We are New York City. This is what we do. We have a problem, we throw money at the problem. Why? Because we can. Why? Because if it bothers people in Kansas City and Pittsburgh and Minneapolis that we throw money at our problems (and it’s fair that they feel that way), we don’t care.
And shouldn’t care.
Look, this isn’t the first time the Yankees have used their fat wallet to try and fix what ails them, and it certainly won’t be the last. And they aren’t alone. Even the Mets have tried this method at times, to mixed results. And our teams that have salary caps to deal with —they surely would go this way if they could.
Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t. Here’s four examples of each.
The Good
1. The 2009 Yankees: The ’08 Yankees halted the franchise’s 13-year streak of playoff appearances, so that year they signed Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett and took Nick Swisher off the hands of the White Sox. The result? Championship No. 27.
2. The 1977-78 Yankees: Baseball was just understanding free agency. George Steinbrenner understood this: his checkbook. So he signed Reggie Jackson and Don Gullett, and then Goose Gossage, and between the turmoil they went back-to-back and became tough, ornery outs.
3. The 1994 Rangers: In a time before salary ceilings visited the NHL, Neil Smith could start by importing Mark Messier, surrounding him with a couple of bright home-grown lights like Brian Leetch and Mike Richter, then essentially bring in anyone who ever wore an Edmonton sweater for backup.
4. The 2006-07-08 Mets: No, they didn’t win a title. But ask a Mets fan if they’d take a trip back in memory lane to a time when the Mets were drawing close to 4 million fans to watch pricey pickups Pedro Martinez, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Tom Glavine and Billy Wagner.
The Not-so-good
1. The 2013 Nets: OK, this may be a tad unfair since the Nets haven’t yet played a minute together whole, and the way things are in the Atlantic, they might even be able to join the other group before it’s all done. But, man, they’ll have to stop being a fiasco first.
2. The 1992-93 Mets: There’s a reason there was a book written about this bunch called “The Worst Team Money Could Buy” … because they were. There were lots of fine players — Bobby Bonilla, Vince Coleman, Bret Saberhagen, Doc Gooden, John Franco, Willie Randolph — who together were … well, the worst.
3. The 1977-78-79 Knicks: Bob McAdoo. Spencer Haywood. Earl Monroe. Three of the most talented players of the ’70s, in various stages of their careers, being paid top dollar in an era when you could pay whatever you wanted … and it yielded a 72-92 record, two playoff wins and cost Willis Reed his job after only 96 games.
4. The 2013 Yankees: Yes, they won 85 games, and did so after enduring a remarkable rash of injuries to just about every core member. But it should also prove just because you spend $236 million, that doesn’t cover the insurance of what happens when age and injury chips away at you.
Whack Back at Vac
Mitch Berkowitz: If Robinson Cano runs to Seattle as fast as he runs out a routine grounder, the door just might hit him in the butt on the way out.
Vac: I do sense that Yankees fans have gotten over ol’ No. 24 in record time.
Wayne Vanyo: With NO-vember gone, you would think the Islanders would change from NO checking, NO third-period goals, NO penalty killing, NO discipline, NO screening of the goalie (except their own) … but the change in months still leads to De-SAME-ber.
Vac: When the highlight of your year so far is a terrific documentary of your ex-owner the crook, that’s some kind of rough year for a franchise.
@joedmti: Vac, when Melo uses the word “laughingstock,” is he talking about the Idzik and the Jests? Alderson and the Mutts?
@MikeVacc: Really, it’s the worst of all multiple choice answers: e) All of the above.
Ray Martin: Does it occur to anyone that if Mike Tomlin had been coaching Alabama, they would still be in the hunt for their third straight national championship?
Vac: I bet it’s occurred to Nick Saban about 7 million times this week, give or take a few thousand.
Yack Back at Vac
After Mike Vaccaro declared the end of the Alabama-Auburn game last week the greatest finish in sports history — and after we printed a smattering of suggestions Monday — we kept getting candidates:
Kevin Harris: My vote goes for the men’s 4×100 freestyle finals (that’s swimming) in the 2008 Olympics. (Jason Lezak’s stunning final leg kept Michael Phelps’ perfect meet alive.)
Matt Tomaszewsky: Maybe I’m just being biased as a Giants fan, but the heavy underdog Giants taking down the undefeated Patriots in the final moments of Super Bowl XLII seems to me like the greatest ending in sports history.
Matthew Rados: Oklahoma-Boise State, ’07 Fiesta Bowl, which included several do-or-die plays by Boise State and was a BCS bowl game, and to top it off there was the marriage proposal immediately after.
Kurt Crowley: I’ll put the Immaculate Reception in the discussion. That changed the course of Steelers history.
Henry Kneuer: Kirk Gibson’s homer. Two outs. His only at-bat in the series. One handed. Against Dennis Eckersly, who was unhittable that year.
Vac’s Whacks
I read somewhere this week that if you wanted to give your true love every gift from the “12 Days of Christmas,” it’ll set you back $27,393.17 this year, which can only mean one thing: The market for leapin’ lords never has been better.
I wonder if Jason Kidd will try to fire new Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams by the time he’s done.
Evan Roberts was right on Saturday morning: Carlos Beltran has a terrific chance over the next three years to shore up his Hall of Fame credentials as a Yankee … so that he can enter Cooperstown as a Met.
So sue me: I thought Carrie Underwood was terrific as the other night.