Now That's An Expensive Infield

In 1910, Philadelphia Athletics manager Connie Mack assembled the famed "$100,000 infield." The combination of Eddie Collins, Home Run Baker, Stuffy McInnis, and Jack Berry propelled the Athletics to the top of the American League and led the Athletics to three World Championships.

Mack was a firm believer that the infield was a integral part to building a winning baseball team. Therefore, Mack was willing to spend whatever it took to bring the best set of infielders to his Athletics.

Fast forward to 2008, and it appears as though Yankees GM Brian Cashman has reinvented the $100,000 infield. Cashman has assembled the best infield that money could buy (literally) and in the process has built the most dynamic set of infielders that my generation will likely see.

Let me now introduce you to the $80.5 million dollar infield:

1B: Teixeira: $22.5 mil

2B: Cano: $6 mil

SS: Jeter: $20 mil

3B: Rodriguez: $32 mil

The 2009 salary of the four Yankee infielders is more than the 2008 team payroll of sixteen teams. That's half the league!

It will be determined if Cashman's $80 million infield attains the level of success that of the $100,000 infield, but Cashman has built the present and future Yankees through the infield. If the Yankees are going to win in 2009 and beyond, these four all-stars will play a vital role in their success. Somewhere Connie Mack is smiling.