Talk Bronx New York

The 2009 Yankees had an overall payroll of $206.8 million, nearly 50 percent higher than that of their closest competitor

 The aroma that one perceived, as one walked off the field and inside toward the home clubhouse in the moments after the Yankees had won their 27th World Series on Wednesday night, was strong. It was one part expensive perfume, and one part expensive champagne, and it was unmistakable. It was Eau de WAG.

The area in between the Yankees’ dugout and their clubhouse usually functions as an indoor batting cage, but on this night it served an arguably more important purpose. It was a holding pen for the players’ wives and girlfriends — their WAGs, in the current parlance. As their husbands and boyfriends conducted the first few minutes of their post-championship bacchanal, team security sensibly kept the WAGs out of the clubhouse — “Someone could get hurt in there!” — and they hugged each other and took pictures of each other and took sips from plastic cups, as they waited for things to calm down just a little. They included in their number Joanna Garcia, a guest star on Gossip Girl and the girlfriend of Nick Swisher, and Minka Kelly, a cheerleader on Friday Night Lights and the girlfriend of Derek Jeter. Kate Hudson, Alex Rodriguez’s steady, was not subjected to the confines of the holding pen — she starred in Bride Wars, after all — but she was around.

Read more..

(No Ratings Yet)
 Loading ...
 Email This Post

The Yankees’ expected signing of the massive left-handed pitcher C. C. Sabathia to a gigantic contract is the latest manifestation of the team’s muscular business model.

The Yankees generate $400 million or more in revenues and spend $200 million in player salaries.

The team owns 38 percent of the YES Network, which pays the Yankees at least $70 million a year, and can receive still more cash from its cut of the channel’s profits.

It is opening a new ballpark in the Bronx in April, only months after attracting a team-record 4.3 million fans for the final season at the old Yankee Stadium.

The $1.3 billion stadium is designed to generate more revenue than the old one did, even as the recession worsens. But here’s a sometimes-forgotten wrinkle that helps the Yankees rationalize contracts like Sabathia’s $161 million over seven years: Read more..

(No Ratings Yet)
 Loading ...
 Email This Post

The Yankees are engaging in a monumental quest that had never been considered in all their years as baseball’s baddest boys from the Bronx.

The Babe, Iron Horse and Joltin’ Joe never imagined this far-out mission. Neither did Yogi, Whitey nor the Mick. Ditto for Thurm, Mr. October and Donnie Baseball.

The Yankees’ new goal, as wacky as it sounds: keeping up with a team from St. Petersburg, Fla., the mighty Rays.

Even Joe Torre never could have dreamed up something so goofy.

Not surprisingly, the Yankees are convinced the best way to dig themselves out of third place, after missing the playoffs for the first time since 1993, is to throw the biggest money at the biggest free agent, and their focus is CC Sabathia, the pitching jewel of the open market. Read more..

(No Ratings Yet)
 Loading ...
 Email This Post

Jason Giambi was one of four Yankees players to file for free agency on Wednesday, joining Mike Mussina, Carl Pavano and Damaso Marte.

Mussina is still deciding whether he wants to retire or play, while Pavano is still hoping for a return to New York or a fresh start elsewhere in the alternative. Marte is waiting to hear whether the Yankees plan to pick up his $6 million option.

But what about Giambi? The Yankees need to fill their first-base spot, and while Mark Teixeira would be a good fit there, it’s no sure thing that the free agent will want to come to the Yankees.

I spoke with Arn Tellem, who represents Giambi, during the GM meetings on Wednesday, and he doesn’t believe that the fact that the Yankees declined Big G’s $22 million option automatically spells the end of Giambi’s time in New York.

“It’s early,” Tellem said. “Obviously Jason would welcome the opportunity to go back if there’s interest there, so we’ll just have to see how it plays out and what the Yankees do.” Read more..

(No Ratings Yet)
 Loading ...
 Email This Post