Win one for George? Indeed.Even if your baseball allegiance isn't wrapped in pinstripes, you should relent -- just this once. In fact, anybody with a heart larger than a resin bag should root for the New York Yankees to win it all this season, because they deserve as much.
This all begins and ends with George, as in Steinbrenner, as in The Boss, as in baseball's most significant owner ever. But let's start by examining those other things as to why the Yankees should be the people's choice.
For one, nobody was close to winning as many games as the Yankees' 103 during the regular season. Then you have the new Yankee Stadium, a sparkling jewel at an unprecedented $1.5 billion. If you've built something that grand, and if you've complemented it with baseball's largest payroll, you've earned the right to end that stadium's first season as world champions.
History demands such a thing. When the original Yankee Stadium opened in 1923, those Yankees won the World Series that same year.
This mostly is about George, though. Yankees captain Derek Jeter said it best to reporters before his team began their portion of the Division Series this week at Yankee Stadium against the Minnesota Twins. "The main reason we're in this thing is because of (Steinbrenner)," said Jeter, referring to the Yankees' 37-season run of prominence under Steinbrenner during the past and the present. "So it would be great if we could win a championship here."Yep. To paraphrase Jeter, "It's win one for George" in their clubhouse. That works as a Yankees rallying cry, because it ties the generations together around the Bronx in another way. Eighty one years ago, when an overmatched Notre Dame football team faced undefeated Army at the original Yankee Stadium, Knute Rockne told his Fighting Irish at halftime to "Win one for the Gipper" -- and they did.
Now the Yankees must do the same for George. Not only that, Yankees fans, baseball fans, sports fans and non-sports fans must spend this time cheering for George and the Yankees.
Then everybody can go on with the rest of their lives.
This isn't to say these Yankees are underdogs like that 1928 Notre Dame team. It's to the contrary. Even with wobbly pitching on occasion, these Yankees of Jeter, Rivera, ARod, Teixeira, Damon and Matsui are loaded enough to snatch a 27th world championship with only a bump here and there.
That's good. Actually, that's great, which brings us back to why you have to turn George into your favorite owner right now. The Yankees join the Dallas Cowboys and Notre Dame football as anointed to many, but as the true Axis Of Evil to others. Whether you love them or hate them, you can't ignore them. So, for the sake of mankind, they always must function as vibrant, winning and dominant forces to keep our passion alive. That, along with television ratings. And Steinbrenner made the Yankees the Yankees again during his 34 years as the franchise's dominant Boss.
Yankees vs Twins
Minnesota Twins Brendan Harris hits a triple against the New York Yankees in the sixth inning of Game 2 of the American League division baseball series at Yankee Stadium in New York Friday, Oct. 9, 2009. Twins Delmon Young scored on the hit. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 09: Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees hits an RBI single in sixth inning against the Minnesota Twins in Game Two of the ALDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium on October 9, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Alex Rodriguez
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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 09: Derek Jeter #2 of the New York Yankees celebrates with teammate Hideki Matsui #55 after scoring a run in sixth inning against the Minnesota Twins in Game Two of the ALDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium on October 9, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Derek Jeter;Hideki Matsui
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Minnesota Twins Brendan Harris hits a triple against the New York Yankees in the sixth inning of Game 2 of the American League division baseball series at Yankee Stadium in New York Friday, Oct. 9, 2009. New York Yankees catcher Jose Molina is at right. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)
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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 09: Jose Molina #26 of the New York Yankees talks with starting pitcher A.J. Burnett #34 against the Minnesota Twins in Game Two of the ALDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium on October 9, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jose Molina;A.J. Burnett
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Minnesota Twins Delmon Young safely steals second base past New York Yankees' Robinson Cano in the sixth inning of Game 2 of the American League division baseball series at Yankee Stadium in New York Friday, Oct. 9, 2009. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 09: Brendan Harris #23 of the Minnesota Twins hits an RBI triple in the sixth inning against the New York Yankees in Game Two of the ALDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium on October 9, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Brendan Harris
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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 09: Delmon Young #21 of the Minnesota Twins celebrates after being driven home on a triple by Brendan Harris #23 in the sixth inning against the New York Yankees in Game Two of the ALDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium on October 9, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Delmon Young
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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 09: Johnny Damon #18 of the New York Yankees fails to make the catch on a ball hit by Brendan Harris #23 of the Minnesota Twins in the sixth inning of Game Two of the ALDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium on October 9, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Johnny Damon
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NEW YORK - OCTOBER 09: A.J. Burnett #34 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Minnesota Twins in Game Two of the ALDS during the 2009 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium on October 9, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** A.J. Burnett
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He's the docile Boss these days. While the old George was so pleasantly bombastic that he once claimed he spent a World Series fighting Dodgers fans inside an elevator at the Yankees' team hotel, the new George is fading at 79. He relinquished daily operations of the club to his sons Hal and Hank three years ago to spend more time at his Tampa home. He rarely comes to games. When he does, he needs help walking, and he is hidden behind dark shades, and he stays silent.
Even so, George still speaks loudly as the unique soul who changed his profession, and mostly in a good way.
Just among owners of baseball lore, he was more competent than Connie Mack. The O'Malleys were kinder and gentler than George, but they didn't have anywhere near as many world championships or pennants. Tom Yawkey was a pleasant loser, and so was Philip Wrigley. The Busches had their moments, along with Charles Finley, but not as many as Steinbrenner. Plus, despite the Yankees' early dynasties under the ownerships of Jacob Ruppert Jr., Dan Topping, Del Webb and Larry MacPhail, none ever had a resume like that of Steinbrenner.
No owner ever has in any sport.For instance ...
Six world championships. Ten pennants. A couple of national television commercials of note. The popular hosting of Saturday Night Live. A recurring character on a legendary sitcom. A slew of buildings named in his honor, ranging from one at the University of Florida to a Tampa high school.
Oh, there was that other George stuff. He hired a gambler to find dirt on former Yankees slugger Dave Winfield, who he appropriately nicknamed "Mr. May." He pleaded guilty to felony charges involved with making illegal campaign contributions to the re-election of President Nixon. At one point, he changed managers 20 times in slightly more than two decades, including Billy Martin five times. He also chastised the Yankee-sainted Jeter in public for allegedly partying too much.
That George stuff just made George more of an all-time national treasure, which brings us to this: He even was born on the Fourth of July.
What? You're going to root against the United States of America?
Terence Moore is a national columnist and commentator for FanHouse. He is a frequent panelist on "Rome Is Burning," an ESPN show hosted by Jim Rome, that is seen Monday through Friday at 4:30 PM ET. Moore spent more than three decades working for major newspapers, including 26 years as an award-winning sports columnist for the San Francisco Examiner and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He resides in Atlanta.
Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Lovem or Hateum the Boss did 2 things brougth a Winner back to The Bronx and help make the franchise a big money maker... This also helped the Smaller market Teams . With Revenuse shareing.
And unlike alot of other owner's who have big buck's.. The BOSS SPENDS HIS... Thanks GEORGE
You misprinted your words (brought) you should have said bought) thats what the yankees do. Seems like shades of Jerry jones (he has a 1.5 billion) stadium also, that was paid for with city funds, like Steinbreener
Yes I hope the Yankees win it not only for George but also to quiet the "big bRAG machine" Boston Red Sox fans. All they do is brag, brag, brag despite their two biggest hitters, Manny Ramirez and David "Big Fraudi" Ortiz, the steroid users. Now that steroids have taken a toll on Big Papi's body, get ready for the whine of the century again from Red Sox fans. They'll now cry for a salary cap despite their team being up there in payroll. GO YANKEKES!!!!-from Miami, also a hotbed of the Yankee universe for all the former New Yorkers. See attendance records if you don't believe me. When the Yankees play the Marlins here in Miami, all those games sell out. The same thing when I make a 250-mile trip to Tampa to see my Yanks play the Rays.
I don't care who wins it as long as it's not the NY Skankyees.....The best team money can buy.......Wow NYC has given us the Skankyees and the Wall St. criminals who gave us the second depression. That's something to be proud of......
OK you prick. NO ONE IS TALKING ABOUT A DAMM DEPRESSION OK.Talk BASEBALL, get it. Please don't get pissed if your team can't win anything, suck it up BUTT-HEAD.
Hey Terrence,
You are going to get a lot of negative and stupid retorts to your article, like this intellectual from Boston -- Larry.
Steinbrenner has done a lot more than most owners in baseball. He does many benevolent donations to many causes. He helps former players that are out of good fortune with financial assistance, jobs,and guidance.
He gives to dozens of hospitals especially children's research for cancer on an annual basis.
He does things that is never publicized, but, his players know what a supportive person that he is.
Many owners are full of envy regarding what Steinbrenner has accomplished -- see Henry of the Sox!!!
He is a smart businessman with a strong tenacity to succeed, and he invests money to make his team better.
Envy is a bitter potion for the fans of losing teams. But, go after your owners, especially those that pocket their profits and puts a terrible and inferior team on the field.
Thank you George for being the best owner is baseball and for putting the Yankees in an always top competitive position.
tonytiger18 said it all. =) go yanks!
The main problem with this article (and there are many) is the guy who wrote it.
Good old (and I mean old) Terrance tends to make things up, one of the reasons he was indelicately pushed out the door of the AJC.
Check out his Georgia Tech coverage in his last embarrassing years with that paper. We're use to seeing writers manipulate phrases and omit details to support their point. Terrance, however, wrote about events like Hollywood dramatizes historical events, fitting square pegs into round holes to complete a dramatic arch, all in a tidy hour and 50 minutes.
A few theories have developed to explain this behavior. One. He's pathologically arrogant. (See his appearances on T. Rome's show.) Two. He won an award about a century ago, leading him to think he's above mere facts and accuracy. (Pretty much the same thing as number one.) Three. The guy can't seem to hold it like he use to, developing an ah screw it this is good enough attitude as a result.
Oh, and he's a Yankee fan, despite working in ATL all those years. See a recent blog, where used "we" when talking about the Yanks. And it wasn't a quote from Yogi (the subject of the piece). There are no quotation marks anywhere to be seen, and some of the lines in which he uses the word are plainly not from Berra. So, either Terrance thinks he's a Yankee now, or he considers himself above using punctuation. What's more, the article is stunningly absurd and childish. It's like a rant from a 10 year old NY fan after the '04 ALCS, showing that the man also lies in support of whatever team he's supporting (or whatever team he's hating), a big no-no for sportswriters. (Though apparently not bloggers.)
As for tonight's dose of fiction, he fails to mention how George used aircraft carriers full of cash to buy talent in the 80s and early 90s, and went 14 years without a pennant to show for it, never mind a World Series championship.
He also conveniently leaves out what's happened in the last eight years, which seem like eighty given the fact that his team has lost in every conceivable way. They had a complete meltdown in the 9th inning of Game 7 in the '01 WS. They lost in '03 in a series featuring the greatest gap in payroll. They lost in the ALDS constantly, despite being the favorite in each of those series. They lost to bugs in '07 (that's the excuse, anyway). They couldn't even make the playoffs in '08, the year they closed the stadium, which is really pathetic.
And, last but certainly not least, they became the first team ever to lose a 3-0 lead to none other to the Red Sox (wow, the people here in the metropolitan area are obsessed with that team), a stat we'll see each and every time some team goes up 3-0 in any series in any sport.
What does Terrance say about this? He acts like it didn't happen, of course, like one of those Birther people or some other denier of history. (Or maybe he was taking a nap.)
After Game 7 in '04, George was said to have been rendered "catatonic" (as one NY writer put it) by the history his team made that night. Maybe that's Terrance's problem. He was left catatonic, too. Or maybe he always has been.
Now for those who responded to Terrance's lies. Yes, George saved the Yanks. Whoever wrote that is correct. Granted, he really wanted his hometown Indians, and had actually owned them for one evening before the sale fell through. So let's not pretend he "always wanted to be associated with the Yankees." He didn't.
Ralph Garcia. How else is a team suppose to beat the Yanks when so many of their impact players (a lot more than the Sox) have been using PEDs since the mid 90s? You're the last person on earth who should be calling someone a fraud. Speaking of frauds, steriod use isn't the only thing the Yanks have used to build and maintain their phony "empire." Consider...
Ban Johnson, GM of the Red Sox, sold Carl Mays, Babe Ruth, Sad Sam Jones, Bullet Joe Bush, and others to NY, and then jumped to the Yanks after he'd already stocked it with his former players. (Bet you didn't know this.) If someone tried that in another business, he'd have the feds knocking on his door.
And what about the abuse of the minor leagues, back in the days of Joe D. Bill Veeck was the first to buy a minor league team and use it to hold and develop players. What did the Yanks do? They bought ("bought" might be the most familiar term in Yankee history) 25 minor league teams. Ever wonder why the pitching staffs on those teams never got worn out like those of other teams? They had a fresh supply of horses moving in and out of their factory all season. It didn't hurt that they kept these pitchers from their competitors, either.
Then there's the deal with the KC Athletics. (The Oakland A's were originally in Philly, then moved to KC. I realize most baseball fans know this, but I have a feeling you don't.) The Yanks actually kept that franchise afloat by paying their payroll. And in return, they got guys like Roger Maris for nothing. Again, this would be considered an unfair business practice in the real world, not to mention big-time fraud.
There's also monopolizing the market by buying over half of all free agents in the 70s. And working under the table deals with amateurs going into the draft, whose agents told teams like the Pirates and Royals not to bother drafting them because they won't sign. (They already had.) Revenue sharing cut into the Yanks' monopoly on talent a bit, but they found a way around this too, since a team that builds a new stadium doesn't have to pay the luxury tax for a number of years. They might be playing by the rules here (in the world of baseball only). But that doesn't mean they're not hurting their credibility in the eyes of every other fan outside of NY. (Other than Terrance, of course.)
Anyway, try to think about what you write, Ralph. As for tonytiger (lame), George hasn't even been awake for most of John Henry's run as owner of the Sox. You wanna compare him favorably to a drunk like Tom Yawkey, go for it. But George and Henry have had very little competition with each other, and what there has been so far has mostly gone Henry's way. Just look at what happened in '04. George hasn't been the same since. How many appearances has he made after that crushing turn of events?
We understand you're obsessed with and jealous of the Sox, tiger. Your inappropriate comparison with Henry proves that. But, like I said, you outta compare George with owners he competed with when he was The Boss. It doesn't make sense to compare Bob Cousy to Magic Johnson.
hey wat,
Very thorough and eloquent,but, full of nonsense and envy.
George is a very astute businessman. He is crafty,willing to take risks, and not afraid to invest in his product.He has made being a Yankee fan --fun and enjoyable.
Why would any smart business person invest in CLEVELAND when New York is avaiable?
Why would any one be jealous of BOSTON?
Boston is a nice city; I lived there for two years. It is the capital of Mass and of course New England.
But,While NYC is not the capital of New York State, it is the capital of the World.
George has made been a Yankee fan fun, so get over your envy. I prefer a nice beautiful fun and intelligent woman to one that isn't.
YANKEES IN 09 !!!! SCREW THE HATERS
Whether you love him or hate him, its irrelevant. He made baseball history interesting. The game evolved and he was integral to this. He'll always be remembered and written about. He was "The Boss" before Springsteen took over the moniker.
I'm sick and tired of hearing people say the Yankees 'buy' their championships. Boston does not field a 'home-grown' team either. The Cardnals, Dodgers, Angels and Phillies have made huge trades and free agent deals as well. The Yankees did not go out before the trade deadline and get Cliff Lee, or Matt Holliday, or Victor Martinez, or Roy Halladay. They picked up Chad Guidan and Jerry Hairston instead. So quit with the sour belly-aching.
THE YANKEES DO NOT WORK TO BECOME CHAMPIONS, THEY JUST GO AROUND AND BUYS EVERYONES GREAT BALL PLAYERS. THIS TEAM BUYS CHAMPIONSHIPS AND THERE IS NO OTHER WAY TO LOOK AT IT. THEY DON'T EARN THEIR PENNANTS!
Hey traindepot,
what have the Yankees bought in this decade?
They will always have a competitive team because of Steinbrenner. That is all that you can wish for as a fan.
It is obvious that you follow a team that is never in it, so I feel your pain (not really).
George always strives to make the Yankees better,and whether you despise him or not, he is a great owner to have.
The pennants and championships(26!) have all been won on the field. All are legit. Get over yourself.
If it wasnt for the wild card Boston would not be playing ball in Oct.Check the stats.
"Then you have the new Yankee Stadium, a sparkling jewel at an unprecedented $1.5 billion. If you've built something that grand, and if you've complemented it with baseball's largest payroll, you've earned the right to end that stadium's first season as world champions.
History demands such a thing."
Yeah, they said the same thing about the Titanic. The only difference is that people didn't want to see the Titanic crash and sink. LOL
"The Boss, as in baseball's most significant owner ever."
Oh, really? He bought the team for a song in 1973 and then proceeded to win exactly 2 World Series over the next 23 years. That's a slacker by Yankee standards.
"anybody with a heart larger than a resin bag"
As long as we're redefining what "having a heart" means, maybe we could be shipped off to re-education camps where we could watch a little "1984," in which the party slogan is "War is Peace; Freedom is Slavery; Ignorance is Strength."
I'm not talking about the Joe Torre era of the Yankees beginning in the mid-90s, during which time I became a fan again, even though I was no longer living there. Torre brought some "class" (a.k.a. style or dignity or elegance) back to the organization that had been sorely missing for so long.
And not coincidental to the team's success was George's not hogging the limelight. "Micromanaging" is the euphemism often given to his obnoxious, meddlesome style. He was the prototype of a businessman owner who uses a sports team for his own aggrandizement and celebrity.
He bullied and terrorized all his employees, not just the players and managers who he called out in public. And all without much success until Torre came along.
I didn't like the way they showed Joe the door, whether that was the sons' work or George's, but they did learn it from him.
Lets hope they put George in the Hall of Fame soon. He deserves it. He saved baseball
This is the dumbest article ever written.
People have short memories. They forget just how obnoxious and cocky Yankee fans are. If they win this year all the memories will be brought back because the fans are still the same.
I will never root for a NY team and it doesn't matter if I am a fan from California or Canada.
Steinbrenner is the reason contracts are so high that only the Yankees can afford the good players. If you root for them you are rooting for baseball to die.