Once again, predictions of the demise of the Yankees

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - We have been here before. Another opinion - a very educated one at that - that the New York Yankees are in for a big fall. This column headline from USA Today's Bob Nightengale says the "Yankees are looking feeble and futile." In the story, Nightengale writes that, "These days, the Yankees have become a poor man's version of the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates, working the edges of free agency and hoping to fill holes frugally. "The Yankees haven't signed a free agent outside of their organization this winter, bent on getting their payroll under $189 million by 2014 to save a few bucks on their luxury tax." The news that Alex Rodriguez may miss a lot of the 2013 season after hip surgery was big national news at the Winter Meetings yesterday. Of course this is the same player that was benched during the playoffs, so is playing without A-Rod really that big of a loss at this point? Anyway, I'm not buying the "feeble Yankees" thing and don't feel sorry for them if they actually now have to watch their spending. Welcome to the world that the rest of baseball resides in, New York. They still have more revenue and resources than anyone else and they can still show checkbook might if and when they choose. The facts are that the Yankees have made the playoffs 17 of the last 18 years and won the AL East again in 2012. Their demise has been written about for years now and it never seems to happen. Maybe the time has finally come for that. I'm still not believing it.