Brian Cashman moves stealthily.

Regardless of how you feel about the Yankees’ acquisition of Javy Vazquez, and the departure of Melky Cabrera (I’m on the fence, more on this later) you have to admire Brian Cashman’s ninja moves.

The Ghost* Of Ray Handley Approves Of This Sort of Giants Display

Decorum prevents me from photoshopping DeSean Jackson and the Giants secondary onto some weird pic of an S/M session. I haven’t been this embarrassed to be a Big Blue fan since the Ray Handley era…

Okay, I’m being a little overdramatic. But the loss was still an embarrassment. Their defense is not built for any form of playoff success. This needs to be addressed in the offseason.

"Aw geez, man, what do I have to do with anything?. Someone straighten this blog out."

*I know he’s not dead yet, BFD

Brian Cashman is SO gangsta.

“For the right player, I’ll move anybody.” -Cashman.

He’s cooooooold-blooded.

The Yankees Show Some Courtesy…

I would have loved to have kept A-Jax, but you have to give something up to get something. His problems against LHP are worrisome, but the man can plain rake and can fly on the basepaths. Every hit of his into the gap will be an adventure.

Currrrrtisssssss!!!

Peace, Bruney…

Well, Brian Bruney has been sent to the Nationals. He’s been quite possibly the most frustrating pitcher on the Yankees roster over the last few years. He’s been great, and he’s been crappy, and now he’s gone. I wish him luck with the “Natinals”

Soon they will be real familiar with each other.

Eli “Porter” Manning: I’m the best, mayne, I diiiiid it.

Bully to him for admitting it. A lot of people were put off by the Giants defiling the Cowboys in their new stadium, on and off the field, but I say the hell with it, and the hell with the Cowboys.

Now he just has to back up his words.

The Giants continue to embarrass themselves.

This time against the Broncos.

Bill Sheridan is a horrible DC. I know the Giants have had injuries, but come on man. It’s called “pressure.” The guy before you used to apply it all the time. Get better at your job.

The offense is just as anemic right now too. Eli has to play better. And Brandon Jacobs is getting by on reputation alone.

This just isn’t their year.

Raise your hand if you deserve to be employed after this season... not so fast, Billy Boy.

Jeter/Teixeira Wuz Robbed

Just kidding. Mauer deserved it.

If Nick Swisher is moved, we riot.

I’m aware this could all be nothing, but I’m just serving notice now.

No one has RAWKED the Bronx this hard since… EVER.  Also, the Swish is my blog’s go-to source of entertainment. Don’t even think about it, Cashman.

The Big Lie: The Yankees Bought Their Championship

One of the most prominent go-to complaints about  the New York Yankees is that they “buy their championships,” including this most recent one. It’s a convenient thing to believe. They have a high payroll, and they are seen as the hegemon of the baseball landscape. However, just because it is convenient doesn’t always mean it is right.

The WSJ’s Andrew Zimbalist does a good job deconstructing this big lie. He points out both the obvious (that the Yankees play by the rules MLB has laid down and 20 different teams have made the playoffs since 2004) and the not so obvious (that, according to his review, 70 to 85 percent of a teams actual success was determined by factors other than payroll.)  All good points. Furthermore, he goes into what MLB could do to further enhance competition from lesser teams, perhaps providing motivation for them to spend.

This gets into my same problem with the majority of the “Convenient Untruthers” who repeat the line about “buying championships”:  It comes from generally three types of fans:

1. Red Sox and Mets fans, whose team generally spend above the luxury tax threshold. That’s like someone in Alpine, NJ complaining about their neighbor’s mansion being too big for the neighborhood. Cry me a damn river.
2. Fans of teams with low payrolls, whose owners are obscenely rich. Your team’s owners are perfectly fine with pocketing the luxury tax money and fielding an inferior product. Go yell at them.
3. Morons.

The system isn’t perfect, but the Yankees don’t buy their championships. They simply put a down payment on success. Spread the word.