" A desperation to win"

Thanks Bob, I heard that the book was excellent and a good perspective on the pressure placed on managers who pass it down to players?

Doesn't make the use of illegal substances right, but I am not sure that everyone understands the pressures placed upon those who choose this profession. It's not a, "ok let's get out there and have some fun" environment.
It's get out there and do your job or you won't be around next year or maybe not make it through the season. What do you do when word comes down, you better do this or you better do that. That was the culture that is still for many.

What do people do when they feel their job or livelihood are threatened?

I know people who walked because of what was going on, others stayed it through, others joined in what others were doing.

I think it's part of the darker side of human nature to make poor decisions when that happens.

I do and I don't want to know who those other 103 players are.

JMO.

TPM;

In 1998, Rick Helling, player rep from the Texas Rangers and Stanford grad "stood up" in a Union meeting and predicted the steroid crisis.

"Don't ask, don't tell and don't care was the unwritten code of the day".

The demise of the Yankees are reflected in the 13 drafts from 1990-2004. The Yankees drafted 397 pitchers. Not one made a significant contribution
to the Yankee rotation. In 2001 the Yankee pitchers averaged 7.8 SO per 9 innings and in 2007, the average was 5.6 SO per 9 innings.

The Yankees tried to purchase pitchers by "free agency". The cost was $255 million. Their record was 125 wins and 105 loss. Cost per win $2.04 million.

Professional baseball is adjusting: players, management and owners. In amateur baseball
players, parents, coaches need to constantly adjust.

Thank you and best wishes to your son.

Bob

Bob,
Thanks for the good wishes.

Were the yankees any different from other teams that ignored their farm systems and relied on free agency for success? I'll bet if you go back, you will find that statistic (more Strike Outs in the steroid era) for many teams.

I don't think they had a choice, their fans are not ones to put up with growing pains that many teams have gone through to make changes.

This was a big reason that son was advised to go to college first, dependant upon the teams showing interest in 2004, most were teams that relied heavily on FA for pitchers.

I think that players being drafted now have a much better chance of moving forward. I remember the predictions that, come the end of the steroid error, new opportunities would present themselves. I see that happening. That's a good thing.

quote:

"Twenty-nine times in league and division playoffs".

Think about this:

Had Torre made 7 more playoff rounds, he would have been in the World Series in all 12 years as Yankee manager.

TPM and zombywoof;

The Torre book is #1 today on the NY Times best sellers list.

If you have an opportunity, please read page 443 describing the decision of the Cleveland Indians GM
Mark Shapiro [father a sports agent] and Mark a Princeton educated. The Indians in 2002 created "Diamond view" a tracking system for all 6,000 minor league and major league players. This includes a history of all conversations with Sports Agents, daily stats and the players psychological tests.

The smart efficient baseball teams find an "inefficiency to exploit".

The Yankees did not and spent their money for "free agents". They were driven by the media, not by player development and scouting.

Several years ago, I present a program to the Yankees which would reduce the "inefficiencies"
of the signing bonus.

Bob

I bought the book last night (along with Odd Man Out by the minor league pitcher who is now in med school - can't remember his name) and can't wait to start reading it when I finish another book I'm in the middle of.

As for the Yankees their current problems started when King George came back from suspension. He was gone and Cashman was allowed to basically run the team. During this time is when the minor league system started paying off - Jeter, Posada, Williams, Rivera - and smart trades / FA pickups - Brosius, Tino Martinez, Knoblauch, O'Neill - that didn't break the bank or minor league system.

When King George came back that is when things started going downhill.

Truthfully a good number of those guys were actually drafted or signed under the stewardship of Bob Watson and Buck Showwalter I believe, but you are right that it was while The Boss was gone that these stalwarts were either brought up or started becoming major contributors.

Good point about Watson and Showalter being the ones that drafted those guys. The point I was trying to make is without King George trading away all these up and comers they were allowed to develop into great MLB players. Plus there is no way King George would have allowed the signing of most of the guys I listed earlier.

Coach 2079, it seems we might be seeing a repeat with some of the meddling by The Boss's sons and being in too much of a hurry to always go to the Series and not build a team that lasts such as Boston and Tampa Bay are doing. Kind of like the USSR in the Cold War and we all know how that turned out!

Odd Man Out: by Matt McCarthy. Provo Angels pitcher...at least for a short while. He should do very well in med school, considering he's a "Yalie".