What defines a good farm system?

[The Jays]

Tell me, please.

Over and over again, I keep hearing every reporter bash the Yankees whenever they mention the farm system, by throwing in the jab that the Yanks don't have a good one, and they never cite anything which backs up the statement. Meanwhile, I see each of the Yankees minor teams in contention in their leagues every year.

so please, explain it to me like I'm a six year old.

[The Jays]

exactly!

[Keyser Soze]

read baseball america

[The Jays]

no. I want someone to tell me here.

otherwise, you're all cowards and I win.

[GonzoStyle]

they need to update the term "Farm system"

Cause whenever I hear that I get flashbacks of "field of dreams", a bunch of guys playing in a corn field somewhere in Iowa.

Little girls choking on hot dogs, moonlight graham, and kevin costner ruining what is such an amazing movie.

[Keyser Soze]

a good farm system has talent at several positions at several levels. it takes patience and the willingness to not sacrifice winning now by trading valuable parts for players who can help you in the immediate future. it requires good scouting at the high school level and the ability to seek out talent in latin america which has a good record of turning out winners. its a crapshoot for the most part. 5% or less of your farm system is going to likely make it to the major league level, but that one player can make a world of impact. reyes and wright are two good examples, but the exception to the norm. reyes is still a work in progress but wright seems destined for greatness and he makes the league minimum for several years before he's eligable. that gives your club the ability to have high impact players for next to nothing and still have the flexibility to spend money in other places. Theres also the ancillary pleasure of seeing someone homegrown, one of your own, become a superstar.

The Yankees have produced some exceptional talent out of their farm system, but its been several years since they've been able to do it. They really have not needed to, they have the money to buy players to fill the gaps, a good farm system is something that a less financially successful team is more dependant on.

[HollywoodJewMoses]

when a minor league team is bad, it is partially because their good players are being bounced from team to team, so just because the yankees have good minor league teams, performance wise, doesnt mean they have a good system.

[Galt]

A good farm system has players who are good in the minors in spite of being in their early 20s, not 30 year olds who used to be major leaguers who can't quite make it now.