For the Yankees, The Economy's Never in a Downturn

Count me as surprised the Yankees beat out the Sox for Mark Teixeira, but it goes to show that New York and Boston aren't in the same league financially. As has become their custom under John Henry and Theo Epstein, the Red Sox don't overspend for big-ticket free agents like Teixeira. They just don't. I can't fault them for it. Why should the Red Sox pay more for Teixeira now, when we're on the verge of a deep recession or even a depression, than they did for Manny Ramirez back when it seemed as though the bubble would never burst? Apparently, this sort of logic is irrelevant to the Yankees, who have invested more than $400 million in new player contracts over the last few weeks. This fanciful attitude when it comes to finances is a bit jarring considering the latest news out of the state in which the Yankees play.