Parity and smarts make George's millions a millstone

                    

	If this is the kind of scene you relish, keep cheering for the Yankees to spend George's dough indiscriminately. Elsa/Getty Images
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It's an occupational hazard, but few subjects bring out the brickbats like the New York Yankees. If I criticize them -- as in mentioning that Alex Rodriguez seems to have had a bit of trouble in recent years delivering in high-pressure situations  -- I get hammered by Yankees fans. If I come to praise Caesar, I am assailed by partisans of other teams as a suck-up, particularly if I am up front about my pinstriped rooting interest. (There ain't a sportswriter on the planet who ain't a fan of some team or another, but that's another story.)

It's all good, and I enjoy the passion and spirited debate, even with those of you who utter sentiments and call me names that make Beelzebub's eyes water. One particularly bracing missive arrived the other day from Lisa Keenan of South Portland, Maine. Herewith, the Reader's Digest condensed version:

"I can't speak to Yankee fans of the 20s, 50s and 60s, but I CAN tell you that the ones of the new millennium are about the most insufferable bunch on the planet, and THAT'S what drives the rest of us to distraction. It has nothing to do with Yankee tradition or history at this point, and everything to do with money and George Steinbrenner.

"Yankee fans say that the rest of the league hates him only because of his 'passion' to win, which is completely false. We hate him because he's a pathetic, arrogant fool, with no eye for talent or feel for chemistry, whose sole talent lies in being able to sign a check. He's the Mr. Potter (It's A Wonderful Life) of baseball. Like a poor little rich boy, he has acquired all these most expensive things (in his case, ballplayers) without thought as to how they will fit in or complement what he's already got, and still something is missing.

"So he just goes out and buys something else (probably Barry Zito). It's also sad to say that most of the players he buys are the type motivated only by the money (see: Johnny Damon), not the tradition and certainly not by winning. The money spent may buy talent, but not heart and soul (see: A-Rod, although I tend to think his heart and soul was simply beaten out of him). Face it, John. At this point, Yankee Stadium has become a Field of Bad Dreams for underachieving losers."

And therein lies the reason for all Yankees haters to rejoice. Steinbrenner's vast wealth is as much a curse as it is an advantage. When one has more than enough moolah to shovel into the fireplace on a cold winter night, it becomes easier to spend unwisely and merely write a check to cover the most recent mistake. A little austerity can do wonders for focus and resourcefulness.

As for the common complaint that Steinbrenner's fillthy lucre is an overarching evil that clouds the game and tilts the playing field in the direction of the Bronx, the last time I looked, his hoarding of Damon, Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Mike Mussina, Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui and Randy Johnson hadn't prevented the Tigers, White Sox, Astros, Marlins, Angels, Giants and Diamondbacks from winning pennants or the World Series with payrolls that were dwarfed by the Yankees'. (The 2004 Series champion Red Sox also spent less than their rivals.) In fact, since his last Series title, Steinbrenner has  coughed up in the neighborhood of a billion bucks. Unless you object to the prominent use of moolah in the failure to achieve one's stated objectives, this should come as very good news indeed to those who revile the Principal Owner and his minions.

This era of wild cards and salary caps has become a remarkably hopeful time for fans. Since the dawn of 2000 in the four major professional leagues, we've witnessed 14 teams -- such as the Tigers, Marlins, Angels, Patriots, Carolina Panthers and Hurricanes, Mighty Ducks and Nets -- go from .500 or worse to overall league or conference champions in the space of one season. Such dramatic turnarounds are obviously possible with a smart organization, hungry, hardworking players and perhaps a little luck. Money helps, but not always.

And Steinbrenner isn't the only Mr. Potter out there. Unlike many wealthy owners, precious few of whom strike me as savory paragons of unbridled joy and love for the game, he prefers to squander his dough on his team. The last five seasons suggest that Yankees haters should be cheering him on. If he and his front office folks wise up and start spending more prudently, then you can really start booing.