I don't know as far as being held accountable. I mean, they are prognosticators... it's what they do. Guess. Sometimes you're wrong, sometimes you're right. They just aim to provide commentary, etc. and make things interesting. We do it here, too. :)

Which I understand, but has there been one mention since last year that the Arizona Diamondbacks regret the deal they made for Randy Johnson. Can they honestly say they prefer the package (and the proceeds thereof) of Vazquez, Navarre and Halsey, rather than Cano and Wang which was offered.

additionally baseball america and baseball commentators have all claimed the Yankees have no high level talent. I think the mark of a good system (like the Braves or A's) is one that prepares minor leagues to be major leaguers. the Yankee system has done that now with 2 and possibly three of their recently highly regarded prospects. Problem is, no one is acknowledging that.

They claim that the red Sox have a phenomenol system, but besides Papelbon, who has been their infusion of youth. And yet in recent years everyone has claimed that the Red Sox have more so called chips to acquire people in the middle of the season. Clearly that was wrong because the Yankees have shown they had a greater amount of major league ready prospects.

When I say accountable I mean, the people who are usually making these prognostications are doing so based on third party knowledge. Most of these people (and I mean the media) have not actually seen these guys play. If your going to base your prognostications on hearsay and then when you actually see a body of work, like we have, then you should change your opinion of those providing the third party information.

Clearly these people have been wrong, including those who turned down the Yankees when they offered Cano or Wang and took what seems like lesser packages for their players.

And the media has a heavy impact on eventual trades. Because a team who is divesting themselves of a proven player for prospects, regardless of their own scouting, relies in some part on media outlets to endorse a trade in order to pacify their beleaguered fan base.

If everyone from Peter Gammons to Ken Davidson is saying the Yankees have nothing, then a team will most likely be inhibited from dealing with them for fear that their fans will be outraged that a good player was traded for below average minor leaguers.

All Im saying is that sometimes the media and people have to ackowledge when they are wrong, but in this case they failed to do so. It bothers me, because it seems like they refuse to acknowledge erros in order to protect their inflated egos.

All of this stuff has an impact, and fans should be the first ones to hold them accountable. For example if I were a Diamondbacks fan, I would be saying what was Joe Garagiola thinking when he made that deal. And who were the scouts that rated Wang and Cano so low. Further I would be saying to Baseball America and Scouts Inc, what were you guys looking at when you evaluated these players. Cano is on the verge of being an All Star second baseman. All this and still all I hear is that the Yankees are shallow in the farm system. Take another look

That's the longest comment we've ever had here! :)

I understand your point and the point as far as teams wanting to please their fans, etc. is also a good one. I agree with you as far as the Yankees having this talent and I also remember people saying the Yankees farm system was barren. But, hey, there are always two sides to every coin.

Sometimes players just don't look to be that good, but when they get to the big leagues, they are. If everyone looked as good as they turned out to be, no one would make trades because it would be easily measurable. So, when someone turns out good, is that a mistake or is it just hindsight? I guess it's both - a mistake in hindsight. :)

I understand what your saying and trying to give people the benefit of the doubt.

But its not hindsight, the Yankees were sying these are good players, these are players who we scouted and developed. Yet everyone shouted from the roof tops that the Yankees dont have anything. Im not asking for them to get on a soap box and say Im sorry.

What I am sying, is currently the same people who made those predictions two and three years ago about Cano and Wang, are saying the same things about the current Yankee prospects.

when your recieveing third party info, and it ends up being erroneuos based on your first hand knowledge, then its not about hindsight, its ridiculous to use the same sources for that third hand knowledge. They all comment on prospects but they have rarely ever seen them. When we make predictions, its usually based on the things we have seen. Thats why I have such an issue with it, I cant tell you how good Phillip Hughes is, aside from looking at his minor league stats. Which is ultimately what they are bound by. As of now the Yankees have some good young prospects based on their numbers. And yet still people say they are void of high end players

Yeah, but that has to be taken in the proper respect. The Yankees have had players they said were good but didn't turn out. Virtually a limitless list. The same goes for all teams. It doesn't mean anything until someone actually proves themself to be good.

But, you have to apply what you said to the Yankees, as well, I imagine. If the Yankees say that they have a good player that doesn't turn out to be one, do you then dismiss what they say in the future?

Everyone has different opinions. How they form them is how they form them. If you are talking about people who look at absolutely no data of any kind - stats, third party testimony of people they trust, whatever - and make predictions, then I would agree. But, other than that, everyone has a different way of coming to an opinion. Some people look at a .215 hitter and see a .215 hitter, some people look at him on a good day and say that he could be something. Such matters go either way. You always have some people who are up on a prospect and some who are not, whether that be Derek Jeter, D'Angelo Jimenez, Mark Hutton or Jay Tessmer. Everyone is right sometimes and those same people are wrong sometimes.

Yankees do get criticized, its called every young player they trade away and then turns out to be good. or even the ones who play well after being horribel for the Yankees (see Jose Contreras). The Yankees are responsible and are held so by the sinlge notion that people love to say "he was a Yankee farmhand". Its everytime we hear Fred McGriff or Jay Buhner or Doug Drabek, etc...(and that applies for every team, look at the Mets wit Kazmir)

And in the past they were heralded for their development of young players. But now, when they have infused this talent, and peeople knocked them, they refuse to acknowledge the mistake. I understand mistakes, but I dont forgive continued ignoranced.

Yeah, I feel you. We all have to hear those remarks. :) A lot of people just have it out for us. That's what success breeds, I'd say. :)

Good points both:

I want to feel secure on this issue, b/c Cashman won the power struggle for a direct report to Mr. S. without the Tampa crew's input. With Cashman's victory came the apparent renaissance of Gene Michael. These two predict to understand the correct strategic blend of a farm system and free agents.