New York Mets

Looking up and down the lineup of the New York Yankees reads like an all-star team yet again. It goes Johnny Damon, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Gary Sheffield, Hideki Matsui, Jason Giambi, Jorge Posada, Robinson Cano, and possibly Bubba Crosby. It's impossible to tell what the regular starting lineup is going to be come late March, but you can be pretty confident that it will look something like that.

I'm not saying that just because the Yanks got Johnny Damon that now they're unstoppable — far from it, in fact, because Damon isn't the savior of baseball. He just now completes a lineup that was looking for that one last piece to fill it out. Now, like previous years, the rest of the American League East can just hang 'em up and call it a season — there's no point in trying now. Now combine with that lineup a pitching staff that has the potential to win every game they pitch, a now decent middle relief, and the best closer the game has ever seen, and the rest of the teams in the AL East should be trembling in their Sox.

There's no saying that the rest of the American League should be worried because if the staff in the South Side of Chicago pitches the way they did last season, then there's no reason to think that they won't be one of the top contenders to repeat, but the Yankees will be right there nipping at their heels.

Their pitching staff is a little suspect, but if Randy Johnson, Shawn Chacon, and Chien-Ming Wang pitch the way they did at the end of last season, and throw in there Carl Pavano and Mike Mussina pitching decent seasons, and right there you've got another 100-win season. The Yanks have plenty of hitting to swipe the AL East Crown away from any would-be throne stealers, and then they have the pitching experience to take them to a next level they haven't seen since my cousin was born (she's very young).

Now comes the time when everyone chimes in with their, "Steinbrenner's killing baseball," and, "The Yankees just buy their championships." No, George Steinbrenner is not killing baseball, and the Yankees are not going to just buy another championship. Was George Steinbrenner the one that originally signed Alex Rodriguez to a 10-year, $252 million contract? No, that award goes to the Texas Rangers, the owners of which actually only paid $250 million when they bought that team. What about Barry Bonds' approximate $22 million a year? That one goes to the San Francisco Giants. Then you have Manny Ramirez, who is still owed $57 million over the next three years, making it very difficult to trade the outfielder, who is with the innocent Boston Red Sox.

Sure, Steinbrenner pays out much more than every other team, but the reason for that is that the Yankees have the money to spend and they decide to spend it. Yankees fans pay top dollar for tickets at the Stadium, and up until recently, the Yankees were the biggest draw outside of the Bronx, as well. The Seattle Mariners are owned by Microsoft, the Angels by Disney, and the Cubs by Wrigley, all which have more money than Mr. Steinbrenner. Is it the Yankees' fault that those companies choose not to spend a lot of money on their baseball teams? George Steinbrenner runs his team like a money-making business, and he pays hefty luxury taxes to do it.

The idea that the Yankees buy their championships and are an "Evil Empire" is just absolutely ludicrous. The Yankees have not won a World Series since the year 2000, thus making the near $1 billion that has been spent on the team worthless if money buys titles.

On the same note, look at the 2005 team salaries of the World Series winners since the Yankees last won. Those teams are the Arizona Diamondbacks, Anaheim Angels, Florida Marlins, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago White Sox. Their team salaries this past year are as follows: $62,329,166, $97,725,322, $60,408,834, $123,505,125, and $75,178,000, respectively. When was the last time that you saw a World Series champion that didn't spend good money on their team? You're not going to see a team that has a payroll of the Royals winning it because they just don't have what it takes. It is necessary to spend money in baseball if you want to succeed.

The 2005 playoff teams were almost all in the top half of the league in terms of baseball salaries, with the San Diego Padres coming in at number 16 (they shouldn't even count since they were barely over .500). Now look at the teams that were in the top 10 in payroll and see how they did:

1. Yankees — $208,306,817 — Lost 3-1 in the playoffs to the Angels
2. Red Sox — $123,505,125 — Lost 3-0 in the playoffs to the White Sox
3. Mets — $101,305,821 — Finished 83-79, missed the playoffs
4. Angels — $97,725,322 — Lost 4-1 in the ALCS to the White Sox
5. Phillies — $95,522,000 — Finished 88-74, missed the playoffs
6. Cardinals — $92,106,833 — Lost 4-2 in the NLCS to the Astros
7. Giants — $90,199,500 — Finished 75-87, missed the playoffs
8. Mariners — $87,754,334 — Finished 69-93, missed the playoffs
9. Cubs — $87,032,933 — Finished 79-83, missed the playoffs
10. Braves — $86,457,302 — Lost 3-1 in the playoffs to the Astros

If the idea that money buys championships really holds true, then how come none of the teams listed above even sniffed the World Series, let alone came close to winning it? The reason is that spending a lot of money doesn't guarantee anything. Anyone that has watched baseball in the past few years would be able to tell you that.

No matter what anyone says, people will always whine and complain that the Yankees buy their championships if they win, and if they lose, then people will say that they poorly spent their money. Like them or not, the Yankees are a very well-run business, and the fans appreciate that by actually attending the games. The fact is, the Yankees try every year to put the best team possible on the field, and that is why they are almost always one of the best teams in the league. Fans and media of other teams need to just stop complaining about what the Yankees do, and start focusing on what they can do to support their own teams and make them better.

The New York Mets today announced that the club is now accepting deposits for Season Tickets and Ticket Plans for the 2006 season at Mets.com or by phoning (718) 565-4348

Those making deposits now will have priority on available seating for new Season Tickets and Ticket Plans for the highly anticipated 2006 season at Shea Stadium. The Mets open their home schedule on Monday, April 3 against the Washington Nationals.

Today's announcement regarding Season Ticket and Ticket Plan deposits follows this week's introductions of slugging first baseman Carlos Delgado and closer Billy Wagner to the New York media as the newest Mets. Delgado and Wagner join stars Pedro Martinez, Tom Glavine, Carlos Beltran, Cliff Floyd, Jose Reyes, and David Wright to form the nucleus of Manager Willie Randolph's team for 2006.

Deposits for Season Tickets are $200 per seat; Ticket Plan deposits are $100 per seat. MasterCard is the preferred card of the Mets.

"The addition of two of baseball's marquee players reflects our commitment to fill key positions and field a championship caliber club for the 2006 season," said Dave Howard, Executive Vice President, Business Operations. "We have added ticket office staff to respond to the increased demand following the exciting developments at Shea this week."

Continuing Season Ticket Holders in the years ahead also will have priority in purchasing Season Tickets in the Mets' new ballpark, which is scheduled to open in 2009.

Single game tickets for the 2006 season will go on sale in late February.

Outfielder Endy Chavez and the New York Mets agreed Friday to a $500,000 US, one-year contract.

The 27-year-old hit .216 last season for Washington and Philadelphia with no homers and 11 RBIs in 116 at-bats. He was a Mets' minor leaguer before Kansas City selected him in the December 2000 winter-meeting draft of unprotected players.

"Chavez is an athletic player with excellent defensive skills in all three outfield positions," Mets general manager Omar Minaya said. "He gives us another outfield option as we approach spring training."

Some of Scott Brown's first memories of baseball revolve around Frank Cashen.

Brown remembers sitting cross-legged on the floor of the Baltimore Orioles' offices, where his father worked, and listening to Cashen, the architect of the great Orioles' teams of the 1960s and '70s, tell stories.

This week, Brown, who's now the Binghamton Mets' general manager, received the J. Frank Cashen Award from the New York Mets.

The award is given to the outstanding executive among the team's minor league affiliates.

"It's very, very humbling," Brown said. "He was certainly one of those people in the game you look up to and hope you can have a fraction of the success he had."

Brown, who just finished his first season as the B-Mets' GM, was also named the 2005 Eastern League's Executive of the Year.

Under Brown's guidance this season, the B-Mets drew 222,243 fans to NYSEG Stadium, the third highest-attendance total in franchise history.

The team also had a strong year in advertising, season ticket sales, skybox sales and sponsorship revenues.

"I don't think anybody has a love for minor league baseball more than Scott," B-Mets president Michael Urda said. "He's well-received and well-liked by everyone in New York. Nobody has the heart and passion for the minor league baseball and New York Mets baseball like Scotty Brown."

Before being promoted to GM, Brown served as the B-Mets' assistant general manger for eight of the team's first 13 seasons.

He also served as GM of the St. Lucie Mets in the Single-A Florida State League and was New York's assistant scouting director from 1991-94, where he worked with Cashen.

"I don't think this award could mean any more to anyone on earth than Scotty Brown," Urda said.

Bill Terlecki and R.C. Reuteman, Brown's predecessors as B-Mets' GM, also have won the Cashen award.

"I guess we have a reputation for taking care of our minor league players and really looking after their welfare," Brown said. "Win or lose, that's the reason we're in this game. We love the game of baseball."

Even Dave Roberts himself was in the dark about where he stood with the Padres when they traded for New York Mets center fielder Mike Cameron last month.

Let there be no doubt now.

"He's our Opening Day left fielder and leadoff hitter," Padres general manager Kevin Towers said Monday after the club avoided salary arbitration with Roberts by signing him to a one-year, $2.25 million contract.

The arrival of two-time Gold Glove winner Cameron made Roberts appear expendable, and his name did arise in trade talks at the winter meetings last week. But Roberts, the Padres' center fielder in 2005, retained value as the team's only viable leadoff threat, and the move of Ryan Klesko to first base created an opening in the outfield.

"I was hoping for a chance to come back, but once we got Mike, I was uncertain of my status with the organization," said Roberts, 33, a Cardiff resident and Rancho Buena Vista High product. "To get an opportunity to play in the outfield with him is great. He's going to make our team better."

Roberts, who can earn another $250,000 in bonuses based on plate appearances, last played left field in 2004 with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox, but said the adjustment won't be a problem.

Towers believes that Roberts will benefit from the move because covering less ground in left means less wear on the body. Various injuries limited him to 115 games last season, when he batted .275 with a career-best eight home runs and 38 RBIs while leading the club with 23 stolen bases.

"We said in this ballpark we need two center fielders, and now we have them," Towers said. "Actually three, because (right fielder) Brian Giles can also play center. This is one of the best defensive outfields we've ever had."

With the Padres' lineup mostly set, Towers is now focusing on pitching. He said reliever Doug Brocail is scheduled for a physical later this week. If Brocail passes, the free-agent right-hander will return to the Padres for a one-year, $1 million contract.

The 38-year-old Brocail, who pitched in San Diego from 1992-94, went 5-3 with a 5.52 ERA in 61 games for the Texas Rangers last season.

Also Monday, the Padres exchanged minor-league pitchers with the Detroit Tigers, acquiring right-hander Kenny Baugh for Ricky Steik. Baugh, 26, was 12-8 with a 3.38 ERA in 28 starts for Detroit's Triple-A affiliate at Toledo last year. Steik, 21, went 0-6 with a 2.40 ERA as a reliever for Single-A Fort Wayne.

The New York Yankees have made an offer to free agent Nomar Garciaparra to play first base, the New York Post reported Tuesday, citing several industry sources.

"I can't say anything, I can't make any comment other than to say a number of teams have expressed interest in a number of possibilities," the player's agent Arn Tellem told the Post.

The Post said that Tellem and Yankees general manager Brian Cashman would not confirm nor deny that the team had made an offer to Garciaparra, who played shortstop for the Chicago Cubs and previously for the Boston Red Sox.

If Garciaparra were to join the Yankees, that would displace current first baseman Jason Giambi but would give the team an infield consisting of American League MVP Alex Rodriguez at third base, Derek Jeter at shortstop and Garciaparra at first.

While playing the field, Giambi hit .319 with 24 homers and 65 RBIs, on-base percentage of .471 and a slugging percentage of .664. As a DH, he batted .209 with eight homers, 22 RBIs, a .404 on-base percentage and .367 slugging percentage, the Post said.

Garciaparra, limited to 62 games last season because of a serious groin injury, batted .283 with nine homers and 30 RBIs.