Cisco and the Yankees signed a reported $15 million to $16 million deal to outfit the new stadium with the new technology, which includes about 1,100 flat-panel monitors mounted around the stadium, flat-screen PCs mounted in the players' lockers, and special IP phones installed in luxury boxes that will allow fans to order concessions, project the number of times that Richie Sexson will choke with runners on base, and replay the highlights of the Yankees folding against the Red Sox over and over and over and over. Video-conferencing gear will also be connected to local schools and other organizations, giving the New York community another medium to let the local nine know how badly they suck.

The reported value of the deal is about $7 million less than Jason Giambi made for the 2008 season, which gives you a nice idea of how much a ballplayer is actually worth these days. Incidentally, all of the gear will be juiced, so to speak, by connections to the Cisco IP network.

The New York Times reported that the Yankees have formed a technology subsidiary. Given the way that the Yankees spend, it will probably be known as Google.

The new Yankee Stadium will most likely serve as a test bed for the new Cisco Field in Silicon Valley, said to be the new home of the Oakland A's -- whenever they get around to building it, that is. At Cisco Field, I suspect that each seat will be given IP access to a cloud computing network, where fans can calculate a given player's OPS per RISP on overcast days in the high 60s, with trend lines for left-handed and right-handed batters compared to a given pitcher's WHIP rato, mapped over his career. And then calculate his net worth, in pesos. Because that's what the A's pay their players.

One can take solace, however, in the mental image of Bobby Abreu walking back to the dugout (again), watching his strikeout reflected in a thousand monitors all across the stadium. Just a few months to Opening Day, ye faithful.

Image Source: Reuters