In many’s eyes, Albert Pujols is the best baseball player around and quite frankly, his numbers support that claim.  Pujols’ career statistics are superior  than many of the other players that hold down spots on the highest-paid list in the MLB; names such as Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Manny Ramirez, Derek Jeter and Carlos Beltran.

Here is a list of these players and their current contracts:

• Alex Rodriguez – $238 million, 9 years
• Carlos Beltran – $119 million, 7 years
• Mark Teixeira – $108 million, 8 years
• Derek Jeter – 2009: $20 million, 2010: $21 million
• Manny Ramirez – 2009: $25 million, 2010: $20 million

Seeing as Albert Pujols’ career stats (.334, 40/122, 1.053) are better than A-Rod’s (.305, 42/122, .966), I think it is safe to say that Pujols should be a $200+ million man in the immediate future. Anything less would be tragedy!

And in this day and age, is it incredibly easy to make one’s self visible through the use of social media. Sometimes, though, there are pitfalls (in addition to the downsides of releasing contract terms) of using these outlets.

Such is the case of O’Neal, for one, who has recently spent a great deal of time holding on to the limelight by any means possible, most commonly by his use of Twitter.

As Fox Sports’ Mark Kriegel points out, O’Neal is a diversified showman, but at the same age, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wasn’t pining for media attention, he was averaging 22 PPG en route to earning the NBA Finals MVP.

Kriegel also states that the news of O’Neal to the Cavaliers that re-surfaced during the NBA Finals was released at the wrong time. Similar to Alex Rodriguez and Scott Boras’ announcement during the World Series that Rodriguez would opt out of his contract with the Yankees, there is a right time and a wrong time for players and agents to attempt to create publicity.

In fact, if done incorrectly, it could hurt the reputation, change the way the personas of the parties involved are viewed, and actually do more damage than intended good. It is important to ascertain the best time for using social media in an age when information is instantly shared with millions of people across the globe.

O’Neal’s antics are enjoyed by all, but as his celebrity fades, he should consider focusing his energy on once again making waves on the court rather than in the media.  There are ways to gain the spotlight without abusing social media.

There is nothing wrong with O’Neal’s use of Twitter and other sites like Facebook, but he should let the exposure come to him instead of forcing the spotlight on himself with actions such as tweeting during halftime of a game. While some people may have no problem with this as social media continues to gain popularity, O’Neal is paid millions of dollars to play the game and anything that could possibly take his focus away from winning should be frowned upon by front offices and fans.

O’Neal knows how to get his name in the headlines, which can be incredibly advantageous for endorsement deals, as long as his actions are deemed acceptable by the media and fans. Several slip-ups could change fans’ perspective of O’Neal from one of the most dominant players ever to Twittering fool who focuses more on himself than the team he plays for. That kind of exposure is a risk if social media actions become lax.

The power of social media is immense, but taking precautions to prevent negative publicity is just as important as the tools itself especially as more and more people turn to these sites as a mean for news. Other athletes can learn from O’Neal as he inches closer and closer to the line.

Since free agency began in the 1970’s, the trend for rising contracts has skyrocketed.  In addition, there has been a continuous push towards defining sports as big business.  Just think about the deals we’ve witnessed in this past year.  C.C. Sabathia signed a 7-year, $161 million contract with the New York Yankees, who also opened their new $1.5 billion stadium in the Bronx.  This latter fact wouldn’t be as disheartening, until you remember that the New York taxpayers are picking up the tab during one of the worst recessions in American history.  A year ago we saw the Dolphins give their #1 draft pick Jake Long a 5-year, $57.75 million contract.  A player who had never stepped foot on a pro field became the highest paid offensive linemen in the NFL.  No need for more examples of the huge deals that have already been made amidst this economic crisis.

So where does this bring us?  What’s the state of affairs now?  Both the New York Yankees and the New York Mets overestimated their ability to sell high-priced seats in the newly christened Yankee Stadium and Citi Field.  Keep in mind that some of the seats in the New Yankee Stadium exceed $2,500, so who’s surprised that they aren’t filled for every game?  Both owners have now decided that they will review their ticket prices and possibly make changes.  Likewise, ticket sales are down in many places, and many teams are coming up with new, creative ways to sell seats.  The Detroit Pistons are clearly feeling the wrath of the economy, as they struggled to sell tickets for Friday night’s playoff game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Tickets were found on Stubhub for as low as $11, and the team’s front office even sent e-mails to Cavs season ticket holders offering tickets to those who want to make the 4 hour drive.  But the business of sports is not in a complete decline; in fact, it’s becoming increasingly impossible to make a general statement about the effect of this economic downturn on the industry.  Don Garber, MLS commissioner, said that the league’s law firm had canceled its season tickets at Yankee Stadium.  However, the large sports law firm Proskaeur Rose actually upgraded from a 20-game package to a full season ticket package in the new stadium.  Furthermore, while the housing construction industry may be in utter disarray, the Florida Marlins plan for a new $600 million stadium was just approved.

And what about the players that make these games possible?  The week leading up to this past weekend’s NFL draft hasn’t shown us that spending is down.  The Detroit Lions and the agents for Georgia QB Matthew Stafford were in talks all week to reach a deal before the draft.  Stafford was inked to a 6-year $72 million ($47 million guaranteed) which greatly exceeds Jake Long’s contract.  So the money may be getting out of hand, especially considering we are in an economic crisis.  As a future agent, these probably aren’t the words I should be saying, but it’s probably true.  But where do we place the blame?  Jeff MacGregor, senior writer for ESPN.com and ESPN the Magazine, infers that the fans are just as, if not more, responsible than those within the industry:

“Most of the men and women I’ve met over the years in professional sports would gladly go on playing their games for much less than they’re being paid now…Rather it is the market, reflecting the madness of the individuals who constitute it, that determines the relative value of that calling, whether to be a linebacker or golfer or shortstop. The athlete (and the agent and the owner) just operate within the market we allow them to create.”

At least we know that many players will take less money if the economy forces teams to do so, but probably not without a fight.  We have seen previous examples of extremely unselfish players who opted for lower contracts, despite the current trend for ever-increasing contracts.  Before the 2007 NBA season, Tim Duncan took less money so that the Spurs could create a winning team.  So maybe there’s some hope.  At least we can sleep knowing that not all athletes are only in it for the money.  For most great athletes, it’s about the game…they’ve already made enough money.  As fans we should feel lucky that it hasn’t reached the point where the money is the only factor for most players.  Imagine if the USA basketball team had to revert to using college players for the next Olympics competition.  As for sports in general, this industry may be feeling the effects of the economic crisis, but you can count on it returning to its normal form when the economy rebounds.  The Yankees will continue spending, the Marlins will still probably offer two-fer ticket deals in their new stadium, and most fans will watch ESPN waiting to hear about that next big contract with a mixed response of amazement, excitement, and disgust.  Hopefully I will be negotiating it.

On the field, the undoubtedly gifted Alex Rodriguez makes it look easy, but off the field it’s a whole different story.

For one of the greatest players the game has ever seen, the highly disparaged Rodriguez is hardly revered as one of the all-time baseball greats should be. But why is this?

Sure, A-Rod has the whole steroid scandal hanging over his head, but Rodriguez’s general distaste by the fans can be summed up in one sentence.

He tries too hard.

Rodriguez is not one of the guys. He doesn’t have that competitive fire and leadership like Jeter, the everyday ironman mentality like Ripken, or even the carefree playful spirit like Manny (when he’s not trying to leave a city). He worries too much about his image, radiates a false sense of bravado, and it seems like he wants people to know that he’s better than them.

Of course technically, though, he is. But pictures like those in Details magazine vilify the supposed hero, rather than make him seem down the earth. It makes no sense why Rodriguez would agree to a photo shoot amidst his steroid scandal. Especially since the photos were taken the day after Selena Roberts questioned Rodriguez about his steroid use and a day before she published her Sports Illustrated story that knocked A-Rod off his pedestal. Really?

Now it has come out that Rodriguez used a call-girl service and even dated the Manhattan madam, Kristin Davis, who ran the business. Did one of the highest profile athletes not think eventually this news would surface? It did for politician Eliot Spitzer. Does Rodriguez want this kind of publicity? What is he thinking?

Another tabloid attracting debacle A-Rod involved himself with was his rumored relationship with Madonna following Rodriguez’s divorce from ex-wife Cynthia Rodriguez. It seems that A-Rod puts himself into undesirable situations that make it harder for the mega-star to feel accepted. His poor judgment is one of the only qualities he lacks.

Adding to the fan aversion is Rodriguez’s poor performance in October. Year after year since Rodriguez’s arrival, the Yankees have gone down in the postseason and year after year A-Rod always gives the right answer, the answer he thinks people want to hear. It makes it so clear that Rodriguez is terrified of what the public thinks of him. It’s sad that a player so talented puts so much pressure on himself to succeed that it causes him to fail every year on the biggest stage.

Pressure was his excuse for his steroid use. He felt that he needed the extra help to maintain and live up to his image as baseball’s highest paid player. Rodriguez’s inability to handle the pressure is part of what’s tearing him apart in the news.

Now he’s trying to say that he doesn’t want the other 103 positive tests from the MLB’s 2003 survey program to be released. It almost looks like he wants all the burden from the steroid era on himself, but everyone knows he can’t handle that pressure.

“This is really about my mistake,” Rodriguez told YES Network’s Michael Kay. “You know, many nights I fell asleep thinking about who I can blame, and this guy, or that guy. And when I woke up I kept coming back to the same person; it’s me. I mean, there’s no one to blame. I hope those 103 names never come out.”

A-Rod’s authentic talent should make him one of the most beloved baseball players the game has seen, but his inauthentic actions are holding him back.

Where: 14 Vesey Street, New York, NY.  See map.

When: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 – 6:30 p.m

Subject:

A forum on the representation of athletes in individualized (as opposed to team) sports in negotiations and maintenance of endorsement and sponsorship deals will take place.  Among the topics to be covered are the recent Michael Phelps and Alex Rodriguez scandals and how to handle such matters as they pertain to endorsements and sponsorships, as their attorneys.

Moderator: Paul Stuart Haberman, associate, Heidell, Pittoni, Murphy & Bach, L.L.P.

Speakers:

• Elizabeth Durkin, partner, Durkin & Durkin, LLP
• Mike DiMaggio, associate, Collins, McDonald & Gann, P.C. and former executive director of the United Supplement Freedom Association
• Christopher Chase, associate, Frankfurt, Kurnit, Klein & Selz, P.C.
• Scott Shaffer, member, The Lustigman Firm, P.C.
• Keven Davis, partner at Garvey Schubert & Barer and attorney for the Williams’ sisters

Cost: Must register.  Email dlamb@nycla.org and write ‘March 11 forum’ in the Subject line.

The juiced era reportedly began in 1994 and ended around 2004. The BALCO investigation was at its climax in 2005 and enhanced the spotlight placed on Major League Baseball and its star performers, which included Tejada’s “testimony”. With the continued intervention of Congress on the issue, the list of admitted steroid users started growing even larger. Some wrote books blaming others, calling out players and naming fellow users. Some chose the path of Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds, and continue to deny their transparent use of the substances, while others like A-rod and Andy Pettitte decided the best option was to bite the bullet and come clean. Whatever path these players chose, there have been no legal ramifications, until now.

A few days after Rodriguez’s interview and apology Houston Astros star shortstop Miguel Tejada became the first player to be officially convicted of a crime in the juiced era. Last Wednesday, Tejada pled guilty to the charge of misrepresentation to Congress by withholding information. The weird aspect about this big-time conviction is that it predominantly talks about Miguel’s lying to congress about his teammates use of illegal substances. He did however, acknowledge his individual use of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) when he was in Oakland, but still claims that he “threw away the HGH that he purchased before using it.”

The crime is a misdemeanor and with Tejada’s continued cooperation he will likely receive probation as opposed to any jail time. The direct terms of Tejada’s plea bargain state that by agreeing to the deal he may still be subject to “detention, deportation and other sanctions at the direction of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”

According to Fox News, a Customs Enforcement agent replied to the statement saying the agency “individually reviews cases of legal permanent residents convicted of a crime to determine if they should be deported.” The agency would not talk about Tejada’s case in any more detail because it does not discuss individual cases.

Only a year ago, Tejada (34) divulged in an interview that he lied about his true age and produced a fake birth certificate when he originally entered the United States from the Dominican Republic to play in the league. After making this voluntary declaration, Tejada was never punished, other than harsh comments and criticism in the media, and he still remained in the America. Although nothing happened after this first incident, Tejada’s past admittance and repentance certainly was on the minds of some people.

In the complaint, the government states that Tejada violated 2. U.S.C. 192, entitled “Refusal of witness to testify or produce papers.” Tejada accordingly was under oath in August of 2005 when congressional staffers from the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform questioned him in a Baltimore hotel room.

U.S. Code, Title 2, Section 192 expressly states that “Every person who having been summoned as a witness by the authority of either House of Congress to give testimony or to produce papers upon any matter under inquiry before either House, or any joint committee established by a joint or concurrent resolution of the two Houses of Congress, or any committee of either House of Congress, willfully makes default, or who, having appeared, refuses to answer any question pertinent to the question under inquiry, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than $ 1,000 nor less than $ 100 and imprisonment in a common jail for not less than one month nor more than twelve months.”

Using 2. U.S.C. 192. Tejada did not fully comply with congressional staffers when he was interviewed regarding questions pertaining to the use of HGH and other banned substances.  Yale 2L Aaron Zelinski analyzed the topic and pointed out that this was the first case to date brought under 2. U.S.C. 192 that contained facts from acts that took place in a hotel room with only a group of congressional members and the defendant.

Although, I believe Tejada is clearly and blatantly guilty, as does Mr. Zelinski, we differ when I contend that Miguel did violate the expressed language in 2. U.S.C. 192. However, I do agree with him when he suggests that this interpretation of the law broadly stretches the government’s reach on matters concerning perjury.  When are you really under oath? Can it be any time you talk to members of congress?  If that is what emerges from this case then we are all in trouble.

With Tejada’s fall from greatness, it seems that the government is looking to make a statement by investigating and reporting on big name players. This is understandable, as something drastic must be done to try and halt the use of banned substances in baseball. Alex Rodriguez was only one name on a huge list of players randomly tested by the MLB. His name was leaked and he was induced into finally confessing. 103 more names still remain on that list. The way these players and their agents and advisors handle the disclosure of that list is really the determinative factor regarding the government bringing a suit against them.

A-Rod’s decision might have kept him outside of a cell for now, but many lost faith in his every word and still do not believe he is telling the complete truth.  Roger Clemens is currently the one feeling the most heat from the F.B.I. for his adamant denial in front of congress last year. The Rocket might be the next one to fall from the ranks of baseball greats.

Tejada’s sentencing will take place on March 25^th. Although he is the first in the steroid era, he certainly will not be the last. This decision could lead to many more individuals facing charges and should send signals to others who plan on talking about the juiced era.

I am going to go ahead and throw something out there that I doubt will be viewed favorably by most of the Sports Agent Blog’s readers.

America’s fascination with sports is severely sick and twisted.

Set fire to the stake, assemble the tar and feathers and send me straight to the guillotine, for I have finally said it!  America has a sick and demented obsession with their sports.

And believe me loyal readers, I say this with full admission of my own dependent addiction to the games and players that fill the void and act as an escape from the realities of my life.  I mean isn’t that what all drugs are meant to do?  Fill the emptiness of one’s life while simultaneously giving a glimpse of happiness and offering momentary escape through synthetic pleasure?

So if that is the case, then by the sports fans own admission, we are all metaphorical drug addicts.  Addicted to the perfect game, the next score, the championship, the players, the idea of next year and ultimately the feeling that even though we give our all to being a fan, the simple act of being a fan cannot control destiny.  Yes, America, as mentioned above, our obsession is a sick and twisted love affair, and we are all hopeless romantics.

With that being said, if sports are our drug, then Alex Rodriguez is most defiantly our heroin.

The most dangerous, addictive and mysterious drug there is, users have been known to go into shock and withdrawal when they do not have it until it finally gives them that feeling of bliss when it is once again reintroduced into their system.  If this horrid account of addiction doesn’t describe the juxtaposition of the public’s desire and the media’s coverage of the embattled Yankee third basemen, then nothing ever will.

For the record, my knowledge of this drug does not exceed multiple viewings of the films Trainspotting, Pulp Fiction, and Requiem for A Dream, all great films which show the perverse side of this terrible affliction.  But the correlation is all the same.  In the same way a junkie cooks up and prepares his next hit, the sports fan secretly wishes and waits for A-Rod to make his next slip up so they can call and cry into their favorite radio show, type a hateful comment on their fan message board or create that perfect blog entry.  You know the one.  It’s filled with just the right amount of statistics, sass and hate that will hopefully be that magical post that finally gets you discovered!

Am I defending A-Rod’s actions?  Absolutely not.  What he did was deplorable and an insult to the game of baseball.  I don’t care if this was the “culture of the time” in Major League Baseball,  Alex should have known that his raw talent and natural ability would be more than enough to break a plethora of records and walk right into the halls of Cooperstown.  If that wasn’t reason enough then he should have known that these drugs were illegal under federal mandates of the United States of America which Congress banned with the implementation of Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act in the Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 1990.

Plain and simple, A-Rod was wrong.  He tarnished his legacy as well the purity and sanctity of the game of baseball.  Of all the steroid users, abusers and accusers, this admission in particular, is going to be the hardest to swallow as Alex Rodriguez represented the exception.  His superhuman statistics in conjunction with the pace that he has acquired them gave us hope that there was actually someone out there who could have achieved these things naturally and by the grace of G-d.

But this isn’t just one of your run-of-the-mill baseball players, this is the superstar of all superstars.  This man is so transcendent of the game of baseball that his divorce, celebrity dating habits and exploitations with muscular, Canadian strippers get front page coverage on several different days.  Predicted to not only surpass the home run record, but completely obliterate it, this is a man who can cause a 2 day discussion on the merits of saying “HA!” while rounding third base and draw merciless mockery after attempting to slap a ball out of a glove.  I MEAN, THIS IS A MAN who could quite possibly go down as the greatest right handed hitter in the history of baseball, but whose accomplishments, stellar play and unprecedented work ethic go overshadowed causing an entire stadium to boo because he decided to take his shirt off on a nice day while playing with his daughter in Central Park…

If a shirt can cause that much disdain and unwarranted discussion in the A-Rod crazed,  infatuated eyes of the public, he will never be able to publicly survive a steroid scandal.

And even though he has come clean and apologized, the fact that the American public has been nothing less then obsessed with this man since 2001, will only add to the scrutiny he will receive. From the talking heads on ESPN to the college kid blogging in his dorm and even to the housewife chatting it up with her girlfriends over a game of Mahjong, The Sports Nation will find their next fix in their addiction to A-Rod by knocking him off the proverbial pedestal.

This past Monday on his blog, Peter Abraham jokingly insinuated that Alex Rodriguez could single handily save the doomed newspaper industry.  He certainly has a point.  As long as A-Rod continues to live and breathe on Planet Earth, the masses are going to want to read articles on him using up too much oxygen.

It’s A-Rod’s world and we are all just addicted to it.  Am I a hypocrite for writing this and feeding into the very same issue I lampooned?  I sure am.

I can’t help it.  I’m addicted…

While most of the talk surrounding the opting out of the contract was over  money, maybe Boras had another motive.  Yes, Boras was seeking a 10 year $300 million contact…an amount the Yankees were unwilling to meet.  But maybe Boras was just looking out for the mental health of his superstar client.  It’s no secret that since Rodriguez has arrived in New York, he has had a tough time with both the media and fans.  He desperately wants to be loved by all in New York, and unfortunately it has been a very bumpy ride.

At the time of the decision to opt out, Rodriguez was coming off a horrid playoff series against both the Detroit Tigers in 2006 and another bad series against the Indians in ’07.  Despite an MVP season, Rodriguez has yet to earn the love he yearns for from New Yorkers.

Being a resident of New York, I understand how it must hurt to be under a microscope in such a ruthless city.  If you didn’t know better, you would think A-Rod is some schlep.  Let’s not forget he’s batting .308, with 32 homeruns and 92 RBI’s.  Those numbers are very similar to the hated Kevin Youkilis, though Youk is one of the front-runners for the American League MVP.

While $275 million is a ton of money, 10 more years in New York may be more than A-Rod can handle.  It is clear that A-Rod does not handle the booing very well, and the pressure Yankee fans put on him may be too much for the slugger to deal with.  It doesn’t help that he’ll always be number 2 behind the beloved Derek Jeter.

Maybe just maybe, Boras was looking out for the future well-being of A-Rod and not his own wallet.

Lies, deceit, and public infidelity.

It is not something that the average man doesn’t deal with on a daily basis, but fans do not view one of the world’s most highly paid and skilled athletes as an average man.

A-Rod is having a reputation crisis in the world’s biggest media market.

Is it impossible for A-Rod to fix his current situation?  At this point, no.  The point in reputation monitoring and reputation is to catch and address issues early. You break the news and you take the power away from the new media and citizen journalist.

So what steps could A-Rod have taken if he was monitoring his reputation online?

1. Address the issues of extra-marital relations in his own words. Is it true? Is it not true? Andy Petitte is currently the poster boy for telling the truth in a sticky situation and having it blow over due to honesty. You will be found guilty in the court of public perception regardless. Humility and humanity can go a long way.
2. Approach the  divorce from his wife in a manner in which squelches rumors. If this is an amicable split, put out a united front. If it is not, get your side out in your words. Be honest, transparent. Show your humanity and take the ammo away from the press.

This situation is an extreme. There are few people on the level of A-Rod in the sports world. But these concepts translate to all athletes.

You need to 1) monitor your reputation and 2) react in a transparent fashion to what you find.

How do you respond?  Take some premeditated strikes.

1. Start a blog for your athlete. This will give him a platform to humanize himself and address public issues.
2. Create some market contacts with niche sports editors and forum moderators. This will allow you to spread your message easily. Have your athlete be readily accessible to the Internet media and citizen journalist.
3. Setup a strong reputation management system using various monitoring methods. Approach positive and negative sentiment.

I know that so much of this seems counterintuitive to what have been long held principles. But the new media environment will change your business, whether you want to change or not. The key is learning how to bend and not to break.

When beginning my search I noticed that Sports Law Blog did a similar comparison with salaries and success, but I could not find other comparisons after 2006.  I will attempt to continue their analysis for the first half of the 2008 season.

To start, I will analyze the top salaries, which includes 2/3 of the top AL East teams, the Red Sox and the struggling Yanks.  As many of you know, the Yanks are the most expensive team in baseball, spending a total of $209, 081,577 on their 2008 roster according to USA Today.  The next team on the list is the other New York team, the Mets, spending $71,288,201 less than the Yanks with a total of $137,793,376.  The Red Sox are fourth on the list spending $133,390,035 on their roster after winning the World Series last season.

The surprising Rays are second to last on the list, spending a mere $43,820,597 on their total roster this year.  That roster has earned them the best record in baseball. The Rays are 53-32 so far and are currently in first place by 3 games over the Red Sox, proving to the league that a low salary does not mean low quality players. Evan Langoria is having a Rookie of the Year type season, but no other Rays are really having a breakout year. This is a scary thought for the rest of the MLB with the second half of the season on the horizon. The Rays play as a team, with the heart and patience to hang in games and come back late in a match if they need to, unlike that of the Yanks so far and many other high paid rosters.

Another surprise team so far this season has been the other Florida squad, the Florida Marlins.  I remember hearing on opening day that the ENTIRE Marlins salary for 2008 was less than the salary of Alex Rodriguez alone this year.  The Marlins management has spent the least in the MLB, paying their players $21,811,500 to start opening day.  After A-Rod and his agent, Scott Boras, worked out a new contract with New York last season, A-Rod was guaranteed $28,000,000 for 2008.  I only analyzed and discussed a couple of teams.  If you want to view the entire list with all 30 MLB teams and their salaries click here.

Using the USA Today data and the results from the past several regular seasons and playoffs, I can conclude that a high payroll does not guarantee success. I have learned after watching March Madness, the NBA, MLB, NHL and just about every sport, that earnings and prior statistics that commentators and gamblers use to handicap games really mean nothing. It is all about the desire, dedication, training regimen, persistence, a little coaching and the overall mindset of the team that wins games.

Look at the NY Giants Super Bowl run and success last season. They came out of nowhere to prove everyone wrong and beat the heavily favored Patriots. Going by all the stats in the NFL, the G-men had no shot at beating Brady and the undefeated Patriots. The only thing they had on their side was the confidence from the great run they were on during the playoffs.

Since baseball does not have a salary cap, teams in New York can spend whatever they want on big name players. However, the only thing that matters at the end of the day is getting wins. Baseball is a team sport and as we can see from the Yankees past 6 seasons, big names (and paychecks) don’t always forge together to win big games. All a team needs to do is get into the playoffs and then anything can happen.

Although the MLB season is only almost half over, it still pays to point out that money does not correlate with success.  Darren looked at how this may eventually affect MLBPA agents in a post that he made back in 2006: Will The Yankees Success Hurt Agents?