Buying Winners? In Baseball Money Is No Guarantee

When New York threw a ticker tape parade to celebrate the Yankees’ World Series triumph last week, it could have been mistaken for an endorsement of one of the great consumer axioms, in sports or anywhere else: You get what you pay for.

It’s easy to suggest that the Yankees’ first World Series appearance in 15 years and first championship since 1978 was purchased with cold, hard cash. That has always been owner George Steinbrenner’s style--lay out the big bucks for the biggest names to get the biggest return. With varying degrees of success, he’s been doing that for over 20 years.

Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson and Goose Gossage won pennants and World Series for the Yankees. Ed Whitson, Steve Kemp and Dave Collins did not.

All represented Steinbrenner sorties into free agency, the use of his ample bankroll fueled by fancy cable television fees to plug holes on his team. He was never shy about opening up his wallet. Convinced that diamonds are forever and costume jewelry just doesn’t make it, the owner has long operated one of baseball’s most bountiful outposts for out-of-work ballplayers.

And when the accountants finished adding up all the contract numbers, the bottom line was always the same. Steinbrenner would have one of the top payrolls in baseball--No. 1 each of the last three years--and the Yankees would back up the Brinks truck on the first and 15th of each month. This season, the magic number soared past $65 million. For that price, they ought to win championships.

Sometimes, though, the formula--create the biggest contract, get the biggest bang for your buck--does not translate. This business of sports salaries, remember, is not an exact science.

Washington is winning NFL games this season with Gus Frerotte, making $170,000, at quarterback and Heath Shuler, whose salary is $1.455 million, on the bench. Seattle is paying All-Star Shawn Kemp $3 million for this NBA season and signed career backup Jim McIlvaine to a seven-year, $33 million free agent deal. Uwe Krupp, who scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal for Colorado last year, is making $1.45 million. Brett Hull of St. Louis makes $4.4 million and has never been to the Cup finals.

Go figure.

Similarly, the people who won this World Series for New York were not the ones cashing the biggest checks from Santa Steinbrenner. Instead, it was the bottom of the Yankees payroll that made the difference.

Against Atlanta, rookie shortstop Derek Jeter was on base nine times, scored five runs and played solid defense. He makes $120,000. Second-year pitcher Andy Pettitte threw a brilliant 1-0 shutout in the pivotal fifth game. He makes $150,000. Middle reliever Mariano Rivera choked the life out of the Braves a couple of a times and had an earned-run average of 1.59. He makes $131,125.

Expect major payday adjustments for all of them down the road, especially after Jeter is confirmed as American League rookie of the year, Pettitte wins the AL Cy Young Award and Rivera gets some Cy Young and MVP votes. The point, though, is price tags do not bear a direct relationship to payback.

In fact, much of the major money the Yankees pay out twice a month goes to long-forgotten players like Melido Perez ($4.650 million), Tony Fernandez ($1.5 million), Scott Kamieniecki ($1.1 million) and Pat Kelly ($900,000)--all non-contributors for most of the season and postseason. Among the highest-paid Yankees is Kenny Rogers at $5 million per year. His involvement in the championship was less than negligible.

That’s how it goes sometimes. Contracts should be accompanied by a standard disclaimer: No guarantees are offered or implied.

In other words, caveat emptor--let the buyer beware.

For Steinbrenner, though, the more appropriate Latin phrase might be primi sumus.

Loosely translated, that means “We’re No. 1!”