I saw this post from Pete Abraham last night, but I wanted to wait to post something because I wasn’t sure how I felt.
It came down to economics. The Yankees did not want to risk going to arbitration with any of their players given the salaries they made last season. To refresh your memories:
Bobby Abreu made $16 million, Andy Pettitte made $16 million and Pudge Rodriguez made $13 million. All three would have been in a position to get at least as much via arbitration and likely some sort of raise.
Meanwhile, if Mike Mussina suddenly decides to play for somebody else, the Yankees get nothing in return. Sure, that’s extremely unlikely. But that was supposedly the case for Roger Clemens, too.
Regarding Andy Pettitte: I agree, not offering arbitration was a good move. Pettitte is not worth risking a salary INCREASE and the (I believe, though I am researching this; correct me if I am wrong) biggest decrease the Yanks could offer is 20%. I like Andy, but a raise over $16M is silly given his performance and risk. I’d rather negotiate directly than be forced into binding arbitration. If Pettitte demands are on par with his 2008 salary, I’d wish him the best in finding it elsewhere.
Regarding Pudge: Obvious move.
Regarding Moose: There is no harm in offering Moose arbitration. Just in case.
Regarding Abreu: I have been wavering on Abreu which is why I decided to sleep on it. And I awoke still in conflict. On one hand, he’s a solid ballplayer, quiet and steady. On the other, he’s clearly a poor outfielder and would worsen an already clogged OF situation. He’s also not worth a raise over his $16M last year.
The Yanks are preaching fiscal sanity out of one side of their mouth while offering Ft. Knox to Sabathia and others. Hypocrisy? Maybe. Maybe Cashman & Co. have decided it’s time to go a new direction from some of these older guys.
The kneejerk reaction was to bash Cashman for not getting the arbitration draft picks (assuming those offered arbitration did not accept and signed elsewhere). Every team needs more draft picks; it’s the new currency. Cashman decided that they could forego those picks in order to keep “other” salaries down so they could spend that money on areas they need more help.
Sorry, but this is incredibly dumb, dangerous and stupid. And I’m not talking about what Plaxico did or didn’t do because that’s a whole ‘nother level of idiocy.
Getting special treatment at New York-Cornell Hospital, where he gave his name as Harris Smith, saying he’d been shot at an Applebee’s restaurant. Nonetheless, hospital workers recognized him as Plaxico Burress, sources said, and the gunshot was not reported, as required by law.
……
According to state law, failing to report a gunshot injury to cops is a class A misdemeanor. But when asked about the hospital’s reporting policies, the spokesman said, “I don’t know what the policy and protocol is on that.”
To risk your medical career to protect this knucklehead is simply inexcusable. To admit eating at Applebee’s is just further shame.
UPDATE: I was reminded of comedian Ron White’s “you can’t fix stupid” schtick while driving in today, so here’s an update with the edited text:
If I could offer one piece of advice to the planet, it would be this: Don’t marry for looks alone, and I’ll tell you why. In a few years, when Barbara’s boobs start sagging, she can get plastic surgery, have them lifted, move the nipple wherever. You can actually go to a [strip] bar, pick out a set of [boobs] and say, “I want those [boobs] on that woman.” If her belly gets too big, she can get a tummy tuck and have a belly like a cheerleader. If her vision goes bad, you can have LASIK surgery and have 20/20 vision. If her hearing goes bad, they can install a device in her ear that will give you hearing as clear as it was the day you were born. But let me tell you something, folks: You can’t fix stupid. There’s not a pill you can take; there’s not a class you can go to. Stupid is forever.
Some of the mayor’s top deputies spent months threatening and cajoling to get the free skybox. They even demanded free food and ultimately got most of what they wanted after they agreed to provide 
And you wonder why politicians look so bad, so often. They are often greedy, self-absorbed beyond recognition and have no sense of shame (until they are caught). Case in point, baseball style:
Mayor Bloomberg’s top aides engaged in a behind-the-scenes brawl to win a free luxury suite at the new Yankee Stadium that could wind up costing taxpayers, e-mails show.
The Economic Development Corporation’s Seth Pinsky wrote to Doctoroff that Yankees President Levine “said he would give his word” (Click to see e-mails) that if parking spaces hurt the city’s rent arrangement, the Yankees would “work with us to figure out how to fix the problem.”In minutes, Doctoroff responded, “
Let’s not give. I don’t trust [Levine].”
We, the fans, know we’re being screwed in this whole ballpark thing. We know, deep down, that there’s blatant corruption going on behind the scenes (mostly). But when it becomes public, that’s when we can bark and yell “SEE!?!?” Except the only thing we, the fans, can do in protest is not go to the Stadium. Which will never happen. So there’s little deterrent for the politicians and Yankee execs to treat us, the fans, properly.
So go enjoy the new Stadium, pay thru the nose to sit there and behold the holy temple of awesome.
It just sucks knowing you’re being screwed while they smile at you, patting you on the back with one hand, emptying your wallet with the other. I think we’d rather be blissfully unaware of the corruption than knowing what’s gone (or is going) on.
Play ball.
