Spending into a Yankee collapse

By Piet Van Leer Sports Central Columnist

After its 2000 World Championship season, the New York Yankees, for whatever reasons, decided not to re-sign Jeff Nelson. What no one could possibly foresee was that this would be the catalyst for a series of mismanaged moves orchestrated by Brain Cashman and George Steinbrenner that would lead to insurmountable repercussions for future Yankee squads.

For all the differences that existed between Joe Torre and Nelson, Torre never hesitated signaling for side-winding right-hander in a tight spot. The problem was, Torre could never find a suitable replacement. The Yankees tried, bringing in both Jay Witasick and Mark Wohlers, both failing miserably. This prompted Torre to lean on star reliever Mariano Rivera heavier than he ever had previously.

I don't think it was Rivera's tired arm that caused him to throw wildly into centerfield during Game 7. I think it was bad luck that Luis Gonzalez blooped a single over a drawn in Derek Jeter. But being overworked in the 2001 postseason could have been one of the factors in Rivera's injury-riddled 2002 season.

Yankee management, as they are so prone to do, panicked at Rivera's misfortune. Steve Karsay was the beneficiary of Yankee exuberance, landing a four-year, $22.5 million contract. Cashman didn't stop there. He was so enamored with Sterling Hitchcock's playoff mop-up work, he gave the injury-riddled lefty $12 million for two years. After all, Hitchcock had made 23 unspectacular starts in the past two years.

The fun was just beginning. The Yankees had always not so secretly coveted Rondell White and finally nabbed him with a modest two-year, $10 million contract. Cashman insisted that if healthy, White would solve all of the previous Yankee left field woes. Because as we all know, left field was the reason the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Yanks in 2001 in the bottom of the ninth of Game 7.

White remained fairly healthy, but couldn't hit, run, throw, catch, position himself in left field, or for that matter, stand up straight. But again, left field was not the reason the Yanks went home early in 2002. Their pitching stunk, nothing more. Karsay proved to be a more expensive version of Witasick and Wohlers, and none of the starters bothered to bring their "A" games. Torre had confidence in one guy, Mike Stanton, and proved it by leaving him in to face 10 batters in Game 3. Stanton was under the assumption that this would never be asked unless the Yanks were down by a dozen and he hadn't thrown in several weeks.

Torre's lack of confidence in Karsay was confirmed when Tim Salmon's backbreaking, two-run homerun promptly greeted Karsay's first pitch in Game 3. Stanton was charged with the loss and became a Yankee scapegoat, although he was the only one who pitched with any heart throughout the series. It was only Game 3 when he allowed any runs, and was clearly left in too long, because Torre had no where else to turn.

The 2002 offseason came unseasonably early for the Yanks, and Stanton and Ramiro Mendoza were let go. Yes, that Ramiro Mendoza whom the Yankees would never trade over the past five years.

Chris Hammond, a 37-year-old lefty (two years older than Stanton), who had been out of the game since the 20th century, was signed to a two-year, $4.8 million contract after a career-year in Atlanta last season (76 IP, 0.95 ERA). The Yankees now seem to be in the business of rewarding exceptional years as opposed to consistent performances.

So now, what had been a stalwart of four world championship teams (the bullpen) is at best a question mark. The addition of Antonio Osuna could help, but what doesn't is the huge contact Karsay was given. Would the Yankees rather have saved that money and spent it on Stanton (three years, $9 million with the Mets) and Mendoza (two years, $6.5 million with the Red Sox)?

Speaking of money, according to Brian Cashman, the Yankees couldn't afford Stanton and Mendoza. It was a new financial era in baseball, and even the Yankees had to be cost conscious. So cost conscious that they signed a Japanese league outfielder for $21 million over three years. They already had White and Juan Rivera in left, and now they have a Japanese sensation who is rumored to be ultra-weak defensively (thank god Yankee stadium doesn't have a cavernous left-center field that can only be described as death valley).

Then the Yanks locked up another player that has yet to play a game in the majors. Cuban defector Jose Contreras was given a four-year, $32 million contract, and to top off everything else, the Yankees brought back aging power pitcher Roger Clemens for a one-year, $10 million contract! Surely, they need relievers more than an eighth starter.

Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez was traded, and odds are Hitchcock won't be healthy enough to pitch effectively. And Jeff Weaver's growth will probably be stunted again, coming out of the bullpen so Roger Clemens can get his ultra-important 300th win in pinstripes. But it's what the Boss wants, correct?

Steinbrenner almost made two contemptible mistakes by trading away Bernie Williams and Andy Pettitte. Gene Michael and Torre made him pull back both moves, but now it seems Big Stein is back to his meddlesome ways. (Okay, it his team, but since when do the guys from shipping know more baseball than the baseball guys?)

Raul Mondesi was a classic Stein-panic maneuver. This guy is the epitome of non-Yankee material -- underachieving at every aspect, hitting at an anemic clip, master strikeout artist (which isn't good if you play right field), and not knowing how to hit to the situation. Basically, not a winner.

But instead of having one overpaid, non-hitting outfielder (White), the Yankees have two. And now they have Hideki Matsui on top of that, which not only stunts the growth of Juan Rivera, but makes the Yankee and Met outfield virtually indistinguishable (Roger Cedeno and Jeromy Burnitz are White and Mondesi's cross-town alter-egos.) Is it any wonder both teams are having problems unloading these gems?

In addition to personnel meddling, George has resorted to one of his favorite past times: public critique. First, he told "Jetes" that he should focus solely on baseball, letting Jeter know that Big Stein is unhappy with all his extracurricular activities. What George fails to realize is that Jeter hit .500 in the postseason, scoring 6 runs and hitting 2 homeruns. Obviously, all those extra activities haven't affected Jeter when it comes time to put-up. Even if Jeter hits .200 during the regular season, does it really matter? As long as he shows up when it counts, he could feed all the underprivileged children in the world, and Stein should stay quiet about it.

Then he told Torre and his staff the last two years were unacceptable. Torre of course was to blame for his pitchers doing their best 1919 White Sox starters impression. Torre will run into the same problems next season as well if Clemens, Pettitte, Mike Mussina, and David Wells all have the same kind of collective efforts they had in last year's divisional playoff.

The Yanks had a chance this offseason to do something about the aging rotation by bringing in a top-tier pitcher in Bartolo Colon. They passed, and now Colon is on the White Sox and Weaver is back in the pen. Cashman will tell us Contreras and Clemens will make up for it, but I wonder who they would rather have out there come playoff time next year.

And what about Nick Johnson? They signed Todd Zeile in anticipation of trading Johnson. Now that Colon is on the White Sox, and with the Yankees having seven starters, it seems Juan Rivera isn't the only Yankee youngster to have his growth stunted by unnecessary free agent signings. Johnson is an everyday first baseman, and the best thing the Yankees can do is play him consistently or trade him. Giving Johnson 20 games at first and 50 games at DH makes absolutely no sense. For Johnson to split time with Todd freakin' Zeile is absolutely mind-boggling!

During the Yankee run, all free market proponents stipulated that the Yankees weren't only financially capable, but were also smart about it, and even if they didn't have all the money in the world, they would still be competitive. Granted, while they aren't the Mets, Orioles, or Dodgers, the Yankees were certainly able to buy themselves out of poor decisions.

While other teams would have to live with the Hitchcock's, Karsay's, White's, and Mondesi's of the game, the Yankees continue to spend, even with the new collective bargaining agreement. Steinbrenner said he didn't know how Bud Selig sleeps at night, negotiating a new agreement that not only benefits Selig's club so beneficially, but hamstrings the Yankees above all others.

It's doesn't seem though, through the naked eye, that the Yanks have been curtailed in any way with their ravenous spending.

Article courtesy of Sports Central.