Signing of Santana shows why Yankees are a Failure--Mike Lupica

• The new Steinbrenner is the reason:

From Mike Lupica's column in the NY Daily News:

"The Yankees have already spent $400 million the past few weeks and you know what that means, right?

They're ready to spend more!

They're ready to break the bank for Johan Santana and thereby go against all the data on signing starting pitchers to longterm deals.

Why?

Because they want him.

Why else?

Because the Red Sox do.

Why won't Santana break down sometime during the length of his contract?

Because he's going to be a Yankee, that's why.

You want to know why the Yankees lose money on their baseball operation despite drawing 4 million fans a year to Yankee Stadium, why they need to be propped up by their network?

Because of an offseason like this, when they are prepared to spend half-a-billion dollars on four baseball players:

A-Rod.

Posada.

Rivera.

Santana.

Johan Santana is a great pitcher, no doubt.

He isn't the Bionic Man just because the Yankees want him, and the Red Sox might get him.

I've got a friend I write about sometimes, called Sweeney the Yankee Guy.

• He sent me this e-mail the other day, when he found out what the Yankees were willing to give up in young guys for Santana:

"The Yankees will never rebuild from within until this Steinbrenner is suspended.""

• From NY Daily News column by Mike Lupica, "George Mitchell's List will Soon Cast New Light on Baseball's Steroid Era," 12/2/07 (item toward end of column)

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