Like all good, normal Americans outside the 212 area code, I love to hate the Yankees. They are the necessary evil to counter all that is good, the requisite villain we all need to hiss, like Darth Vader, Professor Moriarty and the IRS.

That's what makes this column so difficult to write. I (gulp) admire what the Yankees did last week.

Sure, when the Yankees traded for Raul Mondesi last week, I initially thought, "Good Lord. There they go again." But after further consideration, I thought, "Well, at least they want to get better." And when the Yankees traded Ted Lilly and prospects for Detroit pitcher Jeff Weaver in a three-way deal a couple days later, I thought, "Good Lord. Couldn't any other team make a deal for Weaver?"

Listen, I get as tired as anyone of the Yankees bragging about how theirs is mostly a home-grown roster, that they developed their team the Calvinist, old-fashioned way -- from within -- by developing their own players. What they never say, of course, is that they have the money necessary to keep those players rather than lose them as free agents, as is the case for so many poorer teams.

I also know all about low-revenue teams and the challenges they face. I covered the Mariners for several years when they were considered a small-market team playing in an area that supposedly would never support major league baseball. I covered the Twins for years when they were considered a small-market team playing in an area that supposedly wasn't properly supporting major league baseball.

I realize how hard it is to compete against a team with a payroll that might be three times higher than a rival and with revenues that might be four or five times as high.

But what I don't get is how all these teams always complain about the Yankees dominating the game and yet, they then turn around and give them their good players. It's like selling arms to the Taliban or pledging money to Enron's legal defense fund.

Obviously, it makes sense for teams out of contention to dump salaries for prospects and build for the future when the present isn't so promising. But if the Yankees are the ultimate evil in the universe, can't they find some other team to deal with? Why not the Florida Marlins, whom Jeffrey Loria is stripping for body parts?

Don't say the Yankees are the only team who can afford the players. Mondesi is not the player he once was but he's still useful and the Blue Jays are paying half his salary next year. In other words, the Yankees got an outfielder with 16 home runs, 50 RBIs, good speed and a great arm for half-price. How come other rich, contending teams couldn't afford that? Weaver makes $2.35 million this season and is a very good young pitcher who you just know will blossom in the Yankees rotation. Couldn't anyone else have found a way to get him?

Or is general manager Brian Cashman simply like one of those long-distance company telemarketers who call every night for three solid months and won't take no for an answer until they finally wear you down and you say, "Yes, whatever you say. Sign me up for long distance and caller ID and call waiting and take Jeff Weaver too, just LEAVE ME ALONE FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!!"

Unlike certain teams that place their revenue sharing checks in their wallets and deal off their best players, the Yankees plow their enormous fortunes back into the team and make even more money and win even more games. While other teams merely considered trades while standing in line for "Star Wars III" with those two Seattle losers, the Yankees acted and plucked two players off the market. And they do it all the time.

Two years ago when David Justice was available everyone had a shot at him. The Mariners, who make almost as much money as the Yankees and who needed a left-handed power hitter, could have traded for him. They didn't, opting for Al Martin. The Yankees did, giving up Ricky Ledee and prospects to Cleveland (which, as it turned out, got doubly burned when it missed the playoffs by one game). Justice wound up hitting the Game 6 home run that killed the Mariners in the playoffs and sent the Yankees to the World Series again.

You can complain about the Yankees buying a pennant. But just remember, there are teams selling it to them.

There's more to competing against New York than just banning "Yankees Suck" T-shirts from your ballpark

Jim Caple is a senior writer for ESPN.com. He can be reached at cuffscaple@hotmail.com