BenMaller.com - Ben's Takes

Ben Maller on FoxSports.com

By Ben Maller

Starting today you can read my views on FoxSports.com America's number one sports news website. I'll be writing a column once a week for the Fox website. You can view my stories by going to FoxSports.com and clicking on keyword: Big Ben

This week's story is about 29 owners in baseball ganging up on the New York Yankees. I defend the pride of the Yanks and explain why the Bronx Bombers are good for the sport. permalink

Thursday, August 22, 2002

Stop Attacking the Damn Yanks

By Ben Maller

The New York Yankees are not the problem in Major League Baseball. If anything, the Bronx Bombers are the best thing going in the game. Owner George Steinbrenner has mastered the science of winning and that's the problem the other owners have. It's pathetic to see 29 owners attacking the Yanks because they have little success beating them on the field. The biggest problem in baseball is the lack of interest the ownership groups have in winning in Kansas City, Milwaukee, Detroit etc.

Major League Baseball needs the Yankees to be great, and that's the bottom line. Every time the Bombers travel to another city around the AL, sellout crowds await. They are the baseball version of the Beatles. That is why everyone wants to play for the Yanks. Just ask Jason Giambi. He is the same player in the Bronx as he was in Oakland, but now he can't make enough commercials because he's wearing the pinstripes.

The reason even other big market team is out to bring down the Roman Empire of baseball is because many of them tried big money payrolls and that didn't work. The Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and Texas Rangers have all had large bankrolls and come up short. Instead of taking the same road the Minnesota Twins and Oakland Athletics have taken to win, many owners just say it can't be done. They consider it easier to kill the Yanks than to compete with them.

Steinbrenner brings up a great point when he talks about Royals owner David Glass, during an interview with the New York Times:

"They want to get their money back, or they want to make money," Steinbrenner told The Times. "I'm sure even a guy like David Glass, who was a brilliant businessman when he was running Wal-Mart, when Target came in the door, he didn't say, `Here, we're doing fine. Take some of mine.'

"He's now in a different business. I'm not trying to label anybody, but this is a business that takes feeding. You have to continue to feed. We've always continued to feed, to feed, to feed."

Steinbrenner is 100% right. Why is it his responsibilty to help Glass out because he can't run his team right? Glass should sell his club, the Kansas City Royals, to someone who will do the things it takes to win.

When I think of huge contracts in baseball, I don't think of a single Yankee. Kevin Brown got $100 million from the Dodgers, Mike Hampton $121 million from the Rockies and the biggest of them all Alex Rodriguez and his $252 million dollar deal with the Rangers.

The winning formula is a simple one. The Yankees have the best front-office-staff talent in the game with Gene Michael, Brian Cashman and many scouts, we've never heard of, finding the best talent available in the game. Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Bernie Williams, Andy Pettitte and Jorge Posada were all players the Yanks developed. That's the core of the AL dynasty. Then the Yanks signed foreign players Orlando Hernandez after he left Cuba, and Alfonso Soriano from Japan. Mix in trades for Roger Clemens & Robin Ventura and some smart free agent signings in Mike Mussina and Jason Giambi and you know why they win all the time.

Over in the National League the Atlanta Braves have been to the playoffs every season since 1991. The Yankees have been to the playoffs seven times since '91, so why don't NL clubs put the same pressure on ATL? When Atlanta needed a bat in their lineup, they went out and got Gary Sheffield. Why not complain about that? Is it because the Braves fall apart every year in the playoffs?

The Yankees are such a draw on the road that the Anaheim Angels have asked Major League Baseball to have the Yanks come to Anaheim twice next season so the Halos can get a bump in attendance.

If Baseball really wants to make things competitive, they should stop picking on Steinbrenner and the Yankees and, instead, make a rule that if an ownership group doesn't actively work to put a competitive winning product on the field then they must sell the team to someone who will. This, off course, will never happen because at least 20 baseball teams would have to be sold tomorrow. permalink

Monday, August 19, 2002

Remembering Irv Kaze

By Ben Maller

I was one of many who knew Irv Kaze a longtime publicity director and radio broadcaster and on Sunday I joined his many friends and family to celebrate his life. Kaze passed away on June 29th at age 75. The memorial was held at the Turf Club at Hollywood Park. It turned out to be a who's who in the Los Angeles sporting scene. Irv knew everyone and everyone liked Irv and it was great to see a standing room only crowd.

Stu Nahan was the emcee of the event and introduced all the speakers. Among those that told stories were Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis (Irv worked for the Raiders), Bill Dwyer the sports editor of the Los Angeles Times, Gil Stratton a long time sportscaster in Los Angeles, Tim Mead the publicity director for the Angels, Hank Goldberg from ESPN and Bob Steiner from the Lakers.

It was nice to hear the stories about Irv's life and the people he touched. One of the many good things about Irv was his ability to treat everyone on an equal level. The lowly interns got treated just like George Steinbrenner. He'll be missed by everyone that had the chance to spend time with him.

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