I beg to differ. The years the Yankees won the World Series:

1923, 1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1941, 1943, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1977, 1978, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000

They won way before the money got involved.

 

ahh, but wait, only twice since 1994 have the yankees not had the highest salary. yes, i know one was a world series win, but they were still second. I would love to see numbers from previous decades to prove they didn't buy most of their world series.

Numbers as far back as I could find within 5 minutes of google searching:

1994
1) Yankees - 45 million
2) Blue Jays - 42 million
3) Braves - 41 million
4) Royals - 41 million
5) Giants - 41 million
6) Tigers - 41 million
7) Reds - 40 million
8) White Sox - 39 million
9) Orioles - 38 million
10) Dodgers - 38 million

1995
1) Blue Jays - 50 million
2) Yankees - 47 million
3) Braves - 46 million
4) Orioles - 41 million
5) White Sox - 40 million
6) Reds - 38 million
7) Athletics - 36 million
8) Tigers - 36 million
9) Indians - 36 million
10) Giants - 35 million

1996
1) Yankees - 53 million
2) Orioles - 49 million
3) Braves - 48 million
4) Indians - 46 million
5) White Sox - 42 million
6) Reds - 41 million
7) Red Sox - 40 million
8) Mariners - 39 million
9) Cardinals - 39 million
10) Rangers - 36 million

1997
1) Yankeees - 60 million
2) Orioles - 55 million
3) White Sox - 55 million
4) Indians - 55 million
5) Braves - 51 million
6) Rangers - 51 million
7) Marlins - 48 million
8) Reds - 47 million
9) Blue Jays - 46 million
10) Cardinals - 45 million

1998
1) Orioles - 71 million
2) Yankees - 64 million
3) Braves - 60 million
4) Indians - 60 million
5) Rangers - 55 million
6) Cardinals - 53 million
7) Mariners - 53 million
8) Red Sox - 52 million
9) Mets - 50 million
10) Cubs - 50 million

1999
1) Yankees - 89 million
2) Rangers - 82 million
3) Braves - 76 million
4) Indians - 74 million
5) Red Sox - 72 million
6) Mets - 72 million
7) Dodgers - 71 million
8) Orioles - 71 million
9) Diamondbacks - 71 million
10) Cubs - 56 million

2000
1) Yankees - 93 million
2) Dodgers - 91 million
3) Orioles - 84 million
4) Braves - 83 Million
5) Red Sox - 82 million
6) Mets - 80 million
7) Diamondbacks - 80 million
8) Indians - 77 million
9) Rangers - 71 million
10) Devil Rays - 65 million

2001
1) Yankees - 113 million
2) Red Sox - 110 million
3) Dodgers - 110 million
4) Mets - 94 million
5) Indians - 93 million
6) Braves - 92 million
7) Rangers - 89 million
8) Diamondbacks - 86 million
9) Cardinals - 79 million
10) Blue Jays - 77 million

2002
1) Yankees - 126 million
2) Red Sox - 109 million
3) Rangers - 106 million
4) Diamondbacks - 103 million
5) Dodgers - 95 million
6) Mets - 95 million
7) Braves - 94 million
8) Mariners - 81 million
9) Indians - 79 million
10) Giants - 79 million

2003
1) Yankees - 153 million
2) Mets - 118 million
3) Braves - 107 million
4) Dodgers - 106 million
5) Rangers - 104 million
6) Red Sox - 100 million
7) Mariners - 87 million
8) Cardinals - 84 million
9) Giants - 83 million
10) Diamondbacks - 81 million

2004
1) Yankees - 185 million
2) Red Sox - 128 million
3) Angels - 101 million
4) Mets - 97 million
5) Phillies - 94 million
6) Dodgers - 93 million
7) Cubs - 91 million
8) Braves - 91 million
9) Cardinals - 84 million
10) Giants - 83 million

2005
1) Yankees - 209 million
2) Red Sox - 124 million
3) Mets - 102 million
4) Angels - 98 million
5) Phillies - 96 million
6) Cardinals - 93 million
7) Giants - 91 million
8) Mariners - 88 million
9) Cubs - 88 million
10) Braves - 87 million

2006
1) Yankees - 195 million
2) Red Sox - 121 million
3) Angels - 104 million
4) White Sox - 103 million
5) Mets - 102 million
6) Dodgers - 99 million
7) Cubs - 95 million
8) Astros - 93 million
9) Braves - 91 million
10) Giants - 91 million

 

some may have been earned, but the recent ones have been Bought