Sorry, people. I know here at the Globe/Times, we love the new Sox ownership. We've got $75 million of our own dough in the partnership. But as a fellow owner, let me say I'm embarrassed by Henry's statement. Sure, we'd all love a salary cap. But the Red Sox are hardly in position to be advocating for the Expos and Pirates of the world. Boston's payroll will be in the $125 million range, the second highest in the majors. Please let's not have the Sox pretend to carry the torch for the have-nots of baseball. It does sound like sour grapes. Imagine Donald Trump making fun of guys who get the best-looking girls only because they are rich. Would Lisa Guerrero do a commentary on beautiful talking heads who get great jobs based on their looks? That's what the Red Sox sound like.
Henry did return a call from the Globe last night but said that, because of an embargo levied on both teams by commissioner Bud Selig, he couldn't comment further.
Henry described the commissioner as apoplectic.
Sox CEO Larry Lucchino weighed in before Selig's edict. "Have a little perspective," he argued. "Stop talking about the Yankees and Red Sox as 1-2 in payroll. We're there with Houston, Anaheim, and Los Angeles, who might be north of $100 million. But there's one team approaching $200 million. They're $80 million higher than the next team."
No, Larry. You can't make this argument. It is not the time and you are not the team.
Henry's unfortunate statement ("He was just answering questions you all posed while he was out of the country," Lucchino said) characterized the Yankees as going "insanely far beyond the resources of all the other teams." Then he urged a salary cap and said that revenue sharing has not solved "a very obvious problem." (Let's remind ourselves for a second that Henry once owned a small portion of the Yankees with George and has the rings to prove it.)
George responded like Col. Jessup of "A Few Good Men," firing back with both barrels.
