In the our Stealth Bomber series, we talk to players in the farm system who aren't yet on the New York radar, but hope one day to be so.

Dante Bichette Jr was the Yankees' top pick in the 2011 draft (51st overall). In his debut campaign, he hit .342/.446/.505, led the Gulf Coast Yankees to a championship, and picked up the league's MVP award. NoMaas' Sensei John Kreese sat down in the inferno and talked to the Florida product about his first year in professional baseball, his father's words of wisdom, his approach to hitting, and more.

Sensei John Kreese: So how long have you been in Tampa (working out)?

Dante Bichette Jr: Well, I live in Orlando, but I've been in Tampa since the 17th [January].

SJK: Was it mandatory that you be there so early?

DB: I'm not sure if it was mandatory or not, but they gave me the option, so I definitely wanted to take advantage of that.

SJK: Putting in work and making a good impression...

DB: Of course.

SJK: So what types of things are you working on now?

DB: Right now we're in rotations -- hitting in the cages and taking ground balls. We're getting our arms in shape too.

SJK: Any weight training?

DB: Yes, we work out 4 days a week with a day in-between each, and we also do conditioning in the morning.

SJK: How did your offseason go?

DB: Offseason was great. I went to Instructs when the season was over. I was in the Dominican Republic, that was a lot of fun. Then I went home and took a few weeks off. I went on a cruise and then got back into hitting. I feel great now. I think I did it right.

SJK: You had a killer year last season. You won the Gulf Coast championship. You were the MVP of the league. What are you going to do for an encore?

DB: I want to be more consistent with my approach and learn how to make adjustments quicker. Instead of making an adjustment after a game and realize I was messing something up, it would be a lot better if I could make the adjustment during a game or an at-bat.

SJK: When we spoke with Tyler, he said he didn't know what team he would be playing with to start the season, because the Yankees typically don't let players know until Spring Training is nearly over. Do you have any idea where you're going?

DB: I'm not really sure. They make that decision at the end of Spring Training.

SJK: Lots of guys put up big stats on your team last season. What was it about your team that enabled you to put up these huge numbers?

DB: Our Gulf Coast team was crazy. It was one of the better hitting teams I've played on. I don't think the hitters are ahead of the pitchers either. I actually think the pitchers are further along than the most of the hitters in the league. Our team was gifted. Everybody could hit. Everybody could hit for power. We all got along really well too, and when that happens, everyone gets a little better.

SJK: Any guys really stand out to you?

DB: Yeah, Tyler is one of the first guys I met when I got there, and he helped me get accustomed to pro ball. He raked obviously and got moved up. Isaias Tejeda and Jose Rosario stood out big-time. Ravel Santana went crazy. He's a great hitter as well.

SJK: Your dad was a longtime big leaguer. You grew up around the game. Is the minor league experience different at all from what you expected?

DB: I grew up when my dad was in the big leagues, and that's a lot different from the minor leagues. I thought the minors would be a lot of fun, and it turned out to be a lot of fun. It's a great time and I'm enjoying the grind. I'm enjoying getting to know the guys, and this organization has a lot of great people in it, which is awesome.

SJK: After you were drafted, did the Yankees change anything about your swing? Did they make any adjustments?

DB: Not at all. The Yankees have this rule where they are not allowed to touch you for 100 or 90 days, something like that. My hitting coach Edwar Gonzalez, he wasn't allowed to say anything, but I was trying to pick his brain within the first week. He didn't change anything in my swing though. So no adjustments. The big thing is getting adjusted to the pitching. It's a lot different in pro ball than in high school, competition and speed of the game.

SJK: You played SS in high school?

DB: Yes.

SJK: How's 3B going, and is there any talk of trying out other positions?

DB: That was up in the air after I got drafted, but the coaches have said I've improved a lot. I'm hoping to keep improving and keep my spot at third. If I end up in the outfield, that's fine. That's where my dad played, so that would be a lot of fun.

SJK: Only being 19 years old, how does it feel when keyboard heroes talk about your limitations or say "he'll end up at this position or that position?"

DB: There's one thing my dad taught about handling things like that -- you never believe how bad anybody says you are, and you never believe how good anybody says you are. You just have to stay within yourself and know what you can do.

I actually got a little taste of that when I played in the Little League World Series as a 12-year old. People say good things. People say bad things.

SJK: I actually read about that. During the Little League World Series, there was this story on ESPN about you and Harold Reynolds. You wanted to sleep in or something, instead of doing an interview?

DB: Yeah, it was something early in the morning on a show called Cold Pizza. I slept in and I got some heat for that. It was not meant in a bad intention at all. Our family is pretty close with Harold Reynolds. My parents probably talk to him every other day. I didn't even think anything of it.

SJK: Amazing, under the microscope when you're 12. So, your family is pretty tight with Joe Girardi, right?

DB: Yeah, I call him "Uncle Joe." My dad and him bonded while they were on the Rockies.

SJK: Do you talk to Joe a lot?

DB: I haven't talked to him much this year and only a couple times last year. He left a message for my dad with "congratulations" after the draft. I haven't talked to him too much, I know he's a busy guy, so I try to leave him alone.

SJK: How would you describe your approach as a hitter?

DB: Well, I need to learn to make adjustments quicker. I think I have a decent eye. And if I can use the bat speed that God gave me, it should result in some good hitting.

SJK: Are you looking to work the count when you go to the plate?

DB: No, very rarely do I go up there and say "I'm taking this first pitch." Normally, I've got a plan on every pitcher. I watch them warm up and how they pitch to guys before me. I'll take that plan into the at-bat and stick to it.

SJK: Did you ever get to hit in Coors when you were a little kid?

DB: Maybe on Family Day, but I don't remember. I do remember hitting at Fenway Park though. That was a blast. My dad took me out there before a game and I hit a whole bucket of balls, which was pretty awesome.

SJK: Maybe one day you'll be back there, knocking them up against the Monster.

DB: Maybe, yeah.

SJK: Well, that's about it, Dante. We appreciate it and we're definitely looking forward to watching you this year. Best of luck, brotha.

DB: Alright, thank you very much.

Many thanks to Dante for talking with NoMaas. This is two interviews in a row where we were left very impressed by the attitude of these young players. Dante was poised, well-spoken, and already possesses such a professional view of the game. He's a great kid with a superb head on his shoulders.

In the our Stealth Bomber series, we talk to players in the farm system who aren't yet on the New York radar, but hope one day to be so.

After being drafted by the Yankees in the 13th round of the 2010 draft, Tyler Austin was hit by a pitch that broke his wrist, forcing the Georgia product to sit out the rest of the Rookie League campaign after only two games. He returned in 2011 to absolutely slay opposing pitchers, hitting a combined .354/.418/.579 between the Gulf Coast and Staten Island clubs. At Staten Island, he registered the first 6-hit game in the NY-Penn League since 2007, which earned him a NoMaas MLPW Award. Sensei John Kreese sat down with the 20-year old to talk about his debut season and his outlook for 2012.

Sensei John Kreese: Let's start with last season. You straight killed it at the plate. What worked and why was it so easy for you?

Tyler Austin: I put in a lot work before and after games, during practice - there was an approach I wanted to carry with me into the game, taking the same swing from batting practice into the game. I didn't want to rush anything, just stay relaxed.

SJK: At each level, both at Gulf Coast and Staten Island, you were basically the best hitter on each of those teams. That's really impressive considering some of the names on those clubs, including a bunch of 1st and 2nd rounders. Were there other teammates that impressed you or stood out from your perspective?

TA: Yeah definitely - Cito Culver, Ben Gamel, Mason [Williams], Dante [Bichette Jr], Branden Pinder -- I love watching all those guys play. Everybody plays hard. But those guys really stand out to me. Those guys are unreal.

SJK: How's the wrist?

TA: It's perfectly fine. No problems at all whatsoever.

SJK: How would describe the pitching at the lower levels? Do you feel like the hitters are more advanced?

TA: I don't think there's any advantages either way. The pitchers are just as good. Velocity is still the same. Obviously, when you move higher, the pitchers can spot better, throw more breaking pitches for strikes - but I don't think there's an advantage, honestly.

SJK: What did your offseason look like?

TA: Just stayed in the gym, stayed in the cages - staying in shape and keeping the swing I had during the season. Other than that, I went to few concerts, hung out with my girlfriend...

SJK: So in other words, you're not sending girls any signed baseballs like Derek Jeter does?

TA: HAHA. No, there's none of that. I had a few guys tell me about that story. I couldn't believe it. He's actually been down here [in Tampa] lately hitting and taking groundballs, stuff like that.

SJK: So have you met Jeter?

TA: No, I've never gone up and talked to him, or anything like that. He's always busy every time I see him. I don't want to interrupt his sessions.

SJK: Have you met anyone on the big club or in the front office?

TA: Andruw Jones, Joba Chamberlain...just a few guys, not too many.

SJK: Have you met Cashman yet?

TA: I have not.

SJK: Have you received word yet that you're starting the year in Charleston (Low-A)?

TA: I haven't heard anything yet, none of us really have. We probably won't hear until one or two days before we leave.

SJK: Really? They don't tell you where you're going until Spring Training is just about over?

TA: Yeah, that's how it was last year.

SJK: Let's back up a bit, you were a catcher in high school and the Yankees squashed that idea from the get-go. How soon after you were drafted did you realize the Yankees wanted to change your position?

TA: Well, they drafted me as an outfielder, so I knew the catching thing would probably be out the window. I didn't mind it. I had a feeling that it would be gone with any team that took me.

SJK: Why's that?

TA: Just because I hadn't caught that long. I played other positions in high school a little bit. I just figured I wouldn't catch after I was drafted.

SJK: You played 1B and 3B last season. Do you have a preference?

TA: Not really, either one I'm comfortable with. But now, I'm back in the OF a little bit, so it's probably going to be left field, right field, third, first...mixed all the way up this year.

SJK: What do you think you need to work on defensively?

TA: Every aspect of it, there's plenty of room for improvement.

SJK: What do your strengths are as a hitter?

TA: I try to put the ball the other way. It helps me make contact better and helps me stay through the ball a lot longer than most people would.

SJK: What about working a pitch count and taking a walk?

TA: I feel like I'm getting better at that. I'll definitely take a walk.

SJK: How about those stolen bases? You didn't get caught once (18 for 18).

TA: I take a good lead and have a good idea of the count to go in, especially with the guys hitting behind me this past year. I knew they would see the majority of the breaking balls. I picked a count and just went when I could.

SJK: Alright Tyler, that's all I got. We appreciate it, had a good time interviewing you. Best of luck this season and hopefully we can talk again.

TA: Yes, sir. Sounds great.

Many thanks to Tyler for talking to us. He is definitely one of the most personable people we've interviewed on NoMaas. He was really fun to talk with and has a great attitude. Make sure to follow him during the season.

One day, we'll be able to tell our grandchildren.

A $350 Million Budget?! That's Ridiculous!

Russell210 says:
January 11, 2012 at 8:36 am
If the Yankees matched 78%, their payroll would be so ridiculous that “The Off Season” would be renamed to “Yankee Grocery Shopping”. They at least want to maintain the image that they are winning because they are within means of other teams’ payroll. That being said, the first comment is dead on… slash ticket prices… greedy bastards.

SmartPerson says:
January 11, 2012 at 8:38 am
if the yankees could have bought pujols and lee and ejax and jose reyes to an already star full team then what would be the sense of watching baseball then. Are we really going to complain about a team thats spent so much and given a team thats reached the post season for as long as most fans that come to this site can remember?

These are valid criticisms, but the point of the article was not to demand the Yankees spend $350 million on players. Rather, we wanted to note that it is ridiculous for the Yankees to claim that they can't afford to expand their budget in order to improve the team. Our flight of fancy in listing Pujols, Reyes, etc served a purpose -- to show Yankee fans what their team would look like if the Yankees just matched their rivals in putting the fans' money back into the team.

To be clear, we are not advocating the Yankees increase their salary budget by 150%. There are good reasons for them not to do so, among them the fact that MLB would surely react with draconian measures to punish them. Unlike the mainstream media, we gave you a glimpse of the reality into the Yankees' true commitment to the fans, and what it would look like for the Steinbrenners to live up to their reputation. As we said in the article, it's up to each individual Yankee fan to decide what the proper level of commitment should be.

A final point on this topic: let's not overstate the ability of the Yankees to guarantee a World Series by spending money. They spend more than everybody else right now, and they are not even the favorites to win the World Series. Even if they vastly expanded their budget and signed every free agent under the sun, they'd still only climb to maybe 3-to-1 favorites. This hardly delegitimizes the league. The Miami Heat are 2.5-to-1 favorites to win the NBA championship (how did that work out last year?)

The Yankees Used To Throw Money Around At Free Agents And It Didn't Work

Col. John Matrix says:
January 11, 2012 at 1:12 pm
...But spending money just for the sake of spending money may get the fans excited in December, but it doesn’t do spit for the team from April to October. Or were you not alive during the Yankees’s brilliant 1980′s run?

First, we always welcome comments from characters in one of the greatest stories ever told. Second, we are not calling for the Yankees to spend recklessly and foolishly. NoMaas was created out of protest to how the Yankees operated without any rhyme or reason. We wholeheartedly approve of Brian Cashman's efforts to only buy players at a price that is commensurate with their WAR projections.

However, Yankee fans ought to feel slighted when a free agent who projects to improve the Bombers signs elsewhere for a reasonable price. Kudos to Cashman for addressing the rotation issues within the budget constraints given to him. But, Pineda cost us an elite prospect to whom many fans had become attached. CJ Wilson has a better, longer track record than Pineda, and the Yankees could have added him while keeping Jesus Montero. Wilson signed for a below-market price, but the Yankees didn't even bother making an offer because they are determined to avoid the luxury tax.

We're happy that the Yanks were able to land Hiroki Kuroda for $10 million, but they say they would have balked if Kuroda had maintained his $12 million asking price. For a measly $2 million extra, ownership would have punted a crucial marginal win in the standings. And now that Montero's departure leaves one clear hole in the lineup, the Yankees say they can't afford to supply the team with a legitimate DH. Carlos Pena would have been a perfect fit, but fans watched him sign with division-rival Rays for a one-year, $7.25 million contract. Pena has been worth an average of $14.25 million over the last five years according to fWAR. These are the types of sensible contracts that ownership is passing up.

Instead of Raising The Salary Budget, The Yankees Should Cut Ticket Prices

NAMBLA says:
January 11, 2012 at 8:00 am
This is all great analysis, but I am glad the Yanks don’t have a $360 million team. With that kind of payroll, you could never exceed expectations (which makes for a fun year); you could only meet them. World Series wins would be more of a relief than a thrill.

In my view, these numbers really suggest the Yankees need to slash ticket and concession prices. Either that or the City/State needs to levy a tax on the Yanks to claw back some of that stadium subsidy.

Not a bad thought, but the secondary market will prevent fans from seeing any benefit if the team slashed ticket prices. Hal and Hank could generously decide to offer all 2012 tickets for a buck, but it would do no good for the average fan. Arbitrageurs would buy up the dollar tickets and resell them at their market value. Working-class fans are stuck being priced out of the Steinbrenners' new digs.

Some commenters suggested that the city recoup the tax windfall Yankees reaped in building the new stadium. We certainly support the sentiment, but well... good luck with all that. The Yankees have proved themselves to be a powerful and well-connected lobby. If anyone starts an Occupy The Stadium movement, let us know.

Tangentially, a couple of sharp commenters argued that the Yankees are not being greedy by setting ticket prices so high -- they are simply setting prices at market value. However, despite being situated in the most populous city in America by a wide margin, new Yankee Stadium has operated at below 90% capacity for each of its three seasons. Last year, Philly, San Fran, Boston, Milwaukee, Minnesota, and Chicago (NL) managed to fill a larger percentage of their seats than the Yankees, with the first four basically operating at full capacity every game. The Yankees are setting ticket prices high enough to maximize their revenue, and at the same time are pricing out a significant number of fans.

Lee Signed For Less Money In Philly, So There's Nothing The Yankees Could Have Done.

Duh says:
January 11, 2012 at 8:29 am
... Cliff Lee didn’t WANT to play in NY. Get over it...

Yes, Lee had a preference to play in Philadelphia. Yet, the evidence is just not there to support the assumption that Lee had no intention whatsoever of playing in the Boogie Down. If Lee's option is picked up or it's automatically triggered, he will make $135 million over 6 years ($22.5 million per). The Yankees offered $154 million over 7 years ($22 million per). If Lee pitches one year after his Philly deal, he will probably end up making something like 5% less than he would have under the Yankees deal. This is not exactly evidence that Cliff Lee was going to spurn the Yankees no matter what. If the Yankees had offered $24 million per year, it may well have coaxed Lee. And, coming off of a three year period where he averaged 7 WAR, Lee could be worth that gamble. Our point is that the Yankees really didn't flex their full financial muscle on Lee. They didn't exactly pull a Vito Corleone/Johnny Fontane.

No Other Free Agents Besides Lee Are A Sure Thing

Routine Ground Ball says:
January 11, 2012 at 10:59 am
Well that’s our fault for giving them the money then I guess…

...The thing is, this article insinuates that the Yankees are not doing whatever it takes to win, and I think through their inactivity they are. The majority of the free agents that have been on the market were either not good fits, or represented a lot of risk.

There is no sure thing in baseball. Players get injured. Players under-perform their projections. Hell, sometimes players get arrested (on a related note, Elijah Dukes is available if the Yankees want to add a cheap DH). This argument is a total red herring. You bet on guys who project to improve your team. Numerous free agents over the past few years had median projections that represented an upgrade for the Yankees. Some of them signed for market value or below. If in a particular instance, the Yankees decide to pass because the think they can get better value elsewhere -- then fine. If the Yankees decide to pass on these players and then feed the Post and Daily News stories about how they just can't find the money to bring them aboard -- that's not fine.

Taxpayers Didn't Really Get Hosed. And Anyway It's Good For The Neighborhood

Routine Ground Ball says:
January 11, 2012 at 4:41 pm
... Seriously though, the Yankees being in the neighborhood benefits the community more than it hurts it. Could the team do more for their neighbors? Of course. But would any of you be familiar with the area around 161 and River if the Yanks didn’t call it home? Nope, you wouldn’t.

This is another canard that fans repeat because they hear it so often. The idea that publicly-subsidized stadiums are a great economic boon to a city has been put to rest by studies over and over again.

The deal for Yankee Stadium, conducted through political back channels, was notable in how boldly it fleeced taxpayers. In order to finance the stadium with low-interest, tax-free bonds, the stadium needed to be for public use, not for private enterprise. Thus, the City claimed ownership of the stadium and simply rented it to the Yankees...for $0 rent.

In order to secure public subsidies for the Yankees, the City manipulated the assessment value of the stadium and claimed that 1,000 new permanent jobs would be created. According to a report by Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, the actual number of permanent new jobs was 15. The deal left taxpayers on the hook for up to $850 million and was such a blatant use of public funds for private gain that the IRS outlawed any further such deals. A summation of the Yankees' abuse of taxpayers can be found here: http://www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/24561.html.

We appreciate all the comments and buzz about our original article on the Yankees' spending. This is probably the first time we've done a response article...at least as far as we can remember. NoMaas' Vizzini will be hosting a live chat on Monday at 7pm EST to talk about these issues and defend himself further against you internet gorillas.


"This magnificent feast here represents the last of the petty cash."

*Props to Phil G. for the graphic idea

There's no denying Pineda's talent, but there's substantial evidence that pitchers develop differently than hitters do. Young pitchers don't develop in a straight upward slope. There's more ups and downs. They plateau sooner. There's more injuries. They are less predictable.

Look at the lessons of Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain, who we all believed were The Next Big Things. Look at guys like Francisco Liriano or Homer Bailey.

While Pineda has excellent potential and delivered a very impressive rookie season, there's no guarantee he'll become a sure-fire ace. In fact, the probability of Montero becoming an elite hitter is likely higher than Pineda becoming an elite pitcher -- based on what we know about how hitters and pitchers develop.

The deal addresses the Yankees' biggest area of need with a very exciting pitcher who has pedigree and initial success on the big league stage. Yet, it's not the risk-free, slam dunk deal that some Yankee supporters are saying it is.

Brian "Sky" Cashman

6/30/11 -- Yanks Senior VP Mark Newman speaks with NoMaas:

SJK: How do you view Romine with Montero blocking him?

MN: Romine will be a starting major league catcher. I really believe that. I wouldn't say Montero is blocking him. Our manager went from Double-A to the big leagues as a catcher. We just don't want them to play in the same place. Romine should be in Triple-A.

On Friday morning, MLB.COM published an interview with Brian Cashman in which the Yankees GM praised Jesus Montero:

"People thought we were taking a step back on Montero when we got Russell Martin. We did the same thing with [Jorge] Posada. It was three or four years until we fully handed it over to him. When people saw Montero at the end of last year, they said, 'Holy cow, that's a middle-of-the-lineup bat.'

On Friday night, Jesus Montero was on his way to Seattle in a trade for one of the better young pitchers in the game:

The New York Yankees have traded top prospect Jesus Montero and right-handed pitcher Hector Noesi to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for phenom pitcher Michael Pineda and righty Jose Campos, a source told ESPN.com's Jayson Stark.

And just when you thought the killing had stopped, word came that former Dodger Hiroki Kuroda was inked to a 1-year, $10 million deal.

All this blood in just a mere couple of hours.

What does this all mean?

1. The Yankees obviously don't believe Montero can catch. This is the biggest implication of the entire trade. We specifically pointed this out after the ALDS and it turns out our assessment of the organization's opinion was correct.

If Montero can catch, this trade very likely doesn't happen. It's incredibly rare to find Montero's bat at the catcher position. As a DH, he's easier to replace.

2. In a heartbeat, the Yankees went from having an inadequate starting rotation to possessing a very good one -- Pineda and Kuroda are two big additions.

In his rookie season last year at age 22, Pineda posted the following:
171 IP, 3.42 FIP, 3.53 xFIP, 3.4 WAR, 9.11 K/9, 2.89 BB/9, 3.15 K/BB

It's very unusual for a young pitcher to strike out that many people, while having such excellent command.

The 6'7" righthander does not fit the mold of the groundball-types the Yankees have preferred recently. He only had a 36.4% GB rate in 2011, which can be haunting in Yankee Stadium. However, his peripherals against LHB were solid, as noted by his 3.49 FIP / 3.82 xFIP splits. Hopefully, this will help combat the short porch.

Kuroda is straight disciplined, Miyagi-style. Over the last 3 seasons, Kuroda has averaged 7.10 K/9, 2.11 BB/9, 3.36 K/BB, 3.54 FIP, 3.52 xFIP, and a 47.6% GB rate. He's an above-average pitcher and a very nice pick-up, no doubt.

3. While nearly everyone came up with excuses for the front office when they thought the rotation would be Sabathia/Nova/Burnett/Hughes/Garcia, it turns out all the ballwashing was for nothing. It's ok to drink something else besides Kool-Aid.

4. With the signing of Kuroda, the Steinbrenners siphoned off a sliver of the club's monster revenue stream. With the pitchers that were available on the free agent market, there was no reason why this shouldn't have happened. Obvious upgrades were available.

Who said Friday the 13th was unlucky?

- The Steinbrenners will do whatever it takes to win.
- They will spend however much money is required to sign elite players.
- The owners will give Yankee fans the best possible team they can every year.
- Look at how much more money they spend on player salaries than everybody else!

It seems both journalists and fans have ceded to some serious groupthink, as they accepted this received wisdom even after watching the Yankees come up short on Cliff Lee. They accepted it even as the Yankees went into the 2011 season with a rotation that included Freddy Garcia, AJ Burnett, Ivan Nova, and a dead-armed Phil Hughes. And they're accepting it again, as the rotation is laughable for a team with the Yankees' resources.

Maybe it's just us, but we find it amazing that deep into the offseason, the Yankees have added ZERO new players to their roster. ZERO.

Outside of Jesus Montero, this is a team with zero batters who are on the upward sloping part of the age curve and exactly one starting pitcher who can be counted on for an above-average performance. What in the world is going on here? How can a team with the Yankees' resources have such blatant holes in their roster?

Well, we know what's going on. We can see through the BS. You might not like what we have to say, but it's the truth. Click some other website if you wish to remain one of the sheeple.

The bottom line is this -- Yankee ownership is cheap. The Steinbrenners are extremely greedy. They pocket a higher percentage of the fans' hard-earned money than most other owners in MLB.

Far from spending whatever it takes to field the best possible team, Yankee ownership is simply spending enough to field a team that is sufficient to keep their gargantuan revenue stream flowing in. Ownership knows that they only need to set a payroll budget that enables the Yankees to annually compete for a playoff spot, even though they could easily afford to make the club overwhelming favorites to win the World Series. They also know that this will keep millions of Yankee fans passing through the gates to buy hot dogs and beer (and now sushi and steak!), in spite of having to pay the highest ticket prices in all of baseball.

"How can this be?" you ask. "ESPN tells me that the Yankees have a bigger payroll than every other team."

This is a true fact, but it's not very meaningful until you put it in the context of team revenue. Imagine you have two uncles who give you a Channukah present. Uncle Shlomo, a small town public defender, knows you love books, so he uses a good part of his discretionary budget to buy you a $150 gift certificate to Amazon. Next, Uncle Randy tosses you his gift, a new cellphone: not the latest Android, but a pretty nifty, brand name 3G thing that set him back about $230. Flashing a wide grin, Uncle Randy says, "See how much more I love you than the rest of your family does?"

This is essentially the situation Yankee fans are in. Yes, ownership does spend more money than everyone else, and they do put out a team that makes the playoffs almost every year. That's a luxury of which most MLB fans are jealous. However, the Yankees are in a position to do quite a bit more for their fans. According to Forbes, the Yankees spent $236 million on players in 2010 (including salaries, benefits, and bonuses). Compare that to the team that beat the Yankees in the ALDS -- the Tigers spent $150 million on player expenses in 2010. The Yankees spent 57% more than the Tigers.

Now, let's take a look at how much their respective fans are paying the clubs. After revenue sharing, the Yankees generated $427 million in stadium revenues for 2010. Detroit took in $192 million. The Yankees made 122% more than the Tigers just at the stadium. However, the Tigers reinvested 78% of the fans' money directly back onto the field in the form of player salaries. The Yankees only put 55% of the fans' money back into the team.

On this alone, Yankee fans should feel a bit slighted.

The situation is even more pathetic than the Forbes revenue numbers let on. That data only includes stadium receipts. Read a little more closely and Forbes shares this nugget:

The YES Network, the team's 34%-owned regional sports channel, is the most profitable RSN in the country and had over $400 million in revenue last year. The Yankees own a stake in Legends Hospitality Management, which manages stadiums, and generates $25 million in operating income.

That gives the Yankees an extra $160 million to work with.

If we were to just ask the Yankees to match the Tigers' commitment to winning and put 78% of their revenues into player salaries, the Yankees would have a payroll budget of about $460 million. We have to account for the luxury tax, which is currently 42.5% of every dollar spent over $178 million. In 2013, that will rise to 50%, so let's use that figure. Under the 2013 luxury tax regime, the Yankees could comfortably afford to spend about $350 million on players and still net a profit margin that is the same as the Tigers in terms of rate, and much bigger in absolute terms.

Making proper use of the fans' hard-earned money over the last two years, the Yankees could have signed Cliff Lee, CJ Wilson, and their choice of EJax, Kuroda, or Buehrle to fill in the rotation behind Sabathia. They could have inked Jose Reyes as the long-term replacement for Jeter instead of Eduardo Nunez. They probably could have even signed Albert Pujols. None of these signings would have guaranteed them a championship. However, they wouldn't be in a pack of other teams with less odds to win the World Series than the front-running Philadelphia Phillies.

Should Yankee fans really demand that the Yankees match the Tigers in terms of budget to revenue ratio? That's for you decide on your own. However, the Yankees used political back-channels to extract hundreds of millions of dollars from citizens to help finance their own personal stadium -- a stadium which they then used to generate colossal revenues by gouging fans.

When the Yankees claim that they cannot make any significant additions to the team due to self-imposed budget limits, they are just trying to make fools out of fans.