New York Yankees: Why Hank Steinbrenner Is Right About the Franchise
February 22, 2011 · Harold Friend · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
The average salary of a major league player at the beginning of the 2010 season was $3,340,133.
A full 2010 World Series share for each winning San Francisco Giants’ player was $317,631.29. A loser’s full share was $246,279.55 for each Texas Rangers’ player that received a full share.
To an individual earning about $3.3 million a year, a World Series share of approximately $300,000 may not be enough to make him hungry to win, especially when one factors in taxes. An additional $300,000 means even less to most players in the upper salary tiers.
Some players’ pride overrides financial considerations, and to players earning less than the average salary, $300,000 may be a significant “bonus.”
New York Yankees’ co-chairman, Hank Steinbrenner, recently expressed the opinion that some of the Yankees’ players may have lost their focus after becoming baseball’s 2009 World Champions. He thinks that winning in 2009 resulted in not concentrating enough on winning in 2010.
“I think maybe they celebrated a little bit too much last year, Some of the players are too busy building mansions and other things and not concentrating on winning.”
It is unfair to accuse any player of not concentrating on winning, especially in New York, but Derek Jeter (.270/.340/.370), Alex Rodriguez (.270/.341/.506), and Mark Teixeira (.256/.365/.481) all had sub-par seasons. Age and injuries must be taken into consideration, but Mr. Steinbrenner has raised an interesting question.
In 2010, Jeter’s salary was $22.6 million, A-Rod’s was $33 million, and Teixeira’s was $20.625 million. A $300,000 World Series share is less than one percent of A-Rod’s salary.
The Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies to become 2009 World Champions. A full share for the Yankees was $365,052.73.
The Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies to become 1950 World Champions. A full share for the Yankees was $5,737.95. The average major league salary was $13,228.
Winning the World Series increased many of the Yankees’ salaries by more than 43 percent.
Winning the World Series in 2009 increased many of the Yankees’ salaries by only 10 percent.
In the 21st century, World Series and playoff money are not the primary motivating factors for most players.
Some players, in the final year of their contract, may become highly motivated, not necessarily to help their team win, but rather to have a solid season in order to become a highly desirable free agent.
Some players may be attempting to win a regular position, others may be trying to establish them among the better players and some may be chasing records.
Finally, some players may actually have both a strong desire to win and pride in their performance. These players are called winners.
References:
Read more New York Yankees news on BleacherReport.com
Yankee Tickets
Shop Yankee
