How the mighty have fallen

Last saturday afternoon, I was participating in my favorite procrastination activity: flipping through sports channels in search of a game to watch.

I turned to the YES Network — that’s the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network for anyone not from the tri-state area — to find a recap of Game 4 of the 1998 World Series. Mariano Rivera, the New York Yankees’ surefire future Hall of Fame closer, was on the mound to pitch the ninth inning against the San Diego Padres and close out the Bronx Bombers’ second World Series title in three years.

I watched long enough to see Rivera retire the side and jump into catcher Joe Girardi’s arms to begin the championship celebration.After letting that wave of nostalgia pass over me, I flipped to ESPN, and reality smacked me right in the face. I was watching a highlight of the Yankees game that day against the Baltimore Orioles. It was the eighth inning, and the Boys in Blue were down 11-5 to their lowly division rivals.I shook my head in dismay.

Much has passed since that 1998 World Series victory for the Yankees, and lately, the news has been more bad than good.To recap: 1998 was the year the Yankees finished the regular season 114-48. At the time, those 114 wins in one season were the second most in major league history. That October, the Yankees stormed through the postseason, winning 11 of 13 games and sweeping the Padres to win their franchise’s 24th title.

The Yankees followed up that memorable season with World Series titles the next two years. Then in 2001, New York dropped a heartbreaking World Series Game 7 to the Arizona Diamondbacks, missing out on the four-peat that would have etched the team’s name in baseball’s history books. That loss still ranks as one of my most painful memories as a fan of any sport.I still remember thinking at the time that the Yankees would atone for that failure and right the ship by winning the World Series in 2002. Now, almost eight years have passed, and the Bombers have yet to come as close to winning the World Series as they did in 2001.

The past two years have been particularly agonizing. The Yankees missed the playoffs for the first time in my living memory last season, and this year, they are sitting in fourth place in the highly competitive American League East, a game under .500.When I think about where the Yankees have gone wrong over the past decade, four things come to mind.“It all starts on the farm.”When the yankees won the World Series in 1998, three homegrown stars led the team — shortstop Derek Jeter, centerfielder Bernie Williams and catcher Jorge Posada. The starting rotation included Andy Pettitte and Orlando Hernandez, and Mariano Rivera defined the term “lights out” whenever he was called upon to close a game.

Fast-forward 11 years later, and take a look at the Yankees playing a major role on the team that were brought up within the organization: Jeter, Posada, Pettite and Rivera. The closest thing the Yankees have to a youth movement is talented starting pitcher Joba Chamberlain and second baseman Robinson Cano, who have one All-Star Game appearance between the two of them.To call the Yankees’ farm system bad would be like saying President Obama carried the African-American vote in the 2008 presidential election: It doesn’t even begin to tell the story. The Yankees’ minor-league organization has ranked near the bottom of the major leagues over the past 10 years.

Contrast New York’s minor league woes with the success of the rival Boston Red Sox, and it’s easy to see why that 27th World Series title has proved so elusive to the Bombers. Unlike the Yankees, the Red Sox are led by a homegrown core of first baseman Kevin Youkilis, reigning MVP second baseman Dustin Pedroia, centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, starting pitcher Jonathan Lester and closer Jonathan Papelbon, and they have many talented players waiting in the wings.

At the heart of the Yankees’ minor-league failure is the second reason the team finds itself in such a rut. “Buy smart, just don’t buy.” In 1998, the Yankees’ payroll was a little more than $63 million. This year, New York is doling out a cool $201 million to its players — $54 million higher than its closest competitor. Of that $201 million, more than one-third is going to the team’s starting infield. It’s clear that money doesn’t buy happiness or championships.When the Yankees were at the apex of their late-’90s glory, they brought in free agents that put the team first and provided one piece of the championship puzzle.

When they needed a clutch lefthander, the Yankees brought in David Wells. When the team needed some middle-of-the-order power, they brought in Tino Martinez. And when their was a hole at third base, New York signed Scott Brosius, the 1998 World Series MVP.Since that time, the Yankees have signed players that look great on paper but don’t always have the mental fortitude it takes to play in New York. Just this past season, the Yankees doled out so much money in free agency they could have helped with the bailout of AIG. Add this year’s monster contracts and the $300 million promised to third baseman Alex Rodriguez, and it’s clear the Yankees won’t be leaving their high-spending ways in the past anytime soon.

Just as bad as the Yankees’ high free-agency bill is the way they depleted their farm system to bring in mediocre players to make late-season playoff pushes that ultimately failed. And don’t get me started on the horrible contracts the team gave to pitchers Jaret Wright and Carl Pavano to help improve its starting rotation.“Just because you’re the Boss’ son doesn’t make you the Boss.”Back in the day, George Steinbrenner, the Yankees’ notorious owner, was always making headlines in the New York newspapers.

Whether it was threatening to fire manager Joe Torre, calling out a poorly performing star or just venting some steam, the Boss was always making noise. Though his messages were often a distraction, they usually got across, and the Yankees generally improved following a Steinbrenner outburst.As old age has gotten the best of King George, his son Hank has emerged as the Boss’ heir apparent. Hank has already shown his acumen for making noise in the tabloids. He calls out players, criticizes commissioner Bud Selig and complains about the weather at a frequency that would put his old man to shame.

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Lost in all the commotion is the one thing Hank’s team has failed to do — win a World Series.Hank’s low point, no doubt, came early in his tenure when he unofficially fired long-time manager Joe Torre. That Torre left the team was not the problem, but the way Steinbrenner managed Torre’s departure was appalling.Torre was willing to take a pay cut to stay on as manager of the Yankees, but Hank’s offer was so obnoxious — filled with performance-incentive bonuses for a four-time World Series winner who had never missed the playoffs with New York — that Torre bolted for Los Angeles.

At the helm of the Dodgers, Torre led a resurgence that captivated a stagnant fan base and culminated with a berth in the National League Championship Series. This year, Torre has his team atop the National League West.Meanwhile, Girardi — Hank’s handpicked successor to Torre — has yet to make the playoffs with the highest payroll in baseball.“Where’s the Pride?”A large degree of folklore has always surrounded the Yankees when they are successful. Whether it’s the 26 championships, the legendary list of Hall of Famers or those classic pinstripe uniforms, being a part of the Yankees’ organization has always been a source of pride for the team and its fans.

Lately, that pride has been going through its fair share of bumps and bruises. When the Yankees moved from the old Yankee Stadium to their new park across the street, they left behind an American icon for an overpriced replica that looks nicer but lacks that classic feel.It’s true, the old Yankee Stadium was falling apart, and the move was a long-time coming. But by charging outrageous ticket prices in the midst of a recession, the Yankees have failed to fill seats in their new home’s inaugural season.Adding to the agony, the steroids saga surrounding Rodriguez and former Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens has taken press away from the few good things the Yankees have managed to do this year.

Add all these factors together, and it’s clear the Yankees face an uphill climb if they want to return to their past glory.With Red Sox Nation as healthy as ever, a new ballpark that might be an East Coast version of Coors Field, a bankroll that would make Paris Hilton jealous and an owner who hasn’t made a good decision in two years, it would be a lie to say things are looking up.