Dear New York Yankees,

I regret to inform you, that I will no longer be a fan or supporter of the New York Yankees baseball team.  This has been a tough decision to make as I have been a life time fan and supporter of the team, but I have grown tired of the franchise trying to buy championships. Over the past nine years, the team has become nothing more than a star studded super team, with only one World Series Championship to show for it.  Whatever happened to building your team from the ground up? You have so much talent in your minor league system, but feel the need to deny them the chance to develop as a New York Yankee by trading them off in deals for aged players like Randy Johnson and Carl Pavano who give you two years of playing time, tie up a bunch of money, and never produce.  If you had spent the time and the money developing your younger players, there would be no need to search for the next free agent all-star to sign! You would have well-rounded, fundamentally sound baseball players ready and willing to play their hearts out for one of the most prestigious organizations in sports history!  Besides that, the treatment of ex-players such as Bernie Williams has been horribly disappointing.  Bernie was never even given a chance to resign and retire with dignity. After all he did for the New York Yankees organization, didnt he deserve better?  Finally, in this years ALCS, Cliff Lee dominated the Yankees hitting in a very strong outing at Yankee Stadium, but it was nothing more than an audition to the front office. Did the Yankees even care about winning the ALCS?  What the heck do the Yankees need Cliff Lee for?  You have Andy Petit, CC Sabathia, Phil Hughes, and AJ Burnett!  The last time I checked that is a pretty good starting 4! Develop your young players! Stop stacking the deck.  Part of being a fan is the struggle that ensues from season to season and the joy of watching your team grow as a unit.  The Yankees have failed to do this for me over the past nine years.  Its the sad truth, and there is so much more I could and want to say, but I am sick of the bull shit and the all-star team mentality.  The only reason player come to the Yankees is to win a World Series, not because they want to be a Yankee.  Its really too bad, but it is time for me to hang up my pinstripes.  Thank you for all of the great seasons, memories, and championships.  Also, I will always have much respect to the true Yankees who played and fought so hard to make the Yankees organization so prestigious.  I hope that someday, that prestigious luster of the Yankees will reemerge for future generations to enjoy.

Sincerely,

RJM