasons the Yankees did not win anything from 1981 to 1995 and Geroge's always buying old guys had a lot to do with it.

Simply put there comes a point when players no longer mature like fine wine and instead turn to vinegar. The starting pitching for example doesn't go much past the 6th inning putting a lot of strain on the bullpen.

In addition, the effect of making so many changes year after year after year after year has to eat into any sense of team this group may have. Hence no sense of team play - pushing runners along , bunting, no role players here.

The clubhouse atmosphere has got to be awful these days. The aforementioned Kevin Brown has been described as poison in the club house and I can't help but think that there is tension between Jeter and A-Rod over who is the team leader. A-Rod's always been top dog where ever he goes while Jeter's been the Yankees leader since Paul O
'Neil retired. Add to this Steinbrener's love of creating tension and fear and you have a nightmare. I'm not suprised they played like sleeping zombies against the Royals.