Rangers Won Due to Welfare?

The Texas Rangers enter the 2010 MLB season as the reigning champions of the American League. However, don’t think that will start their rivals from talking trash. Last year, the Rangers got help from the league while their ownership issues were ironed out. That league aid miffed a number of ballclubs, most notably the New York Yankees.

Randy Levine, the president of the Yankees, had some harsh words for Chuck Greenberg and the Rangers. Greenberg is the Rangers new owner.

“I’ll be impressed when he demonstrates he can keep the Rangers off welfare,” said Levine. “What I mean is make them not be a revenue-sharing recipient for three years in a row, without taking financing from baseball or advance money from television networks. Then I’ll be impressed.”

Levine said those words after Greenberg talked about how the Rangers played a key role in keeping Cliff Lee away from the Yankees. According to Greenberg, Lee probably would have signed with the Yankees instead of the Philadelphia Phillies if it weren’t for the Rangers keeping the door open.

“I think Chuck is delusional. He has been running the Rangers for a few minutes and seems to believe he’s mastered what everyone else is thinking,” added Levine.

Did the Rangers get Cliff Lee with welfare? (Image: TSN.ca)