Pinstripe Pride

I know all you fans of small market teams find that statement obnoxious as your entire payroll is equal to one or two players on the Yankees. I know that you're especially upset with the way  things have gone with the signings of Mark Teixiera, C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.

The current system is flawed and it's the biggest reason why Major League Baseball will never catch the National Football League in terms of fans, television ratings, merchandise sales and right down the line.

I was born a Yankees fan and have been a loyal follower since I was in diapers. How can I be upset with team ownership for wanting to win and doing whatever it takes to make that happen? The revenue is there. Many teams have revenue they don't put back into the team.

The Yankees do. Let's not forget that it doesn't guarantee anything as the Yankees haven't won a World Series title since 2000.

Small market teams aside, the Boston Red Sox are acting as if they are the model of excellence. Yes, they have the right people in the right places and yes, they have had great success in recent years, but can they sustain it by not spending the extra money they have on better players? It remains to be seen whether Boston is built for the long run, while it looks like the Yankees have much more balance. Both teams are looking up at Tampa Bay after last season.

For the haters, the Yankees are always in a no-win situation. If they win it all, those who loathe the Bronx Bombers will say they bought a title. If they lose, it will be because they frivolously spent their money. Let's not forget that MLB is a business and the Yanks account for more than 25 percent of all merchandise sales by themselves. When the Yankees win, so does MLB. The Yankees are not at fault here for following the rules. MLB needs to look itself in the mirror and start paying more attention to the NFL's winning business model.