This year has certainly been a disappointment thus far, to say the least. This got me thinking – which would be more embarrassing for Yankee fans, the debacle in the ‘04 ALCS, or this ‘07 team missing the playoffs entirely?
On the one hand, you have a team that had success by getting to the ALCS, but they completely collapsed, becoming the first team in MLB’s rich history to blow a 3-0 series lead in the playoffs! And if that weren’t bad enough, it was to the Boston Red Sox, allowing them to go on and win their first world series in 86 years! That had to hurt badly, and had to be very embarrassing.
But then this year, you have a $200+ million team that is struggling to just get to .500. The team looks heartless, the offense is feast or famine, the pitching is very inconsistent, and they just look lethargic. For a team that spends over $50 MILLION more than any other team in baseball to miss the playoffs would be a joke. But it could happen to the Yankees.
So which is worse?
Let’s just say looking back in history, assuming the Yankees did not make the playoffs this year, which year would be more embarrassing – 2004 or 2007?
Ok guys let’s not play down how bad missing the playoffs this year would be for the Yankees. This team is going to end up spending around $215 MILLION with Clemens. The Red Sox are second with $143 million. That’s over a $60 million gap. There are 8 MLB teams that spend less than that gap. While the Yankees are at over $200 million, there are only 6 other teams above $100 million.
This is why Steinbrenner has said that this season will determine the outcome of GM Brian Cashman. Sure Steinbrenner put his ignorant insight into some of the acquisitions, but for a team to have that many more resources than all of the other teams, and not even make the playoffs…that’s ridiculous.
It’s no different then if there were a 2 mile relay race, and one team got to start at the 1 mile point, and couldn’t even place in the top 4. A complete embarrassment.
8 responses so far ↓
1 Jeffrey S // Dec 16, 2008 at 6:16 pm
I’m a Yankee fan, and I have to agree with everything you said, especially the part about them looking heartless and lethargic. They do have a lot of talent, but the effort has just not been there, you can just see it in the body language. One good thing is that we’ve seen pitchers like Hughes and Clippard come up and pitch well, which bodes well for the future. It’s unfortunate that Clemens is coming in and taking the spot of a young pitcher who could be gaining some experience for next year.
As for as being embarrassed, nothing will ever be worse than 2004, NOTHING. To be ahead 3-0 and to have won all three games convicingly, including game three by 19-8, then lose is still a nightmare. The Yankees were AHEAD is the ninth inning of game four and lost!! They were two outs away!! Missing the playoffs would be bad, but Boston missed last year, so there isn’t so much shame in that. I just look at it as a rebuilding year for the Yanks, and maybe they can bring some younger, hungrier guys in next year.
Also, the payroll will go down in huge amounts in each of the next two offseasons, as Clemens is signed only for this year, and contracts such as Abreu, Mussina, Rivera, Posada, Pettitte, and Giambi expire. Hopefully they can shed the big payroll/overpaid image.
Caesarion–No one is “playing down” the Yankees disastrous season. Your question is which would Yankee fans find more embarrassing, missing the playoffs, or losing the 2004 ALCS, and 99% of die hard Yankee fans like myself say losing the ALCS. You have to be a Yankee fan to understand how embarrassing it was to be up 3-0 and leading with one out in the bottom of the ninth of Game 4, only to lose that game, and the next three!! And to their hated rivals! That would make a corny Hollywood movie script, that just doesn’t happen in real life, or at least it didn’t until three years ago. Yes, it is embarrassing to have the Yankees playing so badly, but the run of division titles and postseason appearances had to end sometime. The Yankees will eventually re-tool, and many big contracts are up the next two years. However, not matter how much success the Yankees may have in the future, that loss in ‘04 will always remain in our memories, nothing will erase it. In 1995, the Yankees lost the ALDS to Seattle, and even though they won four championships, the site of Ken Griffey, Jr.’s slide beating the throw to Jim Leyrtiz is still hard to look at when shown on higlights, so we don’t forget. I would easily take a trade that memory in ‘04 for a losing season this year, as I’m sure most Yankee fans would.
And yes, we know about the big contracts, but big contracts don’t always mean results. For example, Abreu and Giambi signed big contracts when they were in their prime, now they are clearly on the downside. You could say that about several players, however, tens of millions of that salary will soon be gone, and the Yankees can move on and hopefully use the formula they used in the ’90s-the farm system.
2 d.o.g // Dec 17, 2008 at 11:17 am
My brothers a Yankee fan and for him it would be making the playoffs.For some reason or another the playoffs bring more hype.And when they lost to Boston ,should of seen him.
3 Assassin319 // Dec 18, 2008 at 6:37 pm
It already happen and I hope it doesn’t happen… that the Red Sox win the World Series again…. Or that the Devil Rays have a better team and/or record that the Yankees….
4 birdman // Dec 20, 2008 at 11:50 pm
this year is worse b/c the yanks have made the playoffs almost every year and it would be the first time they would have missed the playoffs since before derk jeter started playin
5 sabes99 // Dec 22, 2008 at 11:06 am
2004 would be worse by far…the yankees have made the playoffs so many years in a row that they are due to have an off year and miss the playoffs, plus they have a lot of injuries and older players so a lot of that money has missed time or their age is catching up to them
in 2004, the yankees had all the momentum in that boston series and were ready to plant one of the most embarrassing moments in the history of the red sox on the 2004 squad when they stopped caring about the series until it was too late, and then they played game 7 as if they had no chance
6 proud to be mexican:] // Dec 22, 2008 at 10:34 pm
i have to go with the 2004 alcs the yankees had it in the bag ready to sweep the red sox but they counlt close it out well the 2007 its not that emberrrasing missing the 2007 playoffs b/c from the beggining the injuries got them in big troubles and they cant come back and they try so hard to get just to get there record up to .500 but 2004 most humiliating
7 tvpmark // Dec 23, 2008 at 12:55 pm
“All that money spent on a team and for what?” I know what you mean.
I’m guessing most Yankee fans want their team to win one million straight world championships, right? Of course, that will not be possible.
Anyway, I thought that the Yankees blowing that 3-0 ALCS lead in 2004 was embarrassing enough, especially against their hated rivals, the Red Sox. If they miss the postseason altogether this year, that could be equally embarrassing.
Do you think George Steinbrenner may oust Joe Torre if that happens?
8 oysterchowder2004 // Dec 23, 2008 at 1:44 pm
I really can’t imaging anything more embarrassing than the 2004 ALCS. Even if they finish last in the entire American League, it won’t come close to what happened 3 years ago.
Everyone is expecting them to have a bad year anyways, so I can’t imagine it being too embarrassing when it’s May and we’re already talking about them missing the playoffs.
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