Sweeny: Time To Face Reality On Homegrown Players And 'True' Yankees
By Sweeny Murti
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This is the time of year you begin to hear more about prospects. You hear about ones who could be traded and ones who teams don't want to part with. The latter are viewed as potential parts of a new "core" of "homegrown" players that will lead the team to great success in the years to come.
This isn't just about the Yankees; it's really about all teams and the way they value prospects, the way they view short-term fixes vs. long-term solutions. Ideally every team would love a crop of All-Star caliber young talent that won't cost as much to retain as veteran free agents. Clearly that's not possible, and teams have to figure out what mix of cheap youth and costly vets best suit their needs.
Inevitably these discussions lead many people to bring about the importance of a "homegrown core" that fans can seemingly relate to better than the transients and mercenaries that make up the rest of the roster from year to year.
Inevitably this leads me to roll my eyes and wonder if these particular people have any idea what they are talking about.
I get the core thing. I really do. But are homegrown players really that much more revered than ones that came from outside the organization? Do they get some sort of check mark next to their name that indicates they aren't -- gulp -- "True" Yankees?
In just the past two seasons, the Yankees have placed plaques in Monument Park to honor Tino Martinez, Paul O'Neill, Goose Gossage and Willie Randolph. None of them were homegrown.
The 1996 Yankees included Martinez, O'Neill, Joe Girardi, Mariano Duncan, Wade Boggs, Charlie Hayes, Cecil Fielder, Darryl Strawberry, David Cone, Jimmy Key and World Series MVP John Wetteland. Over the next few years they added Scott Brosius, Chuck Knoblauch, David Wells, Roger Clemens, David Justice and many others during the dynasty run.
Go back to the 1977-78 championship teams, born in the infancy of free agency, and it's still a mixed bag of Yankees coming from parts all over added to homegrown products Thurman Munson, Ron Guidry and Roy White: Randolph, World Series MVPs Reggie Jackson and Bucky Dent, Chris Chambliss, Sparky Lyle, Gossage, Graig Nettles, Mickey Rivers and Lou Piniella.
Like I said, this isn't even about the Yankees. The '86 Mets had Keith Hernandez, Gary Carter, Ray Knight, Howard Johnson, Ron Darling, Sid Fernandez and Jesse Orosco. The '04 Red Sox had Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling, Johnny Damon and Kevin Millar, Manny Ramirez and Jason Varitek. They all came from other teams,and most of them finished with other teams, yet they still hold the same place in the hearts of fans as any other members of the championship clubs, homegrown or not.
Yankees fans get defensive and point to the core when they are told the Yankees buy championships. No need to do that at all. It's business as usual in baseball now. In fact, it's been that way for a long time.
Anyone heard of Babe Ruth?
Follow Sweeny Murti on Twitter at @YankeesWFAN
