The Steinbrenner Moment

[21]

I'm sure this was discussed on the running thread, which is now too long to wade through.

How many people were aware his condition had deteriorated so badly, and, as Boom mentioned on the other thread, why why why did they send him out in that golf cart??

The Yankees don't usually whiff on the Big Moments, but that was not a good decision.

 

[Lyman_Bostock]

Frankly, I was shocked at his deterioration. Just a few years ago, when he did that credit-card commercial with Jeter, he looked like the same old Boss.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

It reminded me of Ted Williams at the AS Game at Fenway, which I was lucky enough to cover.

I look at it as a Final Tribute. It is sad though.

 

[cranberry]

I have a lot of mixed emotions about George but I'd be hard-pressed to name a better sports owner from a fan's perspective.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

I have a lot of mixed emotions about George but I'd be hard-pressed to name a better sports owner from a fan's perspective.

Agreed.

 

[Boom_70]

The Yankees and MLB whiffed on this one. Clearly it did not achieve the intended result. The Ted Williams moment it was not.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

I have a lot of mixed emotions about George but I'd be hard-pressed to name a better sports owner from a fan's perspective.

Agreed.

The man was willing to spend money, yes.

And, yet.

And, yet.

If (a) he didn't go to the wall and ride high on the first big wave of free-agent spending, which got him his '70s championships, (b) he wasn't literally forced to the sidelines, thus permitting
Stick Michael to make personnel decisions no one else there was capable of making, and (c) he hadn't latched onto Mariano . . .

Where are they?

Really?

 

[Big Chee]

It reminded me of Ted Williams at the AS Game at Fenway, which I was lucky enough to cover.

I look at it as a Final Tribute. It is sad though.

I was hit with a range of emotions watching the Boss being shuttled around like that. Made me realize how long he's been at the helm for the Yanks, and seeing him shuttled around reminded me of seeing an aging relative stuggling to say hello to you while they're in the winter season of their life.

Then I got caught up a bit emotionally thinking back about how he put ME, the fan and my wants for the Yanks to win, FIRST.


Thank you George......

 

[huntsie]

He was an owner/fan committed to winning and restoring the Yankee "brand" if you will. You can disagree with his methods: the free spending; the circus around Jackson and Martin and the manager of the week. But he owned from a fan's perspective and recognized that winning generated fans and revenue and interest in the New York Yankees.
I think Illitch is like that with the Red Wings, minus the "Bronx Zoo" era.

 

[forever_town]

I can't stand what I've seen of him as a person. I respect what he's done in terms of his ability to bring championships to New York.

Unfortunately, the number of owners who focus more on championships and less on the bottom line is too small. Of course, the same can be said about the number of newspaper owners who care less about the quality of their product and care more about their profit margins.

 

[playthrough]

I have a lot of mixed emotions about George but I'd be hard-pressed to name a better sports owner from a fan's perspective.

Strictly from a fan's perspective, Marge Schott is up there. If you had to work for her or in the press box, or had to hear her racist blather, not so much. But she insisted on keeping fan costs down and the teams under her watch were mostly very good.

As for George last night, that was powerful but peculiar at the same time.

 

[Armchair_QB]

why why why did they send him out in that golf cart??

Because he's George Steinbrenner and he wanted to go and nobody wanted to tell him he couldn't?

I thought it was kind of odd too but, at the same time, this was probably his last public appearance. I'll be shocked if he's on hand for Opening Day at the new Stadium next year even if he's still alive. As odd as the moment felt, I bet if you ask the die-hard Yankee fans in New York the majority would tell you they thought it was great.

Love him or hate him, he's been the face of that franchise for a long time.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

I have a lot of mixed emotions about George but I'd be hard-pressed to name a better sports owner from a fan's perspective.

Arte Moreno's in the mix.

 

[Boom_70]

why why why did they send him out in that golf cart??

Because he's George Steinbrenner and he wanted to go and nobody wanted to tell him he couldn't?

I thought it was kind of odd too but, at the same time, this was probably his last public appearance. I'll be shocked if he's on hand for Opening Day at the new Stadium next year even if he's still alive. As odd as the moment felt, I bet if you ask the die-hard Yankee fans in New York the majority would tell you they thought it was great.

Love him or hate him, he's been the face of that franchise for a long time.

I'm a die hard Yankee fan and I don't think that it waa a great moment. It seemed almost contrived like the Yankees were trying to recreate that Ted Williams moment.

 

[Ashy Larry]

I have a lot of mixed emotions about George but I'd be hard-pressed to name a better sports owner from a fan's perspective.

Arte Moreno's in the mix.

So isn't Bob Kraft.........if I were a Yankee fan I would LOVE Steinbrenner for the reasons Big Chee said.

I can only dream someone like Steinbrenner would buy the Boston Bruins....

 

[Ben_Hecht]

He has staged the multi-decade textbook labaratory case for fantasy-baseball lineup construction under the direction of those with a football mentality.

And excepting (and, yes, these are big exceptions) the Reggie and Mariano eras, it hasn't worked. . .
in that, you can make the playoffs, by spending a zillion dollars on hitting . . . but you need better pitching to wrap your arms around all of it.

 

[poindexter]

Marge Schott is in the mix of the fan's best owners for our generation? Yikes!

 

[cranberry]

I have a lot of mixed emotions about George but I'd be hard-pressed to name a better sports owner from a fan's perspective.

Strictly from a fan's perspective, Marge Schott is up there. If you had to work for her or in the press box, or had to hear her racist blather, not so much. But she insisted on keeping fan costs down and the teams under her watch were mostly very good.

As for George last night, that was powerful but peculiar at the same time.

Marge was a complete disgrace who got lucky. George made winning an obsession and backed it up with huge investment.

 

[Write-brained]

Marge Schott is in the mix of the fan's best owners for our generation? Yikes!

Schott was good at the beginning .. but then she went too far.

 

[Corky Ramirez up on 94th St.]

I can only dream someone like Steinbrenner would buy the Boston Bruins....

AGREED.