Klapisch sinking fast--his July 25 column at ESPN.com shows him fighting to please the baseball mafia

Going for the cash & prizes of the baseball media mafia including ESPN, he tried to fill up space by creating a big war here where none exists. He starts out being accurate about the Yankees, but later thinks better of it, reverting to standard hate form.

• "The Yankees? Like the finished product on "Extreme Makeover," you can hardly recognize them. This former team-without-a-plan now refuses to trade Philip Hughes, the Double-A star who some scouts liken to a future John Smoltz. In fact, the Yankees won't even consider promoting the 20-year-old right-hander to Triple-A. Instead, Cashman is leaning on a group of Lilliputians (Nick Green, Aaron Guiel and Melky Cabrera) as the bridge to Hideki Matsui, Gary Sheffield and Robinson Cano, all of whom are on the disabled list."

So, he admits the obvious, that the Yankees are different from that around which baiters could dupe the uninformed into hate and envy. But, he later panics, remembering his meal ticket is getting people to hate anything involving the Yankees:

• "...the Mets, in Minaya's words, "are doing what the Yankees did in the mid-'90s, trying to start something and keep it going."

  That means creating a blend of veterans and younger players who, so far, have crushed the National League in a down year. Cashman praises the Mets for seizing the opportunity, saying, "They're definitely going for it all this year."

Klapisch sees a phony hook--Cashman simply says the Mets are doing what they're supposed to do, but Bob turns it into a negative accusation, causing Omar Minaya to demur...

• "Not exactly, says Minaya.

  "If that were the case, I would've traded [Lastings] Milledge for [Barry] Zito by now," Minaya says. Contrary to a popular rumor, the Mets have no plans to deal Milledge or Aaron Heilman for Zito or Abreu or anyone else."

So, far, we've learned nothing. Then he says:

• "But Minaya speaks for the rest of the baseball community when he says, "If this was a year or so ago, the Yankees would've traded one or two of their prospects for a guy who's about to become a free agent.

  "The Yankees are doing things they've never done. They're going with their kids, and I praise Brian for that.""

So, we're hearing further substantiation that the Yankees have changed. Then he comes up with this non-sequiter:

• "The diplomatic thaw between the Mets and Yankees won't mean much this winter when they go head-to-head in bidding for Zito as a free agent."

Klapisch is telling us 4 things: 1). His thesis of trying to say there's a new big, contentious competition between the 2 is down the drain. 2). That he, Klapisch, knows after just telling us the Yankees have completely changed their philosophy of going after over-priced stars who've peaked or are about to, that he was really lying. As a member of the baseball mafia, he has to get back to getting you to hate the Yankees. 3). That he, Klapisch, knows the Mets will go after what will be an over-priced pitcher. 4). That either team will get into a bidding war with a new Scott Boras client--he wants you to forget the Yankees turned down an 11th hour offer from Boras for his client Carlos Beltran AT A REDUCED PRICE. Contradicting himself again, he says in referring to the failed 1 year experiment with Octavio Dotel:

• "The Yankees, as always, were less concerned about the money than the short-term boost to their bullpen, although Dotel suffered his third setback during a rehab start in Double-A Trenton Wednesday, complaining of pain in his triceps."

Klapisch feels the pressure from ESPN & MLB to bash the Yankees about money, forgetting he just told us they "extremely" changed their ways in that regard. By the way, Bob, the Yankee fan paid over $100 million in luxury tax and revenue sharing this year--where exactly did that go? How many Yankee fans can no longer afford to take their family to a game? He concludes this mess by telling us this whole article was a joke, a waste of time, because Zito likes California and will probably prefer the Dodgers.

• "...although neither Cashman nor Minaya will be able to match the Dodgers' hometown appeal to Zito. Either way, it'll make an interesting arm-wrestle between the two GMs."

Either what way? Where have you proven Zito and any of his baggage are being considered by either team, & if Zito likes the Dodgers, where's the conflict? Klapisch is proving again to be a duplicitous waste of time.

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