Tuesday, July 13, 2010

the boss

didn't i just write about losing a piece of the yankee firmament? damn.

the boss is dead. after nearly 40 years, mr. steinbrenner is gone. if mr. sheppard's passing messed with my head, this knocks my world for a loop. i was born 8 years after CBS sold the team. i remember the insane years of hiring and firing, tampa-trust free agency foolishness, and the suspension for tailing dave winfield. the man was the original big spender.

every yankee fan had a complex relationship with the man. i hated how he treated yogi berra. i hated the mercurial nature of the 80s and early 90s. but i loved the drive. i loved the acumen. i love how he - and don't argue with me on this - resurrected the yankee mystique of the earlier dynasties and rebuilt the team into the billion-dollar juggernaut of class, polish and high standards that it is today. without mr. steinbrenner, god knows what would've happened to us.

so we say goodbye to our multi-faceted benefactor. god speed, mr. steinbrenner. may your sons take what you built and make it even better. may we never forget your dedication to the yankee brand. you join the pantheon of lost yankee legends today. we're better for having had you.

5 comments:

  1. I just heard about this a moment ago from my coworker.
    I've always had a rough relationship with the Yankees (being from Baltimore and all...although I have no problem admitting who the better team is of course). Personally, I always kind of liked Steinbrenner though and this is very sad. I feel terrible for his family's loss.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Amen to that - he truly accomplished something that no one else could do. I am glad he was able to see #27. May he rest in peace.

    ReplyDelete
  3. He was unique in the world of sport. I may not like that the Yankees always seem to win, but I respect what he built. (Part of being a realist who grew up in another city.)

    And, did you see the story in the post? Apparently, by checking out this year, Hal and Hank won't have to pay inheritance taxes on what Big George left behind.

    ReplyDelete
  4. heh - yeah, i did see that about the estate tax. my hunch is that once they get their heads together in congress, they'll make 2010 estate taxes retroactive when they kick back in for 2011. this'll be the spurring they need to do it, i think.

    ReplyDelete

your turn.