Hank Steinbrenner: Little Stein, Big...

Looks like a son is spoiling to replace his father in more ways than one.

October 21, 2007 -- Flashing some of his father's famous feistiness, Hank Steinbrenner fired back yesterday after hearing Joe Torre say he was insulted by the team's offer to manage the Yankees for a 13th season.

"Where was Joe's career in '95 when my dad hired him?" said the new Boss. "My dad was crucified for hiring him.

"Let's not forget what my dad did in giving him that opportunity - and the great team he was handed," Steinbrenner told The Post by phone from Tampa, Fla.

At a press conference Friday afternoon, Torre termed the team's offer of one year for $5 million, with an added $3 million in incentives for post- season success, an "insult."

Steinbrenner said the offer was fair, and that Torre had to accept part of the responsibility for the team's failures. The Yankees have not won a championship since 2000.

"You can't take credit for success when you're going good, and then not take at least some of the blame when things change," Steinbrenner said. "I'm sorry he feels insulted, but that was not the intent."

George Steinbrenner hired Torre after a series of disappointing managing gigs. Torre had flopped with the Mets and had an overall losing record - 894 wins, 1,003 losses, and one playoff appearance in 12 managerial seasons....

http://www.nypost.com/seven/10212007/news/nationalnews/boss_jr__fires_a_spitball_at_i.htm?page=2

 

On the bright side, the New York media, well-honed after three decades of covering Boss George, should have a lot of fun with his genius sons. Dawn of a new era.

 

Well, why not, Hank? That MO seemed to work OK for your Dad for about 35 years.

 

First of all, Joe Torre was not a horrible manager before the Yankees. He took a weak Atlanta team to the postseason in 1982, and there were a couple of successful seasons with the Cardinals when he managed them, although the Cardinals decided not to spend money.

Torre really didn't have a great team in 1996. He had a team which came off getting a wildcard on the last weekend of the 1995 season, and he had a mix of veterans and home-grown talent. He wasn't handled a powerful team.

But maybe Hank Steinbrenner would know some of that if he followed baseball rather than horse racing in the late 80s and 1990s.

 

He sounds like Nice Guy Eddie.

 

If Hank actually paid attention to Torre's press conference, he would have heard Joe thank George in the first five minutes of his talk for hiring him and giving him a chance. And the "insult" was only about showing respect, not about money.

 

Hank: A word of caution. You're already taking grief for letting Torre get away.

Just wait until you hire Don Mattingly, if you do. If you fire Mattingly and I'm in New York at the time, I'm getting the hell out of that city before the stadium gets torched.

 

I know the Big Stein can't be floppin' & twitchin' (mostly because he's as lively and lucent as a sloth with Down Syndrome), but what about the Little Stein? Or should it be Stein Lite? Would anyone mind if Howlin' Hank was struck down by an epileptic fit?

I can handle the Yanks losing. I can handle the Yanks falling short of expectations. But this fucked-up baseball family might be the thing that drives me away from the Yankees. If they hire Mattingly, then fire him, I quit on the Yankees.

 

Let's not go too crazy about how people will feel about firing Mattingly if he gets hired.

Managers are hired to be fired, as the old saying goes. A manager is usually going to be fired - that is part of the job. Yogi Berra was fired - twice - and he was more beloved than Mattingly.

 

Uh, Hank,


Where exactly would you be without your daddy? Jus askin'

 

Where would you be without yours?