Yankees president fires back at Brewers owner

In Monday’s USA Today, Brewers owner Mark Attanasio bemoaned his low-budget team’s struggles in signing Prince Fielder while the Yankees were spending more than twice as much on salaries.

"We’re struggling to sign (Fielder)," Attanasio told the paper, "and the Yankees infield is making more than our team."

Yankees president Randy Levine apparently didn’t take kindly to the comment. He offered a sharp response Tuesday, according to ESPNNewYork.com.

"I’m sorry that my friend Mark continues to whine about his running the Brewers," Levine told the web site. "We play by all the rules and there doesn’t seem to be any complaints when teams such as the Brewers receive hundreds of millions of dollars that they get from us in revenue sharing the last few years. Take some of that money that you get from us and use that to sign your players.

"The question that should be asked is: Where has the hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue sharing gone?"

The Brewers are expected to spend around $80 million on salaries this season, while the Yankees’ payroll is expected to be around $200 million, according to USA Today. New York infielders are slated to make $85.225 million this year.

While the Yankees’ payroll is about $44 million more than second-place Boston for 2010, the Brewers aren’t exactly paupers. They’re 18th in the majors in payroll entering the season, outspending the last-place Pirates by more than $45 million.

In Monday’s USA Today, Brewers owner Mark Attanasio bemoaned his low-budget team’s struggles in signing Prince Fielder while the Yankees were spending more than twice as much on salaries.

"We’re struggling to sign (Fielder)," Attanasio told the paper, "and the Yankees infield is making more than our team."

Yankees president Randy Levine apparently didn’t take kindly to the comment. He offered a sharp response Tuesday, according to ESPNNewYork.com.

"I’m sorry that my friend Mark continues to whine about his running the Brewers," Levine told the web site. "We play by all the rules and there doesn’t seem to be any complaints when teams such as the Brewers receive hundreds of millions of dollars that they get from us in revenue sharing the last few years. Take some of that money that you get from us and use that to sign your players.

"The question that should be asked is: Where has the hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue sharing gone?"

The Brewers are expected to spend around $80 million on salaries this season, while the Yankees’ payroll is expected to be around $200 million, according to USA Today. New York infielders are slated to make $85.225 million this year.

While the Yankees’ payroll is about $44 million more than second-place Boston for 2010, the Brewers aren’t exactly paupers. They’re 18th in the majors in payroll entering the season, outspending the last-place Pirates by more than $45 million.

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