Game Over for the Sox

Much as I hate the Yankees and want the Sox to win, let's face it. It's all over. The Yankees buck-studded lineup did it all last night. The only good thing about that is nobody giving Cashman credit for signing A-Rod, Matsui, and Sheffield. Yankee fans aren't that stupid. Then again....

a) I see the rest of the series going like the '99 NLCS. The Mets looked cooked after going down 3-0 to Altanta, then made things interesting before Kenny Rogers' infamous bases-loaded walk. I see the Sox doing that, just to make it more painful; make it look like they actually have a shot. Maybe David Ortiz will hit a grand single or something. And the Sox sure don't need a guy like Rogers to screw things up. They can manage that quite well without him.

But maybe it's just me, but the Sox don't seem so into it. I could also see them not caring about Game 4, just wanting to get it all over with.

b) Is this series proof that the system is screwed up? Some Yankee fans think not. After all, the Red So have the second highest payroll in baseball, clocking in at $127 million. So the Red Sox fans have no right to complain about the system, cause their team ain't much worse in the money department.

But the Yankees' payroll is about $60 million higher. What can $60 million get you?

A solid contender in the Oakland A's, that's what. Their payroll? $59 million.

And the Red Sox can't afford another $60 million. A Business Week piece in April discussed how Theo Epstein has resorted to the Beane model in many ways because his team has basically maxed out financially. Fenway, a small, old park, has a small seating capacity and sells out every night. And NESN gets excellent ratings. But that's it. They can't spend unlimited amounts of money. That won't draw more fans to the park or to the TV. They would be in deep trouble if they tried spending like the Yankees.

Look at other big-market teams. Can the White Sox spend? The Dodgers are talking about cutting payroll. The Angels have spent, but how much more can they dish out? Seems like the Yankees are really the only team that have bottomless pockets, and can spend whatever, whenever.