Favorites:
Team: NY Yankees
Player growing up: Bernie Williams
Non-Yankees: Chipper Jones, Tim Lincecum, Joe Mauer, Adam Dunn

I’m 20 years old, and the first season I remember where I actually knew what was going on was the 1996 season.  Since then I have been following all MLB teams. I played baseball from tee-ball through high school. I’m a die hard Yankees fan but I’m not like 80% of the NY fanbase.  I don’t boo our best players or act like I’m a die hard when they win the World Series.  I’ll watch a majority of the games and follow the team through the year. I was at the last 2 games at the old Yankee Stadium and technically at the first game at the new one (an exhibition against the Cubs).

As far as all of the criticism the Yankees get for “buying their championships,” I don’t really have sympathy for the smaller market teams. Yeah the Yankees spend a ton of money, but I consider them to be one of the smartest in baseball.  Over the past few years, they have done a good job of blending good young talent with proven veterans.  Players like Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Robinson Cano, and Brett Gardner are all guys who have come up through their system and are a big part of the franchise’s future.  As for the money factor, small market teams end up getting more money when the Yankees spend more through revenue sharing. 

Most of these teams are too stupid and waste that money, then they cry about how there needs to be a salary cap.  Hey Kansas City, how about not giving Kyle Farnsworth $9 million?  Or Seattle, giving Adrian Beltre $13 million?  Or Oakland, signing Jason Kendall for $13 million/year?  Teams who are middle of the pack to lower end of the league in payroll can still be competitive if they know what they’re doing.  Teams like the Cardinals and Twins are perfect examples.  Even the Marlins, who had the lowest payroll in the league in 2009, have won 2 championships in the past 13 years.  Thats more than the Mets, Phillies, Cubs, Dodgers, and Braves combined.

Anyway, I’m not all about the Yankees.  I do enjoy watching all baseball. The NL to me is a little bit boring and more of a JV league compared to the AL, but it’s still baseball.  I really love talking baseball and hopefully you will find what I write interesting.

-Matt