The Yankees as underdogs? It just doesn't fit

NEW YORK -- Brian Cashman says he never intended to paint the Yankees as an underdog.

Good, because the underdog label doesn't fit a $200 million team that was baseball's only 100-game winner this season. When the Yankees play the Rocky theme late in games, it's just not right.

So when Cashman told Bob Klapisch of the Bergen Record that "To be honest, I think [the Angels] look down on us," that didn't sound right, either.

The Angels look down on the Yankees? Come on.

Asked today about the quote, the Yankees general manager didn't back away from it. But he did try to clarify it, and in doing so, he gave what seems to be a fairer pre-series portrayal of this ALCS.

"This is Ali-Frazier," Cashman said. "Two tremendous teams, with a great deal of respect and class on both ends. But I do think the Angels have found a way to get a comfort level when they're playing us. I think they stand tall, and whether they look down at us or we look up at them, they don't fear us. I think they feared the Red Sox [before the first round], but I don't think they fear us.

"I think they're happy they're playing us."

The Angels have had success against the Yankees, knocking them out of the playoffs in both 2002 and 2005, and winning the regular-season series between the two teams five straight years from 2004-08. The two teams split their 10 reguar-season meetings this year.

It seems true that the Angels don't get intimidated by the Yankees the way some other opponents (the Twins, maybe?) do. But it's probably a little much to say that they're happy to be playing the Yankees, or that they would ever think of themselves as looking down on the Yankees in any way.

"Like everyone knows, the Yankees are [always] the team to beat," said catcher Jose Molina, a Yankee now and an Angel from 2001-06. "That's not just me, that's everyone."

That's me, too. As I admitted to Cashman, I picked the Angels to win this ALCS.

But I would never call the Yankees the underdogs. It just doesn't fit.

On that point, Cashman said, we're in total agreement.

http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/20
05/01/new-york-yankees_111398168678
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this is a great website, the yankees payroll is 8 million dollars less then it was last year, it will be 5 million dollars less simply because they wont be paying jason giambi next year. pus johnny dammon and matsui will be free agents next year, and even if they are brought back, it will be at a reduced rate. nady's 6.5 mill will be off the books next year. combine that with a bad free agent class, and its pretty safe to say the yankees will have a pay roll of less then 200 mil. but also in the next few years jeter is gonna have a new contract, which will pay less then 22 mil. in a few years posada wont be making 13 mil. the yankees payroll should drop significantly over the next few years providing they dont buy the free agent market again.

RoadDogDaddy Reputation: 84 Level: All-Star Since: Oct 4, 2007	Posted on: October 14, 2009 6:59 pm Score: 110 Payroll for the Yanks $200 million??? I know the Yankees have a listed payroll for 2009 of just over $200 million but I thought that they were getting out from underneath some of those aging contracts. I read somewhere about a year ago that they were going to be dropping considerably soon, but I didn't realize that it hadn't occurred yet. Is the $201 million really accurate? I know the same list has the Phillies at $113 million but I read on Phillies.com that they were $133 million. That leads me to believe that these lists are not all that accurate. [ Reply to Comment ]
Brocktagon Reputation: 93 Level: All-Star Since: Jul 1, 2009	Posted on: October 14, 2009 8:08 pm Score: 99 The Yankees as underdogs? It just doesn't fit Yes the $200 million payroll is accurate. They got rid of a lot of payroll last year with Pavano and Abreau but then they signed tex, cc and burnette. They're a crooked team. Even when things are going bad in this economy, they still sign these players for more money so other's can't afford them AND the NY taxpayers paid for their new staium. It's actually sad. [ Reply to Comment ]
LAA-USC Reputation: 90 Level: All-Star Since: Jul 28, 2008	Posted on: October 14, 2009 8:09 pm Score: 80 The Yankees as underdogs? It just doesn't fit Actually it's about 208 milliom plus change for the 25 man roster. Or about 89 million more than the Angels for their 25 man roster. Seems pretty fair, and Cashman is saying his team is the underdog! Wow..... He goes on to say the Angels are not afraid of the Yankees, but were afraid of the Red Sox. I don't believe the Angels are afraid of any team they play, they respect them but I am pretty sure they are not afraid of any team that they have played or will play this year! ***** Go Angels***** [ Reply to Comment ]
ShinyNewWagon Reputation: 81 Level: All-Star Since: Sep 28, 2009	Posted on: October 14, 2009 8:10 pm Score: 32 The Yankees as underdogs? It just doesn't fit The Phillies opening day payroll might have been 113 mill, but when they added on the extra players at the deadline like pedro martinez, cliff, lee, and some others it went up. Most teams payrolls increase or decrease over the course of a season. [ Reply to Comment ]
jjking Reputation: 92 Level: All-Star Since: Jul 3, 2008	Posted on: October 14, 2009 8:11 pm Score: 96 Whatever Knobler... The fact that you and most of the media is picking the angels makes the yankees the apparent underdog. The yanks dont mind. it takes the pressure off. i think thats why you wrote this. you figured the yanks may use the fact that most say the yanks will fall to the mighty angels as a motivation tool. the angels are a great team and they may very well beat the yanks. dont let your entusiasm paint the yankees into a corner. i think you just figured that out. [ Reply to Comment ]
jjking Reputation: 92 Level: All-Star Since: Jul 3, 2008	Posted on: October 14, 2009 8:15 pm Score: 74 The Yankees as underdogs? It just doesn't fit just to add. its like you said "the yankees will lose. the angels are favored and then said, "it's ok if we call you the underdog, but you cant call yourselves that!" Cashman is playing this just right. From a yankee fan, thanks for putting the pressure on the angels. we love it. [ Reply to Comment ]
jjking Reputation: 92 Level: All-Star Since: Jul 3, 2008	Posted on: October 14, 2009 8:23 pm Score: 92 The Yankees as underdogs? It just doesn't fit Cry me a river. Shame on the yankees! they should just pocket the money from their revenue instead of re-investing so not to offend the ignorant who think the economy should dictate how a business spends their own money. shame on the steinbrenners. they should have used the money to buy a few hundred yachts instead because of the "economy". apples and oranges. and sour grapes. [ Reply to Comment ]
stevieisgod Reputation: 97 Level: Superstar Since: Dec 28, 2006	Posted on: October 14, 2009 8:28 pm Score: 108 The Yankees as underdogs? It just doesn't fit http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/20 05/01/new-york-yankees_111398168678 860040.html this is a great website, the yankees payroll is 8 million dollars less then it was last year, it will be 5 million dollars less simply because they wont be paying jason giambi next year. pus johnny dammon and matsui will be free agents next year, and even if they are brought back, it will be at a reduced rate. nady's 6.5 mill will be off the books next year. combine that with a bad free agent class, and its pretty safe to say the yankees will have a pay roll of less then 200 mil. but also in the next few years jeter is gonna have a new contract, which will pay less then 22 mil. in a few years posada wont be making 13 mil. the yankees payroll should drop significantly over the next few years providing they dont buy the free agent market again. [ Reply to Comment ]
Gangreen1590 Reputation: 81 Level: All-Star Since: Feb 29, 2008	Posted on: October 14, 2009 8:32 pm Score: 93 The Yankees as underdogs? It just doesn't fit The 208 Mil was down from last year ,we added Hinske,Hairston and Gaudin that added another 5 mil we have Damon,Matsui,Igewa and Nady coming off for over 40 mil. Arod's contract actually was front loaded and goes down yearly almost 8 mil next year the payroll will probably be around 200 again with resigning Jeter coming as well arbitration for a few,they will not be free agent players they are effectively set at every postion with the youth movement coming next year in the OF and resigning matsui or Damon for PT duty. [ Reply to Comment ]
LAA-USC Reputation: 90 Level: All-Star Since: Jul 28, 2008	Posted on: October 14, 2009 8:38 pm Score: 122 The Yankees as underdogs? It just doesn't fit Maybe they should of used that extra 100 million a year to help pay for that little league sized ball park that cost 1 & 1/2 billion dollars that they play in instead of putting it on the backs of tax payers and fans of the Yankees. And then turn around and charge their fans $2600.00 per seat per game for their premium seats. Guess the yankees really love the people of New York and their fans!!! They are a greedy corporate business that cares nothing about the common people and loyal fans of New York. [ Reply to Comment ]

Danny Knobler

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