Stop with the Royals worship.

I admire the hitting approach of the Royals and the Giants (and the Cardinals, for that matter). The Yankees swing for the fences in all circumstances, as we all know.

But the Royals won 88 games this year, have not yet won a World Series, and missed the playoffs for the previous 29 years.

This is not a model for success that anyone needs to follow:

"This was after Game 2 of the ALCS in Baltimore, in which the resurgent Royals had just beaten the Orioles at their own game again, and a couple of scouts were discussing the way the series was going.

'Let me ask you something,' one of them said to me. 'If the Yankees, with all their over-30 guys and questionable defense at so many positions, had to play the Royals 162 times, how many games would they win?' ”

If Tanaka is healthy, then the Yankees probably win 90.

If Tanaka is not healthy, then the Yankees probably win 80.

The Yankees are not very good and neither are the Royals. Welcome to the Wild Card World Series. If two sub-90-win teams jazz you up, then good for you. Like most of America, I'll tune in from time to time, depending upon what happens to be playing on Comedy Central.


"The point he was making was that, in this post-steroid era of declining offense, especially home runs, it’s a greatly changing game, with the formula for winning having shifted to athleticism, defense and, most importantly, a shutdown, power-arm bullpen."

Sounds like the Yankees in 2014, at least two out of three.


"And, of course, the one thing that never changes is that there is no substitute for youth.

This is Brian Cashman’s challenge as he seeks to restore the Yankees to perennial World Series contenders. He’s got a three-year contract to do it. Unfortunately for him, it’s going to take at least that long for the Yankees to start getting younger and more athletic, with Mark Teixeira and Carlos Beltran locked in for two more years for $23 million and $15 million per, respectively, Brian McCann for four more years at $17 million per and Jacoby Ellsbury six more years — to age 36 — at $21 million per."

Did somebody really suggest Mark Teixeira is not athletic?

3-4-5 should be a lot better than they are. They're paid to produce and they don't produce.The Yankees could take a lesson from lots of teams who know how to drive in runs rather than constantly swing for the fences. I agree with that obvious observation for sure.

I just wouldn't use a Hot Team in October as a model for the next dynasty ... especially if the plan is to wait three decades.