Steinbrenner passes (1 Viewer)

[gump]

....

 

[Michael Brown]

Doesn't sound promising the way they're already past-tensing him on ESPN. He's one of my favorite Yankees of all-time, hope he's able to pull through.

 

[Tremendous Upside]

Between Sheppard and Steinbrenner, it's going to be a particularly emotional Old Timer's Day on Saturday

 

[pantagrapher]

RIP

 

[gump]

RIP The Boss

 

[greenroom]

sad day RIP Mr. Steinbrenner .... but maybe they can get a salary cap in baseball.. since he was the main guy stopping it.

 

[Michael Brown]

Not to keep relating my wedding to dead Yankee legends, but we did a thing with the tables at the wedding last year. We based the table numbers on Yankee jersey numbers. So instead of tables 1-20, we numbered them based on retired numbers and a few more current players like Tino, O'Neill, Pettitte, etc. On each table, we put a photo of each player with his number superimposed on it to signify what table it was. So there were people at the "Mattingly 23" table or the "Rivera 42" table. My wife and I had our own table, with a picture of George that said "The Boss" on it. We still display that picture in our living room, right alongside the family wedding photo. I regret that I never had the opportunity to meet him, but I loved the guy.

Really one of the most legendary Yankees of all-time. RIP Boss.

 

[Michael Brown]

sad day RIP Mr. Steinbrenner .... but maybe they can get a salary cap in baseball.. since he was the main guy stopping it.

I don't even know what this statement means. Are you actually suggesting that Steinbrenner being alive was the biggest reason there is no cap in baseball?

 

[Koya]

Tough day for the Yankee's and their fans, especially those who are true fans, through the good times and the bad (for those that remember the latter). The Voice and now the Boss. Gone.

Even a Mets fan has to respect both, and mourn their loss. The Boss was as prominent a player in this City as any over the past generation, and his indelible footprint led by a passion for winning with no excuse for losing, will be felt by the City and especially by the Yankees for many years to come.

Rest in Peace, Boss.

 

[Smack Tripper]

Wow, didn't see it coming but I guess I should have.

I grew up going to late 80's games where banners and flyers would circulate with a simple three word phrase "George Must Go". I remember the exuberance of the crowd the night George was suspended, for life, again, by Fay Vincent in 1990. There was a very real feeling, ding dong the witch is dead, and maybe this insane downward cycle of a team can start getting going in the right direction. The rest is history, by and large, Gene Michael and Buck got the reigns, the ship got righted, and George was back within a few years, and that core that was assembled and maintained in George's absentia carried them back to prominence, which still carries them today.

It was a complicated run, and it feels like, the kind of complications we have made an example of and blanched and bleached contemporary management to never have the sort of color George did. I'm reticent to totally sugar coat the experience of George, but I feel in so doing I'm parroting my father, brothers and uncles who lived through the 70's Yankees and George's herky-jerky run. Coming on board in the late 80's, I had my Andy Hawkins and Dave LaPoint signings to deal with, but for the most part, I guess I got good George. As a consequence, the check to the balance I should feel today, of balancing Howie Spira and the 20 managers in 20 years etc, just isn't there.

What I feel today is love and sadness for the crazy old *******. Because I knew this, as long as George was at the helm, the Yankees were going to have all they needed to win. And it was an odd reversal in the 00s, with the big money free agents in the wake of a championship run that didn't quite fit. As much as he was aware and with it, I hope he enjoyed last fall. It was a wonderful synthesis of all the eras of George. Some of that fun and toughness of the late 70's teams and the core and rally happy nature of the late 90's teams. It was a perfect coda for him, and given the recognition for George, you figure his family had to know there might not be too much longer to go for him.

As a Yankee fan, when you debate people on Yankee payroll, you take heat. But I never personally cared BECAUSE of George. George was far from the richest owner in baseball, but George was aggressive and aware about revinvesting OUR money, the money of the fans, back into the team. This guy took money out of his pocket to compete and win. Yankee fans can be annoying and tough to take, being one, I'll be the first to admit that. They inherited a lot of George's attitude that winning is everything, and that a season was a failure if it didn't end hoisting the trophy. This is the wrong attitude to have, but what I will say is this, this mentality drove me to be more successful and competitive in life. You're not always going to win, but you're going to be in a better place than when you started for putting all you have into your fight. This is a direct influence of George in my life.

A complicated man and an interesting life. I think there are worse epitaphs to have for yourself. RIP Boss, we'll miss you.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Grew up a huge Dave Winfield fan so I was never that fond of the Boss, but he was a hell of an influence on the greatest baseball franchise in history. RIP.

 

[Reaper]

Wow, didn't see it coming but I guess I should have. I grew up going to late 80's games where banners and flyers would circulate with a simple three word phrase "George Must Go".

Or...... TOSS THE BOSS!!!!My buddy and I had shirts made up. I feel the same mixed feelings... I wasn't a George fan at all for much of the 80's and certainly felt his banishment was good for the Team.In the big picture, he was a remarkable man though who wanted to Win.

 

[Trump]

I don't understand why people are referring to Steinbrenner as a Yankee. He was no more a Yankee than Obama is a Soldier or Thomas Jefferson was a slave. Billy Martin was a Yankee. Matty Alou was a Yankee. Hell, even George Halas - Chicago Bears patriarch and owner was a Yankee (though hitting .091 hardly qualifies). Steinbrenner never fielded a ground ball, squared to bunt, swung and missed or turned a double play. He sat in the stands and ruined the competetive balance of the game. He OWNED a team - he wasn't a team member. If I own a share of the Packers, does that make me a Packer?? No. Ray Nitchke was a Packer. John Brockington was a Packer.....and so on.

 

[Man In The Box]

I don't understand why people are referring to Steinbrenner as a Yankee. He was no more a Yankee than Obama is a Soldier or Thomas Jefferson was a slave. Billy Martin was a Yankee. Matty Alou was a Yankee. Hell, even George Halas - Chicago Bears patriarch and owner was a Yankee (though hitting .091 hardly qualifies). Steinbrenner never fielded a ground ball, squared to bunt, swung and missed or turned a double play. He sat in the stands and ruined the competetive balance of the game. He OWNED a team - he wasn't a team member. If I own a share of the Packers, does that make me a Packer?? No. Ray Nitchke was a Packer. John Brockington was a Packer.....and so on.

0/10

 

[Michael Brown]

I don't understand why people are referring to Steinbrenner as a Yankee. He was no more a Yankee than Obama is a Soldier or Thomas Jefferson was a slave. Billy Martin was a Yankee. Matty Alou was a Yankee. Hell, even George Halas - Chicago Bears patriarch and owner was a Yankee (though hitting .091 hardly qualifies). Steinbrenner never fielded a ground ball, squared to bunt, swung and missed or turned a double play. He sat in the stands and ruined the competetive balance of the game. He OWNED a team - he wasn't a team member. If I own a share of the Packers, does that make me a Packer?? No. Ray Nitchke was a Packer. John Brockington was a Packer.....and so on.

Because to fans, being a Yankee doesn't mean you just put on the uniform. Bob Sheppard was a Yankee, George was a Yankee. By your logic, Carl Pavano and Ed Whitson were more of a Yankee than George. Crazy talk.

 

[Steelers4Life]

What a great guy he was.

He figured out that he could use the biggest media market in the country to exploit an inherently unfair economic system in baseball. He stole Ted Turner's idea of a private television network so he could generate so much more revenue than everyone else that his team would never have to struggle to be competitive or pay the price everyone else does for failed investments.

I'm sure he was a great guy to those who knew him or rooted for the team he built, and his ### has to be kissed in order to please the oh so important New York market, but the guy did nothing but exploit an unfair system because he bought the team in the only market in the country capable of doing it.

Great businessman, but it's easy to say winning is the only important thing when you're never shackled by revenue problems.

 

[Michael Brown]

What a great guy he was.

He figured out that he could use the biggest media market in the country to exploit an inherently unfair economic system in baseball. He stole Ted Turner's idea of a private television network so he could generate so much more revenue than everyone else that his team would never have to struggle to be competitive or pay the price everyone else does for failed investments.

I'm sure he was a great guy to those who knew him or rooted for the team he built, and his ### has to be kissed in order to please the oh so important New York market, but the guy did nothing but exploit an unfair system because he bought the team in the only market in the country capable of doing it.

Great businessman, but it's easy to say winning is the only important thing when you're never shackled by revenue problems.

What does any of the rest of it have to do with your sarcastic first sentence? From all accounts, he was an extremely generous guy. He wasn't a dream to work for, but he did a ton in the communities and with charity work that didn't get very publicized.He was a great guy. And he was a great businessman. The rest of your post is sour grapes, and your complaints should be directed at MLB...not at a baseball legend who just passed away. Just like with any other recently deceased person, please take your trolling elsewhere.

 

[Steelers4Life]

What a great guy he was.

He figured out that he could use the biggest media market in the country to exploit an inherently unfair economic system in baseball. He stole Ted Turner's idea of a private television network so he could generate so much more revenue than everyone else that his team would never have to struggle to be competitive or pay the price everyone else does for failed investments.

I'm sure he was a great guy to those who knew him or rooted for the team he built, and his ### has to be kissed in order to please the oh so important New York market, but the guy did nothing but exploit an unfair system because he bought the team in the only market in the country capable of doing it.

Great businessman, but it's easy to say winning is the only important thing when you're never shackled by revenue problems.

What does any of the rest of it have to do with your sarcastic first sentence? From all accounts, he was an extremely generous guy. He wasn't a dream to work for, but he did a ton in the communities and with charity work that didn't get very publicized.He was a great guy. And he was a great businessman. The rest of your post is sour grapes, and your complaints should be directed at MLB...not at a baseball legend who just passed away. Just like with any other recently deceased person, please take your trolling elsewhere.

Actually, I had meant to go back and change that sentence, but forgot. Not a big deal. Trolling? Not quite. I'm getting sick and tired of hearing how great of a baseball owner he was, because all he did was take advantage of a huge, built in competitive advantage. Kudos to him for figuring that out.

I'm not ripping the guy as a person, because from all accounts he was a good guy away from baseball. But as far as the baseball side of things went, he didn't do anything special at all. He bought a franchise in New York, figured out that he can generate twice as much revenue as anyone else, did it, and set the team up for the future. Sorry, but that's not a baseball legend.

 

[Trump]

I don't understand why people are referring to Steinbrenner as a Yankee. He was no more a Yankee than Obama is a Soldier or Thomas Jefferson was a slave. Billy Martin was a Yankee. Matty Alou was a Yankee. Hell, even George Halas - Chicago Bears patriarch and owner was a Yankee (though hitting .091 hardly qualifies). Steinbrenner never fielded a ground ball, squared to bunt, swung and missed or turned a double play. He sat in the stands and ruined the competetive balance of the game. He OWNED a team - he wasn't a team member. If I own a share of the Packers, does that make me a Packer?? No. Ray Nitchke was a Packer. John Brockington was a Packer.....and so on.

Because to fans, being a Yankee doesn't mean you just put on the uniform. Bob Sheppard was a Yankee, George was a Yankee. By your logic, Carl Pavano and Ed Whitson were more of a Yankee than George. Crazy talk.

Bob Sheppard was NOT a Yankee - but he was closer than Steinbrenner. He was a paid member of the organization - paid for his work just outside the lines of the field. You seem to get it at the end of your post....YES - Pavano and Whitson...and Elston Howard and Catfish Hunter were all Yankees - George Steinbrenner owned the team - he was not a team member. He was not a Yankee. Had you seen a paparazzi photo of Steinbrenner standing with Mark Spitz that was titled Olympian Mark Spitz and New York Yankees George Steinbrenner and Oscar Gamble you would have corrected it in your head to read Olympian Mark Spitz and Yankee OWNER George Steinbrenner and FORMER Yankee Oscar Gamble (http://image3.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID33368/images/OscarGamble1976(1).jpg) - Steinbrenner was an owner - NOT a player, nor an employee. He was no more a Yankee than Dan Snyder is a Redskin or Jerry Buss a Laker.

 

[Trump]

What a great guy he was.

He figured out that he could use the biggest media market in the country to exploit an inherently unfair economic system in baseball. He stole Ted Turner's idea of a private television network so he could generate so much more revenue than everyone else that his team would never have to struggle to be competitive or pay the price everyone else does for failed investments.

I'm sure he was a great guy to those who knew him or rooted for the team he built, and his ### has to be kissed in order to please the oh so important New York market, but the guy did nothing but exploit an unfair system because he bought the team in the only market in the country capable of doing it.

Great businessman, but it's easy to say winning is the only important thing when you're never shackled by revenue problems.

What does any of the rest of it have to do with your sarcastic first sentence? From all accounts, he was an extremely generous guy. He wasn't a dream to work for, but he did a ton in the communities and with charity work that didn't get very publicized.He was a great guy. And he was a great businessman. The rest of your post is sour grapes, and your complaints should be directed at MLB...not at a baseball legend who just passed away. Just like with any other recently deceased person, please take your trolling elsewhere.

Actually, I had meant to go back and change that sentence, but forgot. Not a big deal. Trolling? Not quite. I'm getting sick and tired of hearing how great of a baseball owner he was, because all he did was take advantage of a huge, built in competitive advantage. Kudos to him for figuring that out.

I'm not ripping the guy as a person, because from all accounts he was a good guy away from baseball. But as far as the baseball side of things went, he didn't do anything special at all. He bought a franchise in New York, figured out that he can generate twice as much revenue as anyone else, did it, and set the team up for the future. Sorry, but that's not a baseball legend.

Your first post was quite accurate.

 

[Smack Tripper]

What a great guy he was.

He figured out that he could use the biggest media market in the country to exploit an inherently unfair economic system in baseball. He stole Ted Turner's idea of a private television network so he could generate so much more revenue than everyone else that his team would never have to struggle to be competitive or pay the price everyone else does for failed investments.

I'm sure he was a great guy to those who knew him or rooted for the team he built, and his ### has to be kissed in order to please the oh so important New York market, but the guy did nothing but exploit an unfair system because he bought the team in the only market in the country capable of doing it.

Great businessman, but it's easy to say winning is the only important thing when you're never shackled by revenue problems.

What does any of the rest of it have to do with your sarcastic first sentence? From all accounts, he was an extremely generous guy. He wasn't a dream to work for, but he did a ton in the communities and with charity work that didn't get very publicized.He was a great guy. And he was a great businessman. The rest of your post is sour grapes, and your complaints should be directed at MLB...not at a baseball legend who just passed away. Just like with any other recently deceased person, please take your trolling elsewhere.

Actually, I had meant to go back and change that sentence, but forgot. Not a big deal. Trolling? Not quite. I'm getting sick and tired of hearing how great of a baseball owner he was, because all he did was take advantage of a huge, built in competitive advantage. Kudos to him for figuring that out.

I'm not ripping the guy as a person, because from all accounts he was a good guy away from baseball. But as far as the baseball side of things went, he didn't do anything special at all. He bought a franchise in New York, figured out that he can generate twice as much revenue as anyone else, did it, and set the team up for the future. Sorry, but that's not a baseball legend.

If New York was so easy to work with and in, why did CBS dump their team, why did two teams move out west, and why didn't anyone else do what he did? Its pretty easy to Monday morning quarterback 40 years later, but to the gambler go the spoils. I don't even know what to add, you're obviously bitter over something, but George was a rising tide that lifted all ships in baseball.

 

[gump]

I don't understand why people are referring to Steinbrenner as a Yankee. He was no more a Yankee than Obama is a Soldier or Thomas Jefferson was a slave. Billy Martin was a Yankee. Matty Alou was a Yankee. Hell, even George Halas - Chicago Bears patriarch and owner was a Yankee (though hitting .091 hardly qualifies). Steinbrenner never fielded a ground ball, squared to bunt, swung and missed or turned a double play. He sat in the stands and ruined the competetive balance of the game. He OWNED a team - he wasn't a team member. If I own a share of the Packers, does that make me a Packer?? No. Ray Nitchke was a Packer. John Brockington was a Packer.....and so on.

Because to fans, being a Yankee doesn't mean you just put on the uniform. Bob Sheppard was a Yankee, George was a Yankee. By your logic, Carl Pavano and Ed Whitson were more of a Yankee than George. Crazy talk.

Bob Sheppard was NOT a Yankee - but he was closer than Steinbrenner. He was a paid member of the organization - paid for his work just outside the lines of the field. You seem to get it at the end of your post....YES - Pavano and Whitson...and Elston Howard and Catfish Hunter were all Yankees - George Steinbrenner owned the team - he was not a team member. He was not a Yankee. Had you seen a paparazzi photo of Steinbrenner standing with Mark Spitz that was titled Olympian Mark Spitz and New York Yankees George Steinbrenner and Oscar Gamble you would have corrected it in your head to read Olympian Mark Spitz and Yankee OWNER George Steinbrenner and FORMER Yankee Oscar Gamble (http://image3.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID33368/images/OscarGamble1976(1).jpg) - Steinbrenner was an owner - NOT a player, nor an employee. He was no more a Yankee than Dan Snyder is a Redskin or Jerry Buss a Laker.

What's the difference between someone who worked for the franchise and someone who owned it?

 

[gump]

What a great guy he was.

He figured out that he could use the biggest media market in the country to exploit an inherently unfair economic system in baseball. He stole Ted Turner's idea of a private television network so he could generate so much more revenue than everyone else that his team would never have to struggle to be competitive or pay the price everyone else does for failed investments.

I'm sure he was a great guy to those who knew him or rooted for the team he built, and his ### has to be kissed in order to please the oh so important New York market, but the guy did nothing but exploit an unfair system because he bought the team in the only market in the country capable of doing it.

Great businessman, but it's easy to say winning is the only important thing when you're never shackled by revenue problems.

What does any of the rest of it have to do with your sarcastic first sentence? From all accounts, he was an extremely generous guy. He wasn't a dream to work for, but he did a ton in the communities and with charity work that didn't get very publicized.He was a great guy. And he was a great businessman. The rest of your post is sour grapes, and your complaints should be directed at MLB...not at a baseball legend who just passed away. Just like with any other recently deceased person, please take your trolling elsewhere.

Actually, I had meant to go back and change that sentence, but forgot. Not a big deal. Trolling? Not quite. I'm getting sick and tired of hearing how great of a baseball owner he was, because all he did was take advantage of a huge, built in competitive advantage. Kudos to him for figuring that out.

I'm not ripping the guy as a person, because from all accounts he was a good guy away from baseball. But as far as the baseball side of things went, he didn't do anything special at all. He bought a franchise in New York, figured out that he can generate twice as much revenue as anyone else, did it, and set the team up for the future. Sorry, but that's not a baseball legend.

If New York was so easy to work with and in, why did CBS dump their team, why did two teams move out west, and why didn't anyone else do what he did? Its pretty easy to Monday morning quarterback 40 years later, but to the gambler go the spoils. I don't even know what to add, you're obviously bitter over something, but George was a rising tide that lifted all ships in baseball.

It was obviously clear as mud in 1973 that the Yankee org was capable of being where it is now.

 

[Trump]

I don't understand why people are referring to Steinbrenner as a Yankee. He was no more a Yankee than Obama is a Soldier or Thomas Jefferson was a slave. Billy Martin was a Yankee. Matty Alou was a Yankee. Hell, even George Halas - Chicago Bears patriarch and owner was a Yankee (though hitting .091 hardly qualifies). Steinbrenner never fielded a ground ball, squared to bunt, swung and missed or turned a double play. He sat in the stands and ruined the competetive balance of the game. He OWNED a team - he wasn't a team member. If I own a share of the Packers, does that make me a Packer?? No. Ray Nitchke was a Packer. John Brockington was a Packer.....and so on.

Because to fans, being a Yankee doesn't mean you just put on the uniform. Bob Sheppard was a Yankee, George was a Yankee. By your logic, Carl Pavano and Ed Whitson were more of a Yankee than George. Crazy talk.

Bob Sheppard was NOT a Yankee - but he was closer than Steinbrenner. He was a paid member of the organization - paid for his work just outside the lines of the field. You seem to get it at the end of your post....YES - Pavano and Whitson...and Elston Howard and Catfish Hunter were all Yankees - George Steinbrenner owned the team - he was not a team member. He was not a Yankee. Had you seen a paparazzi photo of Steinbrenner standing with Mark Spitz that was titled Olympian Mark Spitz and New York Yankees George Steinbrenner and Oscar Gamble you would have corrected it in your head to read Olympian Mark Spitz and Yankee OWNER George Steinbrenner and FORMER Yankee Oscar Gamble (http://image3.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID33368/images/OscarGamble1976(1).jpg) - Steinbrenner was an owner - NOT a player, nor an employee. He was no more a Yankee than Dan Snyder is a Redskin or Jerry Buss a Laker.

What's the difference between someone who worked for the franchise and someone who owned it?

Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner, not a slave.Dan Snyder is the Redskins owner, not a Redskin.

Al Davis and Paul Brown owned their respective teams and "performed" during games on the field - so they are reasonably referred to as Raiders and Bengals respectively.

George Bush owned the Rangers, he was not a Ranger.

Mark Cuban would like to be a Maverick, but he is not. He is the owner.

Richard Branson is an entrepreneur, not a Virgin....and George Steinbrenner was the owner of the Yankees, not a Yankee.

This should not be a difficult concept to absorb - even for the ardent fan - unless said fan is not too bright.

 

[Raider Nation]

The old "massive heart attack" claims another person. Jesus, who's next.... Yogi?

I'll never forget the day The Boss died. It's my birthday.

 

[Michael Brown]

I don't understand why people are referring to Steinbrenner as a Yankee. He was no more a Yankee than Obama is a Soldier or Thomas Jefferson was a slave. Billy Martin was a Yankee. Matty Alou was a Yankee. Hell, even George Halas - Chicago Bears patriarch and owner was a Yankee (though hitting .091 hardly qualifies). Steinbrenner never fielded a ground ball, squared to bunt, swung and missed or turned a double play. He sat in the stands and ruined the competetive balance of the game. He OWNED a team - he wasn't a team member. If I own a share of the Packers, does that make me a Packer?? No. Ray Nitchke was a Packer. John Brockington was a Packer.....and so on.

Because to fans, being a Yankee doesn't mean you just put on the uniform. Bob Sheppard was a Yankee, George was a Yankee. By your logic, Carl Pavano and Ed Whitson were more of a Yankee than George. Crazy talk.

Bob Sheppard was NOT a Yankee - but he was closer than Steinbrenner. He was a paid member of the organization - paid for his work just outside the lines of the field. You seem to get it at the end of your post....YES - Pavano and Whitson...and Elston Howard and Catfish Hunter were all Yankees - George Steinbrenner owned the team - he was not a team member. He was not a Yankee. Had you seen a paparazzi photo of Steinbrenner standing with Mark Spitz that was titled Olympian Mark Spitz and New York Yankees George Steinbrenner and Oscar Gamble you would have corrected it in your head to read Olympian Mark Spitz and Yankee OWNER George Steinbrenner and FORMER Yankee Oscar Gamble (http://image3.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID33368/images/OscarGamble1976(1).jpg) - Steinbrenner was an owner - NOT a player, nor an employee. He was no more a Yankee than Dan Snyder is a Redskin or Jerry Buss a Laker.

What's the difference between someone who worked for the franchise and someone who owned it?

Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner, not a slave.Dan Snyder is the Redskins owner, not a Redskin.

Al Davis and Paul Brown owned their respective teams and "performed" during games on the field - so they are reasonably referred to as Raiders and Bengals respectively.

George Bush owned the Rangers, he was not a Ranger.

Mark Cuban would like to be a Maverick, but he is not. He is the owner.

Richard Branson is an entrepreneur, not a Virgin....and George Steinbrenner was the owner of the Yankees, not a Yankee.

This should not be a difficult concept to absorb - even for the ardent fan - unless said fan is not too bright.

Oh good, semantics. That always goes over well in here.Look, if you don't think George Steinbrenner's situation is different than those of Thomas Jefferson owning slaves or Richard Branson owning an airline, I don't know what to tell you pal. Stein lived and died with the performance of his teams. I don't think ol' **** Branson took it quite as painfully if one of his flights wasn't filled to capacity. But I guess you think that's the same thing.

If Steinbrenner was a typical owner who only (or at least primarily) cared about his bottom line, you'd have a point. But he cared about winning first, making money second. And no enlightened baseball fan can say otherwise. Yes, he made a great deal of money, hundreds of millions. But there is no question that he could've run his team to make even more money and won a good deal less than he did.

 

[Michael Brown]

The old "massive heart attack" claims another person. Jesus, who's next.... Yogi?I'll never forget the day The Boss died. It's my birthday.

Uh, happy...birthday?

 

[Northern Voice]

Article here from Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star, which recognizes both sides of Steinbrenner:

George Steinbrenner was to major-league baseball ownership what New York City is to North American cities. The man and the city shared a larger than life, love 'em or hate 'em status that made that 38-year relationship relationship a match made in heaven. The Boss passed away on Tuesday morning in Tampa, Florida, the same day as the 81st All-Star Game with his beloved Yankees sitting as defending World Series champions and holding onto the best record in baseball in 2010. For the 80-year-old Yankee owner, that winning position, even more than the incredible current value of a franchise he had purchased for a mere $10 million back in 1973, was heaven on earth. Steinbrenner and New York City were equal partners. I recall the first year of free agency in 1976 when Reggie Jackson was the prized acquisition. The last-place Expos had the first pick in the convoluted system that had come out of the negotiations with the players association following the messy Andy Messersmith, Dave McNally trial cases.The Expos were heading into a new Olympic Stadium and wanted the charismatic Jackson to lead them there. Reggie went on his travelling salvation tour. First, Expos' owner Charles Bronfman made his best pitch at a private dinner party at his posh home in Westmount on the slopes of Mount Royal. The backdrop was impressive, the money offer was competitive and the role being offered was appealing as a leader into the future of a young franchise on the rise.The next day Jackson flew to New York. Steinbrenner simply took Jackson for a lunch-hour walk in uptown Manhattan, the enthusiastic Yankee fans greeted him in the streets, yelling his name urging Jackson to sign with the Bombers. The Boss shrewdly knew what effect that would likely have on Jackson and his ego. He was right. It was George and the Big Apple working together at their best.Face it. New York City has its dark side and its glamorous side. Ditto for Mr. Steinbrenner. As the city cleaned up its act in the '90s, so it seemed did Steinbrenner with his ball team. After sitting through a three-year suspension from 1990-93 during which the rival Blue Jays won two World Series by outspending everybody and combining farm development with free agency, The Boss decided that his baseball people actually knew what they were doing and started a glory run through the end of the century, basically under one manager, Joe Torre. At the same time, New York City was cleaning up its act under mayor Rudy Giuliani. The Yankees were once again becoming the family game and New York City as personified by the iconic area around Times Square was becoming a prime family destination once again. After New York City was tragically attacked on September 11, 2001, Steinbrenner and the Yankees became super-patriots around which America's national pride and self-esteem could be re-built and quantified. It happened. Who will ever forget the '01 World Series when President George Bush strode to the mound at Yankee Stadium and delivered a perfect strike before Game 3 of the World Series. Steinbrenner and the Yankees never stopped remembering that darkest moment in America's history, continuing with the seventh inning renditions of God Bless America long after others had stopped, then continuing to honour U.S. servicemen with anonymous contributions of money and tickets and countless days for the military at Yankee Stadium. How about that big old American Eagle that would swoop in at the end of the anthem and land on his trainer's leather clad arm. Great theatre...great New York theatre.Sure Steinbrenner changed the pay structure of the game by leaps and bounds, making millionaires out of louts and superstars alike. But the game was always going to change whether Steinbrenner was there or not. For years the players had been held in virtual servitude and the system had to change. When it did, Steinbrenner simply had the ability and foresight to take advantage of it, although it took him a decade of futility in the '80s to learn some valuable lessons that money can't control baseball all by itself. It's why every year there are some low-payroll teams on the list of post-season contenders. Steinbrenner was New York. They had so many things in common. Ask any experienced traveller about his experiences in the Big Apple and he or she will have a combination of both horror and love stories. Such is the legacy of George Steinbrenner. What Seinfeld fan will ever forget the line delivered by Frank Costanza when the George Steinbrenner character knocked on his door to deliver the news that Costanza's son George, the Yankees' assistant to the traveling secretary was dead (he wasn't)."What the hell did you trade Jay Buhner for?" yelled Costanza before anything else.George Steinbrenner will most surely be going to the Hall-of-Fame soon, but going with him should be the founder of the Players' Association Marvin Miller. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse the game and the industry of baseball have chanced since 1973 when Steinbrenner purchased the Yankees. In all cases, The Boss and his influence has been a huge factor on both sides.

 

[gump]

Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner, not a slave.Dan Snyder is the Redskins owner, not a Redskin.Al Davis and Paul Brown owned their respective teams and "performed" during games on the field - so they are reasonably referred to as Raiders and Bengals respectively.George Bush owned the Rangers, he was not a Ranger.Mark Cuban would like to be a Maverick, but he is not. He is the owner.Richard Branson is an entrepreneur, not a Virgin....and George Steinbrenner was the owner of the Yankees, not a Yankee. This should not be a difficult concept to absorb - even for the ardent fan - unless said fan is not too bright.

You said a paid member of the organization was more a member than the owner of the organization.There is definitely something not too bright about this.

 

[Smack Tripper]

I don't understand why people are referring to Steinbrenner as a Yankee. He was no more a Yankee than Obama is a Soldier or Thomas Jefferson was a slave. Billy Martin was a Yankee. Matty Alou was a Yankee. Hell, even George Halas - Chicago Bears patriarch and owner was a Yankee (though hitting .091 hardly qualifies). Steinbrenner never fielded a ground ball, squared to bunt, swung and missed or turned a double play. He sat in the stands and ruined the competetive balance of the game. He OWNED a team - he wasn't a team member. If I own a share of the Packers, does that make me a Packer?? No. Ray Nitchke was a Packer. John Brockington was a Packer.....and so on.

Because to fans, being a Yankee doesn't mean you just put on the uniform. Bob Sheppard was a Yankee, George was a Yankee. By your logic, Carl Pavano and Ed Whitson were more of a Yankee than George. Crazy talk.

Bob Sheppard was NOT a Yankee - but he was closer than Steinbrenner. He was a paid member of the organization - paid for his work just outside the lines of the field. You seem to get it at the end of your post....YES - Pavano and Whitson...and Elston Howard and Catfish Hunter were all Yankees - George Steinbrenner owned the team - he was not a team member. He was not a Yankee. Had you seen a paparazzi photo of Steinbrenner standing with Mark Spitz that was titled Olympian Mark Spitz and New York Yankees George Steinbrenner and Oscar Gamble you would have corrected it in your head to read Olympian Mark Spitz and Yankee OWNER George Steinbrenner and FORMER Yankee Oscar Gamble (http://image3.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID33368/images/OscarGamble1976(1).jpg) - Steinbrenner was an owner - NOT a player, nor an employee. He was no more a Yankee than Dan Snyder is a Redskin or Jerry Buss a Laker.

What's the difference between someone who worked for the franchise and someone who owned it?

Thomas Jefferson was a slave owner, not a slave.Dan Snyder is the Redskins owner, not a Redskin.

Al Davis and Paul Brown owned their respective teams and "performed" during games on the field - so they are reasonably referred to as Raiders and Bengals respectively.

George Bush owned the Rangers, he was not a Ranger.

Mark Cuban would like to be a Maverick, but he is not. He is the owner.

Richard Branson is an entrepreneur, not a Virgin....and George Steinbrenner was the owner of the Yankees, not a Yankee.

This should not be a difficult concept to absorb - even for the ardent fan - unless said fan is not too bright.

Who cares about this point, are people really making that big a deal of it? And are you a Yankee fan anyway? To me, these sorts of distinctions belong to fanbases. I don't really think about it either way, whether he IS a yankee or indeliby linked more than all but lets say two dozen of their players, what difference does it make? If a Cub fan calls Harry Caray a Cub for Life, I don't really get upset, it seems a silly thing to belabor. Everyone understands he wasn't on the field.

 

[Raider Nation]

The old "massive heart attack" claims another person. Jesus, who's next.... Yogi?I'll never forget the day The Boss died. It's my birthday.

Uh, happy...birthday?

LOL.Well, hopefully we'll get a good game tonight.

 

[Smack Tripper]

What a great guy he was.

He figured out that he could use the biggest media market in the country to exploit an inherently unfair economic system in baseball. He stole Ted Turner's idea of a private television network so he could generate so much more revenue than everyone else that his team would never have to struggle to be competitive or pay the price everyone else does for failed investments.

I'm sure he was a great guy to those who knew him or rooted for the team he built, and his ### has to be kissed in order to please the oh so important New York market, but the guy did nothing but exploit an unfair system because he bought the team in the only market in the country capable of doing it.

Great businessman, but it's easy to say winning is the only important thing when you're never shackled by revenue problems.

What does any of the rest of it have to do with your sarcastic first sentence? From all accounts, he was an extremely generous guy. He wasn't a dream to work for, but he did a ton in the communities and with charity work that didn't get very publicized.He was a great guy. And he was a great businessman. The rest of your post is sour grapes, and your complaints should be directed at MLB...not at a baseball legend who just passed away. Just like with any other recently deceased person, please take your trolling elsewhere.

Actually, I had meant to go back and change that sentence, but forgot. Not a big deal. Trolling? Not quite. I'm getting sick and tired of hearing how great of a baseball owner he was, because all he did was take advantage of a huge, built in competitive advantage. Kudos to him for figuring that out.

I'm not ripping the guy as a person, because from all accounts he was a good guy away from baseball. But as far as the baseball side of things went, he didn't do anything special at all. He bought a franchise in New York, figured out that he can generate twice as much revenue as anyone else, did it, and set the team up for the future. Sorry, but that's not a baseball legend.

If New York was so easy to work with and in, why did CBS dump their team, why did two teams move out west, and why didn't anyone else do what he did? Its pretty easy to Monday morning quarterback 40 years later, but to the gambler go the spoils. I don't even know what to add, you're obviously bitter over something, but George was a rising tide that lifted all ships in baseball.

It was obviously clear as mud in 1973 that the Yankee org was capable of being where it is now.

By the way, the Yankees were drawing less than one million for the years before George took over, as was the rest of the league. The league AVERAGE is now 2 million a year with much more television and the Yankees have averaged 4 million plus for the last 5 years, and drawn more than 3 million for 10 straight years, with FAR greater TV coverage today.I think Gammons or Costas said today that the 1/4 of the people who watch AL baseball, between Yankee Stadium and road sellouts, watched Yankee games.

 

[Detroit Fan 365]

Trump, correct me if I'm wrong, but Steinbrenner was a GM of the Yankees at one point, he's the person who orchestrated Reggie "Mr. October" Jackson into coming to the Yankees.

 

[Tom Servo]

If Steinbrenner was a typical owner who only (or at least primarily) cared about his bottom line, you'd have a point. But he cared about winning first, making money second. And no enlightened baseball fan can say otherwise. Yes, he made a great deal of money, hundreds of millions. But there is no question that he could've run his team to make even more money and won a good deal less than he did.

Michael -- You're a good guy and a real Yankees fan, but you're just not going to win any arguments with us non-Yankee fans.

My beloved Indians have functioning as a feeder system to the big market teams like NYY for YEARS and quite frankly I am tired of it. Even with their own network, the Indians can't sniff the Yankees in $$$ because we're not NYC and never will be. It's causing me to re-think my position on a hard salary cap (and floor) for baseball.

Don't get me wrong, I mourn the passing of George Steinbrenner the man (and he made many people wealthy as a good capitalist should - I respect that). But as a baseball fan, he's done more to hurt the game than to make it better, IMO.

 

[Smack Tripper]

Trump, correct me if I'm wrong, but Steinbrenner was a GM of the Yankees at one point, he's the person who orchestrated Reggie "Mr. October" Jackson into coming to the Yankees.

Instrumental and involved with all signings, never the GM proper. This MAY be illegal in baseball(or illegal to be manager or something) after Ted Turner did this in the 70's.

 

[Tom Servo]

Trump, correct me if I'm wrong, but Steinbrenner was a GM of the Yankees at one point, he's the person who orchestrated Reggie "Mr. October" Jackson into coming to the Yankees.

Instrumental and involved with all signings, never the GM proper. This MAY be illegal in baseball(or illegal to be manager or something) after Ted Turner did this in the 70's.

The owner can't be the manager.

 

[Detroit Fan 365]

The Yankee all-stars with the exception of Jeter are talking about the passing of the boss, I think Jeter has been hit hard with the loss of Steinbrenner.

 

[Trump]

Trump, correct me if I'm wrong, but Steinbrenner was a GM of the Yankees at one point, he's the person who orchestrated Reggie "Mr. October" Jackson into coming to the Yankees.

You are wrong.

 

[Limp Ditka]

The Yankee all-stars with the exception of Jeter are talking about the passing of the boss, I think Jeter has been hit hard with the loss of Steinbrenner.

Got the stage by himself and rightfully so.

 

[cobalt_27]

I don't understand why people are referring to Steinbrenner as a Yankee. He was no more a Yankee than Obama is a Soldier or Thomas Jefferson was a slave. Billy Martin was a Yankee. Matty Alou was a Yankee. Hell, even George Halas - Chicago Bears patriarch and owner was a Yankee (though hitting .091 hardly qualifies). Steinbrenner never fielded a ground ball, squared to bunt, swung and missed or turned a double play. He sat in the stands and ruined the competetive balance of the game. He OWNED a team - he wasn't a team member. If I own a share of the Packers, does that make me a Packer?? No. Ray Nitchke was a Packer. John Brockington was a Packer.....and so on.

Wow.Anyway, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Very sad couple of days. RIP to two great YANKEE legends in Sheppard and Steinbrenner.

 

[Darth Cheney]

Adios Boss. Us Yankee fans were lucky to have you.

 

[Dope]

Not to keep relating my wedding to dead Yankee legends, but we did a thing with the tables at the wedding last year. We based the table numbers on Yankee jersey numbers. So instead of tables 1-20, we numbered them based on retired numbers and a few more current players like Tino, O'Neill, Pettitte, etc. On each table, we put a photo of each player with his number superimposed on it to signify what table it was. So there were people at the "Mattingly 23" table or the "Rivera 42" table. My wife and I had our own table, with a picture of George that said "The Boss" on it. We still display that picture in our living room, right alongside the family wedding photo. I regret that I never had the opportunity to meet him, but I loved the guy.Really one of the most legendary Yankees of all-time. RIP Boss.

The table number thing is pretty fording cool.And sitting at the "Boss" table....very well thought out.I've been a Yankee Fan my entire life...my 1st game when I was 10 in 1976 (Doyle Alexander took a no-no into the 9th against the RedSox).I've had my share of "George must Go" and "Steinbrenner Sucks" moments along the way. **** Howser anyone?Anyway, a lot of my dislike for the man changed when he made up with Yogi Berra...and Yogi declared that George was okay with him. I always looked at George differently after that and I'm glad I did.Anyway...RIP Boss. Thanks for the memories over the last 34 years...good and bad.

 

[Wrigley]

If Steinbrenner was a typical owner who only (or at least primarily) cared about his bottom line, you'd have a point. But he cared about winning first, making money second. And no enlightened baseball fan can say otherwise. Yes, he made a great deal of money, hundreds of millions. But there is no question that he could've run his team to make even more money and won a good deal less than he did.

Michael -- You're a good guy and a real Yankees fan, but you're just not going to win any arguments with us non-Yankee fans.

My beloved Indians have functioning as a feeder system to the big market teams like NYY for YEARS and quite frankly I am tired of it. Even with their own network, the Indians can't sniff the Yankees in $$$ because we're not NYC and never will be. It's causing me to re-think my position on a hard salary cap (and floor) for baseball.

Don't get me wrong, I mourn the passing of George Steinbrenner the man (and he made many people wealthy as a good capitalist should - I respect that). But as a baseball fan, he's done more to hurt the game than to make it better, IMO.

This

 

[gump]

Yanks will wear a commemorative patch the rest of the season, which you'll only be able to buy on authentics...I don't think the family is going to allow any other licensed product to be sold though.

 

[shadyridr]

Taps?

 

[harryhood]

My beloved Indians have functioning as a feeder system to the big market teams like NYY for YEARS and quite frankly I am tired of it

Your beloved Indians also had a troika of Victor Martinez, CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee. Your beloved Indians front office have currently managed to turn that into dog ####. Winning breeds revenue and fills seats in ANY stadium, in my opinion. But bad baseball moves of acquiring young players starts from the TOP of the organization. Jeter, Pettite, Cano, Bernie, Posada, Rivera were not bought or fed off your bottom feeder team. They were discovered using George's men and helped build the Yankee franchise into the behemoth it is today.

 

[Wrigley]

My beloved Indians have functioning as a feeder system to the big market teams like NYY for YEARS and quite frankly I am tired of it

Your beloved Indians also had a troika of Victor Martinez, CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee. Your beloved Indians front office have currently managed to turn that into dog ####. Winning breeds revenue and fills seats in ANY stadium, in my opinion. But bad baseball moves of acquiring young players starts from the TOP of the organization. Jeter, Pettite, Cano, Bernie, Posada, Rivera were not bought or fed off your bottom feeder team. They were discovered using George's men and helped build the Yankee franchise into the behemoth it is today.

what a crock of ####, it has nothing to do with winning, it's all about the advertising dollar.2000 census numbers:CLV: 478,403 residentsNY: 8,008,288 residentsWhich city do you think gets the bigger advertising $$$?

 

[Smack Tripper]

I was at the game last night, the tribute was understated, but cool, the taps was intense. I will say this, during the moment of silence, the quiet was unreal and the only thing you could hear were the championships flags flapping like mad in the breeze.

I was at the Aaron Boone game, dozens of walkoffs, the last game at old Yankee stadium, the first games at the new one, and the game six clincher last year. If Jeter got that hit last night, based on the atmosphere, vibe, energy and crowd, I'm thinking that could have been the best moment I ever saw at a Yankee game. The energy was there and the crowd wanted it, and of course he didn't do it and it was a good party when Swish did it, but man, I wonder what that reaction would have been if Jeter made it happen. He can be pretty canned in post game interviews, but he let down the wall last night a bit, he said something to the effect of "I really wanted to get that hit, I really wanted to win that game tonight and I couldn't do it but I'm glad Swish did". Usually you'll get some "well, we tried our best and we won and thats all that matters". It was nice to hear him admit that which was obvious.