Yankees George Steinbrenner Continues to Cast a Singular Shadow

George Steinbrenner became known as the Boss when he was alive. And that designation continues to be apropos long after his passing.

The Yankees season is over and the postmortem has begun. If you don’t believe me, just listen to any of the sports talk stations. And if you do, you will hear a question you have heard many times, but one that is completely unique to the Yankees: What would George do if he were here?

Of course the George in this case is George Steinbrenner. I write “of course” because you already knew which George was meant. And that is the point. There is no other former—in this case deceased—owner of a team who casts as long a shadow as George Steinbrenner.

Who Used to own the Nets?

When was the last time you heard anyone ask what Nelson Doubleday would think about the Mets? Or how John Pickett might fix the Islanders? Did you even know that Pickett was the owner when they won four straight Stanley Cups? My guess is that not one of you has ever heard a single caller ask what the former owner of any other team would think.

Episode 86

Mr. Steinbrenner was a genius at one thing: a commitment to excellence. And the most important word in that phrase is commitment. He did not just want his team and organization to be the best, he demanded it. And he would do anything to maintain that standard.

He was the guy who walked the stands before the gates opened to make sure the stadium was ready. When, during the 2000 World Series, the Mets visitors clubhouse was not up to his standards, he paid to have the furniture from the Yankees clubhouse brought over.

He even criticized Don Mattingly, in the press, over his hair because it was not up to his standards. And this was at a time when Donny Baseball was his best player and considered the best in baseball. Who does that? Only someone with an uncompromising commitment to excellence.

His commitment was never better seen than through his actions on the field. He always tried to do what he thought was best for the team, even though he spent the 80’s cocking it up. For reference, see George Costanza’s rant the day he is hired by the Yankees. That is how fans felt pre-dynasty. There was always a respect for his effort but not for the results.

Actually, the Yankees Should have signed Lester

But once he returned from his second suspension from baseball in the early 90’s, and had learned to let his management team run the day to day operations, we got the best of The Boss. Whatever the team needed, he spent the money to get. And please remember that he was never the richest owner in baseball. What made him different is that he was willing to spend money on his business—the Yankees—when it lost money. The organization lost money for years until the 90’s, when his investment really paid off.

Look at some of those dynasty teams. Yes, there was a lot of homegrown talent but Tino Martinez was a free agent. Daryll Strawberry was a role player, as were Rock Raines, Cecil Fielder and Ruben Sierra. Most teams would have employed one of those guys, not all four.

Pitchers can wear out over the course of even one long winning season; please see the Mets. So George went out and got Roger Clemens in the middle of their dynastic run. You wonder if the SF Giants might be entering the playoffs as favorites if they had signed Jon Lester after the 2014 season.

Hope is not a Plan for Success

Of course the best thing he ever did to show his committment was keep the team together. He could have easily let Bernie Williams go after 1998 season and hoped there was enough talent to keep on winning. Many owners do that. Not George; he wanted the best players and was willing to pay for them.

How might the Mets season be different if the Wilpons had kept Daniel Murphy, while also adding Neil Walker? No matter who won the starting job, the bench would have been much better and the wins would have piled up before the injuries started. They might have even won their division with the best power hitter on either team blasting home runs in Queens instead of DC.

They could not anticipate his breakout year, but luck is the residue of effort and the Wilpons did not make enough of an effort to win.

And, what did it mean to win the World Series when you played for Big George? It meant holding a team meeting two hours after the victory to discuss what it would take to win it the following year. That commitment demands respect.

Are There Any Skinny Toads?

George wanted to win as much as the Yankees fans. I think there are other owners like that. But what made George special was that he felt and spoke like a fan. Yes, the best coaches and players were brought in despite the cost if George thought they could help the team. But if any of those coaches or players did not perform at the highest level, he either openly criticized them or removed them.

He would call out players who were unproductive or made mistakes, the same we the fans did privately. He once called Hideki Irabu, a prize free agent, a fat toad for not covering first. I love CC Sabathia but he would have an unflattering epithet by now if George were here.

When Dave Winfield failed to dominate in September, George dubbed him Mr. May, a pointed shot meant to remind Dave he was not nearly as good as Reggie Jackson had been. And he hired, and

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fired, the smartest manager in the game, Billy Martin at least five times. It was a sad soap opera at the end but it showed George was always going to try to bring in the best but never put up with losing.

It was real simple: if you were not performing at the highest level, there were going to be consequences.

I Wrote, “Miss Laberton”

As fans, that is what we want. Players come and go, as do owners. But a fan is for life. I want my team to try to win the world championship every year. I want the best players, although I would prefer them to be home grown. And I die a little with every loss, especially to the Red Sux. It hurts when the Yankees lose. And it is infuriating when players lose due to lack of effort or boneheaded mistakes.

George seemed just as hurt. He acted as any fan would want, by doing everything to make sure that every aspect of his organization performed at the highest level. Does it really feel that way with James Dolan? What about the Wilpons? I am sure they don’t want to lose but can you really

say they bleed the way George did? Are they really doing everything they can?

Bobby Knight used to have his students write down the name of the teacher who was the hardest on them and demanded the most. He then had them write down the teacher they learned the most from and liked the most. He has said that often those two names were the same. My guess is that former players and managers would write the same name both times: George Steinbrenner.

Vibing Might be a Real Word

Finally, it was Mr. Steinbrenner’s aura that set him apart. Respect and hierarchy are integral in business, sports, and society in general. And how do you get to be at the top? When the people around you recognize you as the leader.

You could argue that leaders are established by hard work and ability. I think it has been made clear that George worked hard and the two world championships in the 70’s proved his ability. But there is much more to it than that.

The situation can be the same no matter how and where you work. You walk into a meeting of equals. Everyone starts looking around to feel where he or she fits in. You know a leader will emerge and take charge. Is it you? Is it the gal with the coffee and the steely look? What about the guy who is looking at his papers, too busy and too cool to engage with the rest of you?

Here is how you can tell: someone will put off a vibe that lets everyone know who is in charge. You will just feel it, even if you are the one vibing. And that person will probably take charge verbally, giving instructions and making suggestions that everyone just seems to follow.

That was George. We all felt, just looking at him on tv, that he would be in charge no matter what room he was in. We all knew that even if the President was in that room, George was going to be The Boss. And certainly we knew he was going to talk first! That garners respect from all of us who recognize how powerful that status can make a person.

Suck it, John Gotti

To use a mafia term, that makes George the Boss of Bosses. And now that he is gone, instead of losing that distinction to the next contender, he has attained an emeritus status. Why? Because there is no next contender.

Try to think of an owner who is most closely like George. Mark Cuban is smart, brash and dedicated to the Mavericks. But he is not even the biggest personality in his fish tank; that award goes to Mr. Wonderful. Daniel Snyder seems every bit as passionate and willing to spend whatever it takes to help the Redskins. Does anyone think of him as some amazing leader? And I will not even make any comparisons between George and the other local sports team owners as it would be too painful for too many of us.

And perhaps finally that is the real reason George Steinbrenner remains The Boss: the distance between him and everyone else. It is rare to have someone who clearly stands above his peers and competitors.

No Love For Gordie Howe

This is especially true in sports, where there is always room for an argument about hierarchy. Who is the best baseball player this year? It could be Mike Trout or Daniel Murphy or two or three other guys.

But George is an all-timer so let’s make that comparison. Who is the greatest quarterback of all time? Is it Montana? Is it Unitas? What about Brady? I could throw in two or three others. What about Presidents? Washington owned slaves, Lincoln directed the killing of more Americans than any other president, and many of FDR’s programs were ruled unconstitutional. Maybe it was Teddy or Clinton. Everywhere we look, we see unending debate.

Only in baseball do we see a clear number one: Babe Ruth (I would include hockey and the Great One but I am tired of Lemieux fans). When he pitched, he was the best pitcher in the league. When he was at the plate, he was the most feared hitter in the game.

Still today, if you made out a line-card and could use any players, Babe Ruth would be penciled in as the clean-up hitter.

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And he also had a huge personality. His actions both naughty and nice were bigger than the headlines that proclaimed them, when they did. Whether he pointed to the stands before hitting his home run, or actually chased a naked girl through a train, his legend and personality elevated his status.

George’s personality was equally big, perhaps bigger.

I Feel Like Winning

George Steinbrenner was far from perfect, which in him was just one more endearing quality. He was not a great baseball man, but he was a great man. And feelings were not that important, not nearly as important as winning and chasing perfection.

He was a demanding daddy in a world of hugging mommies. In some ways, he was that figure for all of us. Somehow, George was in charge of every aspect of the Yankees and that included the fans. Every time he demanded the best from everyone, he was demanding it of us fans as well.

I think most of us want to hold ourselves to the highest standards but often find excuses for our sub-par behavior. And we want others to hold us to that same standard, although we don’t always enjoy it.

2017: Out of the Shadows and into the Light

George is gone now but his shadow remains. When the Yankees are doing poorly, we stand in it, cold and afraid, and ask how he would have made it all better. When the Yankees are winning, we stand next to him in the brilliant, warm light. Then, it is the rest of the baseball world who is forced into that cold shadow, afraid of the punishment daddy will visit upon them in the form of dominating Yankees teams who play and win the right way.

I have seen the future and it is the true baby Yankees, George’s grandchildren. They have the passion their grandpa did and my crystal ball tells me that the real glory years for the Yankees will be when they are running the show. Perhaps one of them will emerge as the real heir to the Steinbrenner throne.

Next: Three Under-the-Radar Free Agent Upgrades for the Yankees

Until then, we will always remember George and revere him. He was first in spending, first in caring, and remains first in the hearts of Yankees fans.

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