6
1699
Jaydawg
drrubb^1029
Re: Mike Sweeney claims to have been offered the 'juice' by K.C. teammates in '99 <FONT COLOR=BLACK><b>[</font>Reply to #<a href="read.pl?1-1710">1710</a>]</b>
1/15/06, 8:13am
Well, I know you don't exactly hate the Yankees , but Atleast you hate Stienbrenner. Atleast that is hating a major part of the Yankees despite their glorified history. I still believe that the reason the Yankees were so glorified back in those days were just simply because they were in New York City. Even back then, they had to be the largest market in the nation. They were easier to cover from a media standpoint because they were in the media mecha of the country, if not the world. Therefore, they become the most accessible team to cover. It just so happens that those players were great players to, but here is my question. If Ruth, Mantle, Gerhig, & all there other historic players would have played for the Kansas City team back then, or Cleveland for instance, would they have received the same kind of fame & glory as they did with the New York Yankees? I know they were great players, but I believe they wouldn't have been as highly revered & glorified if they did not play with the Yankees. Sure, they still would have been very good players if they were with other teams. But, we all know how that New York media can turn a good player into a great player & even a legend. I don't want to take away from the accomplishments those Yankee greats accomplished, but, would they be as well known as they are if they didn't play for the Yankees? You talk about the Yankees great history & tradition. Sure, a lot of that was generated by winning. However, how much of that winning was generated by money & the financial power they probably had over all of the other major league teams in that era just because they played in the largest market. Large markets tend to generate a lot more money than small markets. It doesn't guarantee it, but it is far more likely. It is just simple economics. If a franchise is located in a very high profile area & a very heavy populated area, they are most likely going to have a lot bigger draw at the gate. The more people who watch a team, the more popular they become. The more popular they become, the more fans & even "bandwagon" fans they generate. The more interest a team generates, the more likely the team's merchandise is purchased & sought after, like Yankees paraphinalia(Not sure I spelled that right). The more fans you have, popularity you have, & merchandise that is bought because of the product you put on the field, especially being in the city of NEW York, the more glamourous your team looks & the more attention by the media you get. No wonder the Yankees have monopolized baseball & the country for that matter. You either love them or hate them.

[drrubb from Panama City Beach/Florida]
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