Santa Claus.......Mike Teixeira.....& the N Y Yankees

'Tis the season...........


'Twas the night before Christmas.......when all through the house.....

not a creature was stirring.....not even a mouse.....


Except ..........those ass-holes in the front office of the New York Yankees!


Mark Teixiera........here is an early Christmas gift. $180 million for 8 years! Yes, we are the Yankees..........we don't "haggle" over a couple of millions........Everyone else's offer to the former Anaheim Angel first baseman was between $140 million and $160 million. Let's get ....serious. Let's not bull-shit around. Let's blow everybody completely out of the water!

And in essence ......this is exactly what the Yankees did. $180 million..........

So Santa.......wears pinstripes.

The baseball world is up in arms.........."This is so unfair", they rail..........But is it?

Again.......we ask, "How much is a player worth?"..............and again we reply, "You're worth....exactly what someone will pay you".

So .......don't hate on the Yankees..........or Teixeira...........or sports..........or MLB........

Mark Teixeira happens to be able to do something .......only a precious few in the 2 billion plus populated earth.....can do......... Hit and catch a little round ball.

Merry Christmas Mr. Teixeira............and Merry Christmas to you too.......New York Yankees.

Mark Teixeira.......No Return on Investment

The Atlanta Braves......need a crash course in Economy 101......

$12.5 million........1 future star catcher (Jarrad Saltalamacchia), and 3 minor league prospects.

This what the Braves gave up in the trade for Mark Teixeira almost one year to the day, in hopes of making a play-off run.

Well.......the Braves didn't make the play-offs last year.......

And yesterday.......they traded Teixeira.....to the Los Angeles Angels of Anahiem ..........for an average 1st baseman and a minor league pitcher.

And.......no.......they won't make the play-offs .....this year either.

It was an expensive lesson for the normally shrewed Atlanta front office.

Major League Baseball........has come down to the following:

If....you're the New York Yankees, New York Mets, Boston Redsox........you buy the best team money can buy......

If.....you're the Tampa Bay Rays, Florida Marlins, Minnesota Twins........you build your team with the draft, good scouting, and a great minor league system.

There is no in between.

It is quite apparent, the Braves should go back to what made them a near dynasty in the 90's.......a great minor league system (from A ball , to AAA).....focusing on good young pitching.....

This year.......Atlanta.......instead of developing young arms.......tried to go back in time...putting their investments in the likes of Tom Glavine.... John Smoltz.....and Mike Hampton.......

It did not work!

Atlanta will again.......for the 3rd straight year........miss the post season.

Time to start getting returns on the investments......

Braves Trade Mark Teixeira

This just in........

The Atlanta Braves have traded 1st baseman Mark Teixeira to the Los Angeles Angles.....

From ESPN.com:

Sources: Braves deal Teixeira to Angels for Kotchman

ESPN.com news services

Updated: July 29, 2008, 6:04 PM ET

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One of the biggest names bandied about as Thursday's trade deadline approaches has found a new home.

Teixeira

Kotchman

Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark on Tuesday that Atlanta Braves first baseman Mark Teixeira is headed to the Los Angeles Angels for Casey Kotchman and minor league pitcher Steven Marek.

Kotchman was pulled off the field during pregame warmups at Fenway Park on Tuesday afternoon, further fueling speculation that a deal was in place.

Teixeira was traded to the Braves from the Texas Rangers in a deadline deal last season, but he is in the last year of his contract. With Atlanta falling out of contention, it seemed logical that the team would try to move him.

The switch-hitting Teixeira is batting .283 with 20 home runs and 78 RBIs this season.

Kotchman, who is known as much for his defense at first base as his bat, is batting .287 with 12 homers and 54 RBIs for the first-place Angels.

Jayson Stark covers major league baseball for ESPN.com.