"The media has become Steinbrenner," posted on LoHud blog, 5/7/07

You walk into a store, find an open cash register with millions of dollars, no one is around, the coffee pot is cold. Enter the baseball media. WHEN SOMETHING DIFFERENT HAPPENS, I'LL GLADLY NOTE IT.

• james May 7th, 2007 at 12:16 am ("The media has become Steinbrenner.")

"The worst part of being a Yankee fan these days is everything they do is negative with media. This is a great day for the Yankees and their chances and all they're doing is running the team down, the bullpen down and of course Rocket. It used to be when your team did something good, something positive you could turn to listen to the radio, watch tv and enjoy it. Not anymore.

• They cover this team like its football where every loss is magnified ten fold. However, every win is quickly dismissed with a callous wave an impudent “means nothing, its not October.” Admittedly the owner says this too but he owns team not me. I’ll enjoy what I want to.

Its funny to me the media has become Steinbrenner.

• When I grew up all I heard and read about was what a terrible person he was to be involved with sports now they have less patience than he does. When he doesn’t fire the manger 3 weeks into an injury plagued season they say surely this now proves Steinbrenner now sits around all day drooling on himself."

And... StandingO'Neill May 7th, 2007 at 3:04 pm, Yankees Lohud blog

"Pete I have a point here I wish you or the media would comment on….

Now I’m not naive to believe that 95% of what brought Clemens to the Yankees had to do with money. Yankees needed Clemens, Clemens needed money and a situation to stroke his ego = perfect match.

• But why is it that when a free agent signing involves the Yankees, most of what you hear is “well what a shock, Yankees buy another player”. But say Boston signed Clemens, I really don’t think the money story would be the headline.

I respect Peter Gammons, who deserves his HOF status, but his blog entry really did sound bitter, and the headline was basically what I wrote above. If Boston had signed Clemens, it would of been a heart warming story of how he has returned home to where it all started.

• Also last year it was obvious the Yankees wanted Clemens, maybe not for 28 million, but I’m sure they would have ponied up at least 20 million. Yet it was Houston that won, with a bid for $20 + I believe, which was a record breaking deal at the time. Still, there wasn’t the negative overtone hanging over that story. The negativity was more directed to Clemens for being a mercenary then towards Houston for paying him.

My point is this, I understand why other fans hate the Yankees, and I know a lot of Yankee fans(as you can see by checking these message boards) don’t make it easy for other people to like us,

• but can’t the headlines and the talk be about something other than the damn Yankees buying another player, and about another chance to watch a HOF pitcher(whether you like him or not). It's a double standard, one I have learned to accept in being a Yankee fan, but really its getting old and until the Yankees completely bottom out like they did in the early 90’s, I don’t see it ending, no matter how cautious Cashman becomes with spending money.

Long winded point, I apologize, but anyone care to comment?"

• Yes, Standing. You thought being a quiet Yankee fan they'd let up on bashing you, the team, and the highest performing individual players. Many others thought as you did. Into that vacuum over the past 10 years came the baseball media you see today. You mention they'll be quiet if the team bottoms out, but they won't. That's not how society or media works today. Go back to the way you were, stand up for yourself. Your team gave around $100 million this year to other teams and their leadership whose main preoccupation is to keep bashing the Yankees til they get their last penny. With Mr. Steinbrenner ailing, no recent effective PR office, and a questionable philosophy at the YES Network, they're finding it an easy job. sm

Posts from James and Standing made to Peter Abraham's LoHud Yankee Blog

• P.S. Mark Feinsand is no friend of Yankee fans. He's just another who's used them and the graces of the organization to make an international celebrity of himself. His continued success will be assured if he follows the baseball media dogma--which so far he's done perfectly. And I detect a cry-baby, too. sm

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