One reason I don't think the Yankees are out of the woods yet, despite spending MILLIONS of dollars is that I doubt the commitment of one of their new centerpieces, Mark Teixeira.
The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex currently is a very good laboratory for studying player/coach interactions and dynamics.
Exhibit A is the Texas Rangers, only because they were the first to show this trait: It can't be the players' fault, so the manager (or coach) must be to blame.
Teixeira was one of the players complaining, albeit quietly, about Buck Showalter's micromanagement and inability to relate to players. Then when Texas brought in players' manager Ron Washington, Tex was a more outspoken critic of the new manager.
Bottom line for the team: It lost with Showalter in charge and with Washington providing a much gentler guiding hand. The one constant was the players. You don't suppose ... nah, couldn't be their fault.
In the meantime, Teixeira and agent Scott Boras have followed the money -- to Atlanta, Anaheim and now New York. Though the first baseman has produced enviable offensive totals, he hasn't led or carried his team anywhere. Could it be ... no way!
Also in this area we have the phenomenon known as the Dallas Cowboys. Now don't stop me, even if this story sounds familiar. Big Bad Bill Parcells was mean to his players, even Tony Romo. They got to the playoffs, but Parcells left in part because he couldn't get along with The Player, Terrell Owens. (I'll write something about Jerry Jones' role in this drama soon.)
Anyway, replacing rough, gruff Parcells was teddy bear/coach Wade Phillips. He treated the players like men, giving them plenty of time off -- but despite winning 22 regular-season games in two seasons, the Cowboys still didn't win a playoff game. Owens was outspoken in his praise of Phillips and new offensive coordinator Jason Garrett in 2007. Last season, T.O. was merely outspoken. Couldn't have been his fault, or Romo's, could it? Hmmm ... maybe ...
The Dallas Mavericks took a 2-0 lead in the NBA playoff finals in 2005-06 before choking away the next four games. The next year, they had the league's best regular-season record, but lost in the playoffs ' opening round to eighth-seed Golden State. Last season, young genius coach Avery Johnson was considered a meddler, and after another first-round playoff exit, he was gone. (I'll probably write soon about the disastrous trade for Jason Kidd, but at least you know where I stand on that topic.)
This season, the Mavs went to a more player-friendly coach, Rick Carlisle. He would open up the offense, maximizing the talents of Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki. But guess what? The players don't like him either. Now this is an aging team, but still, shouldn't these players be taking some blame?
The NHL's Dallas Stars have stayed throughout the whole time with Dave Tippett, who seems to be a pretty good coach and a pretty reasonable person. And hockey players being a different breed -- well, they haven't exactly all taken responsibility for this season's pace that would keep them out of the playoffs, but they did come down hard against chemistry-wrecker Sean Avery. That was long before his "sloppy seconds" comment got Avery suspended.
The Stars' refusal to take Avery back even though they had invested a relatively large salary in him should show the way for the Cowboys to show Owens -- and other team misfits -- the door.
But Jerry Jones quite possibly wouldn't do that. It couldn't be the players' fault now, could it?
And watch out, Yankees fans. Teixeira may let you down some day when he's distracted by counting his money.
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