POWER OUTAGE

Mark Teixeira $23 Million

When I plug something into the wall for power, I expect it to work, and work the way I paid for it to. If it doesn’t I fix or get rid of it, this is a simple logic.

There is a major league team right now that seems to be languishing in mediocrity that should be excelling: the New York Yankees are becoming a curios lot. Two players in particular are getting obscene amounts of money this year to perform, Mark Teixeira $23 Million and Alex Rodriguez, $30 Million.

For A-Rod, $30 Million a year, a .270 average with 5 homers does not cut it. Raul Ibanez is being paid $1.1 Million, has a .273 Batting average, and 9 homeruns!

Alex Rodriguez, $30 Million.

Mark Teixeira $23 Million: 5 homers and a .226 average! A quarter of the season has been played and still these two players seem to be faltering. One of the things that  the press and fans both have picked up on is A-Rod’s seemingly loss of power. His lack of power for who is was and now is not, is very telling.

With the highest payroll in baseball at over $190 Million a year, the Yankees are nowhere to be seen in the standings. If it weren’t for Ibanez, Cano and Granderson, there would be very little offense generated.

The New York Yankees are a perfect example along with the Philadelphia Phillies with the second highest payroll in baseball: for the case against the long-term contract, and being locked into a situation you can’t extricate yourself from.

The economics of having a mega superstar being paid $15 Million a year and then going down with a serious injury, is crazy, you can’t replace the talent, it hardly ever works. The last time the Yankees sent in a replacement with equal or better ability, Wally Pipp sat down with a headache for Lou Gehrig, and salaries weren’t an issue for the GM.

Ryan Howard

The Phillies have Ryan Howard, their centerpiece of the offense, and sidelined so far this season from an injury sustained at the end of the World Series last season. In 2010, the slugging first baseman agreed to a $125 million, five-year contract extension that could keep him with the Phillies until 2017. Where is he now? How is he worth the costs? This seems to be driving th costs of the game to such an extreme that fans will soon lose interest in the team, an inclination to attend games and an eventual financial dilemma.

That’s all I wrote, folks!