Quacky curmudgeon Scrooge McDuck had a giant silo of gold coins to swim in. Eccentric pop icon Michael Jackson owned the Elephant Man’s dirty old bones. “Big Pants” MC Hammer bought a $12 million mansion that housed nearly 20 racehorses.
Just because you have loads of cash doesn’t mean you always spend it wisely.
Theatrical New York Yankees radio announcer John Sterling has often chuckled and stated, “You can’t predict baseball”. To be fair, Sterling churns out a lot of goofy jibber-jabber on a daily basis, but ol’ John really hit the pinstriped nail on the head with that one.
You can be certain any lifelong Yankees fan has heard many a naysayer spin yarns about the team winning numerous World Championships by buying All-Star caliber teams. The team’s General Manager is named “Cashman” after all.
The hole in that theory is that play on the field and deep pockets don’t naturally go hand in hand. Sure, piles of dough can assure that a team can be competitive, but money doesn’t account for injury, team chemistry, or that all-important Rudy-ish “fight in the dog” spirit.
Simply stated: Loads of dollars do not a championship make. Need further proof? Go count the number of rings on Jason Giambi’s fingers.
For all its success, superstars, and timeless tradition, the so-called “Evil Empire” hasn’t been free from bad signings, especially when it comes to the mound on East 161st Street in the Bronx. In the blink of an eye, good intentions go sour like milk in the summer sun and what may seem like a wise investment can go flat in a season’s time.
60 feet, six inches. Sometimes that short distance can be quite the journey.