Pedro, Chemistry, Hair, and Nelson

The fans just don't get. They don't want Pedro Martinez to pitch for the Yankees because it will destroy the team chemistry, because he has long hair, because he has a friend who is a midget, and because he says dumb things to the media. All those negatives really hurt the Red Sox, didn't they?

What is team chemistry? How many fans have ever been in a major league team's locker room? How many fans know what goes on between and among players before, during, and after a game? Do the media report what really occurs or do they limit what they report for fear of incurring the players' wrath and creating less cooperative sources? Can Yankees fans rely on John Sterling to tell them what is really going on?

The Yankees won five straight World Championships from 1949-1953. The team chemistry they had was epitomized by Hank Bauer. When a Yankee, almost invariably a rookie or a player who came over from another team, didn't do what he was supposed to do, Bauer would snarl, "Don't mess with my money." Winning creates team chemistry.

The issue of hair "style" is idiotic. Compare Randy Johnson to Mike Mussina. Who is more clean cut? Who is the better pitcher? Compare Jason Giambi before and after he became a Yankee. Did Yogi Berra look like a ballplayer? Did Casey Stengel look like Connie Mack?

Two Casey Stengel quotes speak volumes about players and teams. "Being with a woman all night never hurt no professional baseball player. It's staying up all night looking for a woman that does him in," and "The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided." Make sure that the players have short hair and no beards but ignore their philandering. And all the Yankees players love Joe Torre.

A team is composed of individuals who cannot be prevented from BEING individuals. The Yankees may try to stop players from expressing their individuality but they can succeed only outwardly. David Wells will always be David Wells regardless of what happens. Bernie Williams will always be Bernie Williams. The difference is that David Wells' actions usually are not condoned by those in power so Wells is looked upon as a rebel. Bernie Williams can never express Wells' intensity but the media tell us that he cares and that he just expresses his caring differently. Fine. If Pedro wants long hair, so what. Only a fool would value the length of a player's hair more than what the player can contribute to winning.

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