Good morning Mets fans,
Nothing happening in Flushing today so I’m thinking about the Bronx as tends to happen once the leaves start falling in my pool.
Late 70’s/early 80’s. Crazy guy. Owned the Yankees.
Fired managers left, right, and left again.
Ran Yogi Berra out of the Bronx.
Suspended from baseball a coupla times.
Traded the young players for old players all the time.
The Yankees fans gave a STANDING OVATION the night it was announced he was suspended.
Anyone remember this man?
Tonight the Yankees will honor a cuddly old general who just wanted to win. Don’t worry about the Gene Michael part of the story or all the other stuff, it just gets in the way of the fable.
Hi,
Its too bad the Mets don’t have an owner that just wants to win. As much as I despised George its too bad he didn’t own the Mets. When I think how many championships he could have bought for us it makes me want to cry.
Phil
Dude, I thought it was me! George was a bully and beast back in the 1970’s and 1980’s, just ask any of the many people he fired. In today’s society though, people feel better about themselves, when they choose only to remember the good about garbage like Steinbrenner.
The facts are straight forward…The Yankees won in 1977-78. The foundation of that team was formed while GMS was suspended the first time. He came back and all he did was buy Reggie…instant winners. For the next 15 years, he caused George Costanza, and the city of New York, a good deal of distress, as they watched him take their beloved Yankees and reduce them to a laughing stock, all for the glorification of his massive ego. He was suspended again, during which time Gene Michael and Bob Watson built another winner…GMS came back just in time to be handed the trophies. Once he got a chance to meddle again, they contended every year but did not win until he was phased out.
On the other hand, he unlocked massive value in the franchise and built an organization that now has incredible resources globally and will probably always contend, as their GM is sharp. His personality shaped the game he kept us all entertained and did a lot of good charity. It was a fun ride.
I was at the game when the fans stood and cheered when the second suspension was announced. Even my friend’s dad, a Yankee fan, was happy. And it’s true — the guy, when he meddled in player acquisitions, screwed things up (remember how he wanted Sheffield instead of Vladimir Guerrero), but when he left it to his GM and his $$, they did alright.
So what we have learned is – the owner should let the GM run the team. Fortunately my blog is read in parts of Flushing.