PAYROLL ARGUMENTS!

ZOMG guys the Yankees, they spend money, they and their fans shouldn't be allowed to enjoy that they won a World Series!!!!

Seriously? If you're arguing along this line, eat me. I realize how incredibly lucky I am to be a Yankee fan in terms of available income and whatnot. I realize it's completely ridiculous that, as I read on some blog, the Yankees spent "half a billion dollars on three human beings" in the off-season.

That said... I can't feel that bad that other owners, who are richer than the Steinbrenners, use their teams to horde money for themselves. The Marlins won the Series in 1997 and 2003, and after their wins, the owners sold so many of the players that had given them their successes just to make profits for themselves at the expense of their fans.* Um. No thank you.

Knowing how to spend money effectively is a boon, too. The Cubs? The METS (okay, the Mets had like $100M in payroll on the DL this year, but uh... 2007 anyone, and even 2008?)? I fully admit the Yankees are not always all that great at this type of thing, either. Kevin Brown... Carl Pavano... Randy Johnson. That said, Cashman rocked this year, getting three great players (though I think AJ Burnett's contract was probably a little too much for a little too long, but I'll take it) and even doing a great job with the utility players like Hinske and Hairston. And of course, the second the Yankees return to success, this is an ISSUE and the Yankees won ONLY BECAUSE THEY OUTSPENT EVERYONE and they should just, I don't know, give their World Series rings to the Pirates or Orioles or something.

And honestly? I am really fucking tired of Red Sox fans complaining about payroll. You're a big market team too, jerkwads. I mean, I know no one is ever supposed to imply that the Red Sox have succeeded because of anything other than grit, ugly facial hair, and selfless heroics involving ketchup bloody socks, but yeah. May I remind you that in 2007, you beat an actual small market team in the World Series, and your roster included a guy that you spent $50M just to talk to? And Phillies fans who are complaining about it, you beat the Rays last year! Nobody's screaming that either of those championship teams should have to surrender their titles.

Also, as far as "OMG it's not fair, the Yankees will always win with that kind of advantage," I guess I missed the part where the 2003 Marlins took one look at our payroll and gave up on the World Series, or the part where the Rays in 2008 decided, pre-season, not to bother playing, considering they were in the same division as two of the biggest market teams in baseball. I know these are mostly exceptions, but they prove it happens, so pony up cowboys.

In conclusion, haters to the left please. I will show y'all something that should make you very very happy:

See? Look at this picture. Be happy. OMG I wanna cry every time I look at it! ;_;

* all 152 of them that show up for the games, anyway /iapologizeforthecheapshot