Hey, don't forget about Felix Rodriguez! I actually see Tony Womack leading off for the Yanks for some odd reason. Jeter just seems like the prototypical #2 hitter. It just depends on what Womack they see to begin the year. What a scary lineup that is though. Their rotation has the potential to be deadly, but could also fall apart REAL quick. All but Pavano are question marks, health-wise. Pavano is just a shade under .500 for his career, so who knows if that one good season he had last year is any indication of what will come. I have a hard time seeing Wright succeed without Mazzone. As soon as Jaret came to the Braves in August of 2003, Leo pointed out what was wrong with him and it was immediately corrected. Who knows what will happen if Jaret gets into old habits? Will they be caught in time? Plus, this is a guy who had just 9 career wins in the previous 4 seasons before joining Atlanta. But, i wish him well. I enjoyed seeing him pitch during the regular season. It baffled me that he gave up 5 homers in the postseason, because he wasn't prone to the long ball at ALL during the regular season. So, i won't miss his postseason performances, that is for sure.

But, it doesn't just seem wrong...it IS wrong for this team to have such a ridiculous payroll. Still, they have to prove that all that money can buy a World Series.

Food for thought: their entire pitching staff will cost them over $60 million, which, if memory serves me correctly, is more than the payrolls of at LEAST 10 other teams. Yipes. That team better win TWO world series next year for that price.

Can't believe I forgot about FRod. I must still be in denial.

The batting order I posted was from ESPN.COM with my comments in (). I agree Jeter should bat #2. Their will be problems with the rotation, but I don't think there will be any serious ones that will prevent a playoff apperance (one canhope though).

If the Yankees don't win the World Series then some heads are going to roll. I think one of the 1st people to be accountable will be Steinbrenner. This is a coporation that owns the Yankees not a single person. I think he's the most accountable. Of course, all the blame will probably go to Torre.

Here's some food for thought... What happens if the Yankees go into "rebuilding mode" ala Oakland? Unlike most other clubs they don't have a farm system to fall back on. Do they go around signing/trading for prospects? I think this massive payroll is going to come back to bite them in the ass. How long can they keep spending $300 mill a year? Better yet how long before Baseball is forced to lockout like Hockey due to the overspending of clubs like New York and Boston?

They'll slowly build on the farm while STILL signing "major" talent, ala the Mets. Over the past few years (during their version of rebuilding), the Mets have actually developed some good prospects. Probably happen the same way with the Yanks. But they have to finish out of first before they ever start believing that they are headed for reconstruction.

I just don't understand the Yankees sometimes. They spend more and more money and then don't win a World Series. They knock over the Twins (oooh, scary) in the playoffs twice but they can't get any farther. If the Twins meet the Yankees in the playoffs again in '05, I predict the Twins might actually win it. And I can ALSO see Johan getting a win over the Big Unit.

I don't ever see the Yankees as they are now becoming an actual team. Jeter still has to prove he's a better SS than A-Rod (even though everyone knows that isn't true), Sheffield and Giambi admitted to using steroids, Matsui barely speaks English, Randy Johnson doesn't talk to anyone, and so on and so on. Obviously they have made some real improvements, like adding Beltran to the OF, but they didn't do shit about pitching except add RJ. They don't have any real leadership because everyone's already a seasoned veteran. sdkfjghsdafjklghdioagh. No rings for the Yankees in 2005. I don't care who they've picked up.

Of course, I ALSO saw the Bulldogs DOMINATING the WCHA and now they are in danger of not reaching the Final Five or the NCAAs. I need to go to more games to support them!

Yeah, but there giving up 3 of those prospects just to get Johnson. Their minor league "system" is a joke.

Speaking of jokes, when the contraction talk started up again I figured that IF the Twins got contracted that the Yankees would buy the Twins farm system and dump their own.

Beltran hasn't signed yet, and Houston is still in the running. I don't believe Giambi will EVER be a starter for anyone again. I do agree with you that they will never be a team the way the Twins are a team, but I that team stays healthy there is no way they can lose. The Red Sox won't have the team they had last year. The Cards have a shot a beating them, and of course the Giants are making a run at the WS this year. I like the signing of Alou, the Giants finally have someone to bat behind Bonds again. However their outfield will have a average age of 39.

Didn't know he had a good voice.

The Yankees don't give a shit about their farm system. They don't need to.

If Randy is healthy, he'll win 25 games with that run support. Bank it. He could have last year, but averaged less than 3.5 runs/game, yet STILL came away with 16 wins. I don't know if he keeps up with Johan on the ERA title, but as i said, if he is healthy, he will be a force to be reckoned with. I'll just be glad to see him out of the NL.

It sucks, man. My favorite players in the last few years? Arod, Giambi, Sheffield, Johnson. All Yanks now. Another fav was THIS close to being a Yank a few years ago and that is John Smoltz.

Why do you like all these shitty players?

I'm pretty sure that any of these guys are twice that of ANY given Twin. Seriously, aside from Giambi, put any of these guys on the Twins roster and Minneapolis is HOPPING. You'd rather have Cuddyer at third or SS than Arod?

Why, you ask?

Giambi- i liked hard-nosed attitude. I liked him when he was an A, but since he went to NY i kinda lost interest. He put up some amazing numbers in Oakland though. But obviously the steriods have tarnished my opinion on him.

ARod- up until this year, he has been one of the best players not named Bonds. His 2004 season was off but STILL a solid one. He is consistant and if healthy, he has a GOOD chance at the HR record. Again, no one ever forced him to take $252 million.

Sheff- one of the most feared bats around. Every time the Braves faced him, i feared that at-bat. Plus, he played very well for 2 years in Atlanta. It isn't his fault that the Braves didn't have enough money to resign him.

Johnson- look at the guy. One of the best pitchers out there. Probably won't get 300 wins, but i loved the Seattle mullet and he plays drums.

What, would you rather i give you a list of Braves players that are my favorites, that way it is a biased opinion? Ok.

No I just hate ARod and Sheffield and Giambi.

I didn't mean shitty as in "unable to play baseball."
I mean shitty as in "assholes."

Yeah, Sheff is a piece of work. Total asshole, but I love his style. He puts fear into pitchers, is a good defender and really a team guy. Everyone thought that controversy would follow him to ATL, but guess what? Nothing happened. He went to NY and put on a show, like a professional. He doesn't do happy "home run" dances, nor does he show up an opposing pitcher. If you throw at his head, he'll knock ya down. I like that about him. He went through a lot in his career and has turned out to be a solid baseball guy. Fans can boo him all they want, but he'll hurt ya when it matters.

I still like Arod, though his move with Arroyo was shitty. But, at the same point, i do not believe that is the REAL Arod. I could be high, but i think NY got to his head a little and forced him to be that bigshot that comes with being a Yankee. Sheff ignored the water, but i think Arod may have drank too much. Coming into NY though, he was captain of the Rangers, a well-liked professional athlete and puts up huge numbers. With Yankee stadium favoring LH batters, it is still amazing at what Sheff and Arod put up in 2004.

The one thing i liked about Giambi, aside from his tattooed, wild behaviour, was that he REALLY dreamed of being a Yankee all his life. If a team is in your blood and it is part of your career goals to put on pinstripes, all is well. I don't fault him for joining the Yanks, but in the grand scheme of things, he KNEW he was wrong for taking steriods and when the cat was let out of the bag, he did nothing but back himself into a corner. I don't condone the use of steriods, but i am one to believe that Sheff and, to a lesser extent, Bonds probably didn't know what was up with their training program. We all know nothing about what goes on behind the scenes. If a guy is on the trainers table in a near slumber after going 9 innings, i'm pretty sure they may not, at first, pay attention to what is easing the pain on their aching muscles.

At the same point, where is Javy Lopez in this scandal? He could barely be counted on to play 100 games and hit 15-20 homers and all the sudden he hits 42 jimmy jacks (or whatever in 2003)? A late blooming catcher? Right. Or was it "contract year-itis", ala Adrian Beltre?

I can't fucking stand Sheffield. If I was a pitcher as soon as he started waving his bat in around like the asshole he is, I'd put a 90+ MPH faastball in his ear. That'll learn him.

Never liked Giambi either going all the way back to when he was an A. When I heard the obscene amount of money he was paid by NY i just about shit myself. I never thought he was that good to begin with. His defense was ok, he had power but he struck out a lot. I'm glad this is one overpayed player that came back to bite the Yanks in the ass.

I've always been indifferent to ARod, but I do agree NY is going to his head. I've always liked Johnson he's one of the best in the game today, and It's a shame to see him go to the Yanks. I could understand it if it was a last shot at winning the series, but he did that a couple of years ago. No, this is just taking the money and running to the bank laughing.

Contract year-itis... I like that and Adrian Beltre definetely has it. Poor Seattle is going to realize that soon.

The bat swing is a timing mechanism. Helps him to NOT overswing. Kinda like players tapping their foot while waiting on a pitch. Hey, it works for him.

Giambi seemed to take more walks back in the day, or maybe a good deal of those were intentional, but nonetheless, the trend has reversed. I'm actually kinda interested to see where he ends up and what field it will be on, if he plays again...

His stupid "timing mechanism" has made him fall down a few times... that was so funny.

So, let's talk HOF ballots and how FUCKING INSANE it is that Bert gets dissed ONCE AGAIN. Ghettooooooooooooooooo.

But at least Donnie Baseball and Chili D. didn't get in.

Timiing mechanism or not, i'd still put a fastball in his ear.

So, was anyone else not suprised by the HoF voting. The 2 guys i figured were shoe ins are in, Ryno and Wade. I'm beggining to doubt that Gossage, Suter, Smith, Rice, Blyleven and Morris will ever make it in. Next year is their big chance as the only notable new addition is Orel Hershiser (who even though he played for the Giants I always hated). A personal favorite Giant of mine, Will Clark, is eligible next year, but he'll never make it either. I'm most suprised Lee Smith isn't in the hall yet. I mean he IS the all time saves leader. Then again as was proven yet again this year the Hall hates relievers.

I'm not suprised at most of the people who didn't get the 5% to stay on the ballot. Everyone knew Strawberry wouldn't get many votes due to his history of drug use. I was suprised that Tony Phillips only got 1 vote though. I figured he'd get a few more. I was also suprised at the low vote totals for Dale Murphy though. When I was growing up I figured he'd be in, then again back then I thought Stawberry would be go too.