Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Yankees aim to win it for the Boss

Seems cheesy to say the Yankees are determined to win their 27th title for George Steinbrenner, a.k.a. the Boss, but that seems to be exactly what's happening. Steinbrenner's health problems have been the topic of much speculation, but he clearly isn't doing well, otherwise he would be seen at Yankee Stadium a lot more than he has been.

Steinbrenner's Yankeeography was on the YES network again yesterday and I think it's one of the better, more insightful programs, especially for younger fans who were not around during his early years owning the team. I liked that they didn't shy away from the controversies that made the Boss infamous, such as his penchant for mishandled firings and his often-contentious relationships with players and managers.

A lot of Yankee fans, including myself, miss the Boss, who was always a big part of the fun of being a Yankee fan. I always enjoyed Steinbrenner's rants, even if they were off the mark, like when he criticized Derek Jeter for partying too much, on his birthday no less! The fallout from that remark led to one of the few true controversies that Jeter has ever found himself immersed in. But it also showed the sense of humor and close relationship of both men after they turned it into that hilarious VISA commercial.

But I'm glad to see that the Steinbrenner kids inherited his desire to win and his competitive nature, even if they do show a composure that their father lacked. They could have easily reined in Brian Cashman last offseason when he wanted to acquire CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and Mark Teixeira. They had a lot of salary money coming off the books and they could have looked at the last few years of futility and decided that out-spending every other team in baseball was getting them nowhere. But they didn't. Instead, they took up their father's mantle and reinvested the savings into three quality players, who all played a large role in getting them back to the World Series.

While his kids are doing a great job, there is no one like George Steinbrenner. I personally can't wait until tomorrow night, when the Boss will be back in the Bronx where he belongs.

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