By Paul Semendinger
February 24, 2025
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My Thoughts - I know many Yankees fans decided they have to hate Juan Soto now that he's a Met, but, come on... this is great. I also know the argument, "Hey, he now has $700 million, what's a car to him?" Sure, but I wonder how many people who say that have bought something nice (at whatever cost) for a colleague recently. Probably not many. It's always easy to spend others' money.
What Soto did was awesome. It just is. Period.
My Thoughts - At least they are being serious about focusing on baseball.
And why do I worry that we will hear reports that after this, three players have arm injuries?
My Thoughts - Mr. Steinbrenner is correct in principle that a team doesn't need a $300 million payroll, but when his GM makes bad deals and signs players for too much money, he's left with a decision - spend more money (which he seems unwilling to do) or go into the season with obvious holes (as the Yankees have done every season for a long while now). In 2025, the Yankees will be starting the season without a legitimate designated hitter and without a legitimate third baseman.
Of course, in this situation, spending more money WILL (absolutely) increase the Yankees' chances of winning. To argue otherwise makes no sense. It makes Hal Steinbrenner seem clueless. Would the Yankees be better with Juan Soto at DH or Alex Bregman at third? Of course they would. The reasons they aren't Yankees is very simply... money. Yes, a huge payroll would increase the Yankees' championship hopes. (This was something Hal's father understood. This is something the World Champion Dodgers understand. It's so basic that to impossible to not understand this.)
My Thoughts - Ethan and I sold much of our collection for pennies on the dollar. Many happy people were able to expand their sets and collections through this. In the end, we figured that it was better to let others enjoy the cards rather than having countless boxes of cards sitting in the attic. (To be fair, we still have a lot of cards, but many (thousands and thousands were sold.)
I am also giving away, for free, tons of my other collectable items such as programs, books, and other more at SABR events. Come to the event on March 23 at the Yogi Berra Museum to get some free items (first come first served). I hope to see you there!
My Thoughts - Good for Aaron Judge. I tend to agree with him. If a beard was going to prevent a player from being a Yankee, it's probably better that that player isn't a Yankee. Tons of great players shaved their beards to play for the Yankees. In the end, I really don't care except that it is a shame that the Yankees have turned away from so many traditions in recent years.
My Thoughts - Wait! WHAT?!
The Yankees expect to lose home games this year?!
There were 3 Yankee traditions and now only one....... Hal spends money and Cashman wastes his money, so until this changes, the Yankees will not win another WS!
absent the ersatz Steingrabber fatwah outlawing hippie hair, without this guidance. how long will it be before the Yankees take the field to cries of
"Hot damn, it's the Soggy Bottom Boys!"
how long until a home loss is followed by the strains of
it's aint jus traditions, it the end or our venerated observances and rituals