The Yankees world according to Hal

Hal Steinbrenner gave an interesting if not terribly insightful interview to the Daily News’ Mark Feinsand in which he discussed many topics of importance to fans of the New York Yankees. But a few of his comments are worth highlighting:

 

·         Steinbrenner talked about how important it is that Derek Jeter retire as a lifetime Yankee. Re-signing Jeter will be a major priority for the Yankees if he declines his $8 million option after this season, which I suspect he will if he has another strong year. The Yankees don’t have a good replacement for Jeter, unless you consider defensively challenged Eduardo Nunez to be a viable candidate. The last contract negotiations left Jeter bruised and angry and I doubt that he is going to be very eager to give the Yankees a hometown discount. But Steinbrenner said the Yankees are going to do what they tried to do during the last round of negotiations, which isn’t very promising considering the Yankees let the supposedly private talks become very public and nasty. Hal has insisted that Jeter’s agent started the fight, which is illogical when you take a close look at the timeline of comments and the fact that he was the first to speak publicly about the negotiations, not Casey Close. If Hal refuses to take responsibility for his role in that ugly situation, I don't see much hope of preventing a similarly nasty disagreement with the Yankees Captain down the road.

 

·         The Yankees managing general partner reiterated that the $189 million payroll target to get the Yankees out of those annoying luxury tax repayments remains the goal and firmly stated that he does not believe a team needs a $200 million payroll to win the World Series. Spoken like a true businessman, though his father George Steinbrenner is probably spinning in his grave. However, Hal said that the team will absolutely not sacrifice fielding a championship-caliber team to reach this $189 million target. He also thinks he can get below that figure even though he will need a lot of cash to re-sign Robinson Cano and Phil Hughes. Personally, I don’t understand how Hal thinks he can have it both ways. He seems to be banking on the Yankees young pitching talent – Ivan Nova, David Phelps and Michael Pineda – making an impact in the next few years at relatively cheap prices. But the Yankees haven’t historically had much success relying on young starters so it seems a stretch to think that they can fill the void for a contending team.

 

·         Steinbrenner hit back at criticisms that the price of attending Yankee games is way too expensive. He argued that half of the Stadium seats are $50 or less and that the Yankees took on a lot of debt to pay for the brand-new ballpark. I understand his argument, but he has to understand that these are still economically-challenging times for fans, despite the soaring stock markets. If faced with the choice of paying rent, food and other bills or going to a Yankees game, the vast majority of fans are going to make the right choice and forgo the game. I myself will likely attend the fewest number of games this year than I ever have in my years as a Yankee fan and most of that decision will be driven by the costs.

Mets wrong to publicly criticize Johan Santana

I know the New York Mets have to do something to keep people interested, but picking a fight with the team’s ace seems like a pretty bad move.

Johan Santana, once again the ace of the Mets pitching staff after RA Dickey was traded to Toronto, came into spring training still trying to fully recover from the shoulder surgery that caused him to miss most of the last two seasons. I’m sure Santana didn’t expect to be criticized by his general manager Sandy Alderson for supposedly coming into camp out of shape. If Alderson had any problems with the way Santana handled his offseason training, or lack thereof, he should have taken it up with Santana and his agent privately rather than igniting a media controversy that pissed off his ace.

Sometimes managers, general managers or baseball owners will criticize players in the media as a way of motivating them. New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was a master at this as proven by his “fat toad” comment about a hefty Hideki Irabu or his condemnation of the relatively vanilla Derek Jeter for his supposed late-night partying. It’s unclear if Alderson was trying to pull a Steinbrenner to motivate Santana, a guy the Mets will need to pitch well if they have any chance of contending. If that’s the case, the criticism clearly had the desired short-term effect of getting Santana back up on the mound.

But I think public criticisms of baseball players tend to have a negative effect on the long-term relationships between ballclubs and players. Do you think there’s any chance Jeter has forgiven or forgotten the remarks by his general manager Brian Cashman during the negotiations for his last contract? If Jeter has another big season this year and declines his 2014 option, rest assured the Yankees won’t be getting the hometown discount that they’ll be looking for.

At least the Yankees don’t demand that their players play hurt. Unlike the Mets, the Yankees tendency is to hold a player back for his own good as they are now doing with Phil Hughes and his injured back. The Mets, for some reason, do just the opposite. They would rather a player go out and risk further injury rather than letting him take time to heal (they better hope Santana didn’t injury himself trying to prove his general manager wrong). The Mets would prefer to publicly criticize players who do not succumb to their demands. At least this time, Alderson put his name to the criticisms rather than engaging in an anonymous smear campaign. But it still seems like the wrong approach.

Pettitte chooses Yankees over Torre

Andy Pettitte has chosen the New York Yankees over Joe Torre in what was likely an excruciating decision for him.

The Yankees lefty has officially taken himself out of consideration for a spot pitching in the World Baseball Classic for Team USA, a squad that will be led by his former manager Torre. Pettitte’s rejection of Torre’s offer to pitch for the team was a foregone conclusion once the Yankees expressed concerns about Pettitte participating, and possibly injuring himself, in an exhibition tournament. Those reservations outweighed any loyalty that Pettitte felt toward the man who protected him when he was a young pitcher from George Steinbrenner’s trade-happy ways, the manager who was at the helm for the first four World Series titles Pettitte helped win.

I’m not one of those baseball fans who hates the World Baseball Classic and I like the idea of seeing Yankee players participate. But I do understand the Yankees expressing concern about a potential injury to their #2 starter, particularly because they know Pettitte is such a competitor that he won’t be able to restrain himself from giving it his all. And Torre doesn’t have the best reputation in terms of not burning out his arms—protecting his pitchers is one area where Joe Girardi definitely is the better manager.
 

As much personal affection as Pettitte has for his former manager, in this situation the lefty simply was not going to go against the wishes of his bosses. Loyalty only goes so far.

Yankees losing the money race to LA teams

It’s official: the New York Yankees are no longer baseball’s freest spenders.

In what appeared to be a contracting market, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim swooped in to sweep Josh Hamilton off his feet with a 5-year, $125 million deal. I’m sure it’s a lot less than Hamilton thought he deserved, but it’s still a fantastic deal for someone with his injury and addiction history. The Angels have spent money like crazy over the past two years, signing Albert Pujols and Yankee reject CJ Wilson to long, rich deals. They went after Hamilton despite, or perhaps because of, missing out of the baseball playoffs in 2012, in an effort to re-establish themselves in the American League West by stealing their main rival’s best player.

 

The Hamilton signing follows the six-year, $147 million mega-deal that Zack Greinke, the only ace-type pitcher available on the free agent market, got from the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are also spending like they don’t have a care in the world. Greinke’s market was thought to be limited, perhaps not as limited as Hamilton’s, because of his mental issues and his apparent disdain for big cities. But in a “pitiful” free-agent market, as described by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, Greinke was going to be well compensated. And the Dodgers, who bailed out the Boston Red Sox by taking several crushing, long-term deals and petulant players off their hands, were more than eager to accommodate Greinke in their battle for the hearts and minds of Los Angelenos.

 

In previous years, I would have believed that Hamilton or Greinke (or perhaps both) would have been viable candidates to become New York Yankees. But I barely paid attention to speculation surrounding their free agent status because I knew this year would be different, despite the embarrassing sweep the Yankees suffered at the hands of the Detroit Tigers in the American League Championship Series, because I knew there was virtually no chance either one of them would end up in the Bronx.

 

For the Yankees, there is a different sheriff in town in Hal Steinbrenner, who apparently cares nothing about making a big splash. His father George Steinbrenner would have overlooked both players’ personal demons and spent whatever he had to spend to convince them to come to New York. Hal Steinbrenner simply does not think that way. It’s a healthy strategy when you are dealing with guys like Hamilton and Greinke, who probably were not the best fit for New York anyway. But what happens the next time a great free agent who could be the perfect solution to a baseball problem in the Bronx becomes available? Is Hal Steinbrenner going to spend what it takes to get the guy or watch as another free-spending team like the Angels or the Dodgers snatches him up? To be determined.

 

Thanks to Mikejames 19 via Wikipedia for the Hamilton photo.   

 

Yankees right not to panic at trade deadline

I was afraid the New York Yankees would panic and make an unnecessary trade after Mark Teixeira’s injury but luckily that was not the case.

The Yankees made a minor move to shore up their bench ahead of Tuesday’s trade deadline, trading away Chad Qualls (bye, Chad, we hardly knew you!) for Casey McGehee. I suspect such a small move for a platoon player happened only because the MRI test for Tex came back negative. If the Yankees were to lose him for an extended period of time, Brian Cashman could have been forced to make a bigger move. You can’t go two months without your big guns at first and third base and we already know we likely won’t see Alex Rodriguez until mid to late September.

But as Cashman mentioned, the price was high for any player of value (more so for the Yankees, who have some strong prospects in the minor leagues) and aside from the Philadelphia Phillies, they weren’t that many sellers in the market this year with the expansion of the wild cards. So I think he was smart not to overreact to the team’s recent poor play and the loss of ARod and Andy Pettitte.

To be honest, the Yankees had already made their big move with the trade for Ichiro Suzuki after their rough weekend in Oakland. Giving up a couple of kids for an aging, but future Hall of Famer is just want the old Yankees, led by George Steinbrenner, would do. But I don’t consider it a bad move in the sense that the Yankees didn’t give up much to get Ichiro.

The Yankees are simply going through a tough spell right now, but they will right the ship and I have every confidence that they will survive it and take the American League East division title. There’s no need to panic, folks. Luckily, Brian Cashman didn't.     

Can Rangers manage Hamilton's weak moments?

The Texas Rangers stood firmly in Josh Hamilton’s corner this weekend as he confessed to having a weak moment and succumbing to the temptation of alcohol once again. But I can’t help but wonder if the Rangers are close to deciding that enough is enough and cutting him loose.

The Rangers are not the first baseball team to deal with a player battling substance abuse issues. The New York Yankees welcomed both Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden, among others, into the Yankee family despite repeated suspensions for both players. For all his faults, George Steinbrenner recognized addiction as something beyond the control of the players. He showed them a lot more support and sympathy than he did other players under his control, even though there were always questions about why he kept giving them second chances.

The Rangers have given Hamilton several chances. It’s not altruistic, of course. When Hamilton is healthy, he can be one of the most productive hitters in the American League (something the Yankees know all too well), as shown by his 2010 Most Valuable Player award. And Hamilton helped lead the Rangers to consecutive AL pennants. It would be incredibly difficult to walk away from such a talented player. 

But at some point, you wonder if Rangers’ personnel will simply tire of having to constantly monitor Hamilton to ensure he does not slip again or decide it is too much of a risk to build a lineup around someone with Hamilton’s problems. He is going to be a free agent after the season, which will force the Rangers to make a decision sooner rather than later. Can they give him a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract not knowing if he can maintain his sobriety? It’s an awfully big risk to take. I would not want to be the person having to make that decision.

I hope for Hamilton’s sake that he can find a way to stay sober and free of his addiction demons. I also hope the Rangers can find a way to continue to show him compassion. But baseball is a business and compassion only goes so far, as Hamilton will probably find out soon.

Thanks to Mikejames19 via Wikipedia for the photo.  

Can Joe Torre restore the Dodgers to greatness?

Joe Torre is a proven winner in the game of baseball, but he is going to need all his skills and talents for what he hopes will be his next job: restoring the Los Angeles Dodgers to greatness.

Torre announced that he was leaving Major League Baseball’s front office to join a group seeking to buy the bankrupt Dodgers. If the group’s bid is successful, Torre would become the head of baseball operations for the iconic franchise and the primary face of a new ownership group seeking to turn the Dodgers back into a superior organization.

Torre has a lifetime of baseball experience as a player, manager and broadcaster, although he experienced his greatest post-retirement success as manager of the New York Yankees. I do not question Torre’s baseball smarts at all. But I can’t help but wonder whether a job running baseball operations is the best fit for an admitted old-time thinker when it comes to baseball. Can Torre really deal with all the advanced metrics and new-age thinking that comes with recruiting and signing players for a major league franchise in the Moneyball era?

I’m also a little surprised that Torre decided to leave his job as right-hand man to Bud Selig at MLB. It was a comfortable role that seemed to fit Torre like a glove, even when there was controversy with the umpires or MLB’s foolish decision to deny the New York Mets the right to honor the first responders at the 9/11 ceremonies by wearing their hats. But Torre is a master at deflecting and defusing controversies, a talent honed in his many years as Yankees manager under George Steinbrenner.  

He’s going to need more than that if he’s going to succeed in his latest task. The Dodgers are fighting to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy and regain the love and affection of Angelenos turned off by the antics of current owner Frank McCourt and the thugs who infiltrated the stadium in recent years, leading to a near-fatal attack on a visiting San Francisco Giants fan. The Dodgers will also have to contend with the suddenly free-spending Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and their new superstar Albert Pujols, whose signing has excited, and perhaps expanded, the Angels fan base.

But Torre has a lot to work with, namely a nucleus of young talent, led by superstar Matt Kemp on the offensive side and ace Clayton Kershaw on the pitching mound. He will have his hand-picked successor Don Mattingly, who did a commendable job running the 2011 team despite all the drama, back in the dugout. It’s a strong base to build off of and Torre may be the guy to massage the team back to what die-hard Dodger Blue fans deserve: a title-winning ballclub. I certainly hope so.

Good luck, Joe!

Yankees do women justice in magazine tribute

So I finally finished reading the entire edition of Yankees Magazine honoring women (hey, it was more than 200 pages thick) and I have to say the New York Yankees did a terrific job in paying tribute to the women working behind the scenes in the organization and the female family members of several famous male athletes as well as highlighting the accomplishments of some of the greatest female athletes of our time.

There was the typical self promotion in the issue such as the six-page piece on the charitable endeavors of the Steinbrenner women and short descriptions of the good works done by the wives of several current members of the New York Yankees. I was looking forward to reading about the Steinbrenner women, but in talking to the magazine, they seemed to forget George Steinbrenner’s old adage: if you do something nice for someone and more than two people know about it, you’re doing it for the wrong reasons.

The stories I enjoyed the most were the profiles of the wives of former Major League Baseball players talking openly about both the joys and the struggles of life. My personal favorite was reading Rachel Robinson, Jackie Robinson’s widow, talk candidly about the difficulties he encountered in breaking baseball’s color barrier, including the terrifying death threats. Mrs. Robinson also faced a problem in her marriage that is unfortunately still typical for a lot of working women: that her desire to have her own career created tension in her marriage. But she didn’t let that stop her from pursuing a successful career in nursing, which is truly inspring.

I also enjoyed the piece about Arlene Howard, wife of Yankees great Elston Howard. Her vivid descriptions of her husband and the way the game was played during his time were both enjoyable and enlightening, particularly for younger baseball fans who might not have much appreciation for how much the game has changed.

The issue is not all about baseball, of course. There’s a column by Tara Sullivan about gender equality for women covering sports, something we female baseball fans probably take for granted since we see Kimberly Jones covering the Yankees on television almost every night or listen to Suzyn Waldman broadcasting Yankee games on the radio. There are also plenty of profiles about famous women athletes and coaches such as Jennie Finch, Mia Hamm and Billie Jean King. But the magazine eventually gets back to baseball with a story of a father’s first baseball game with his young daughter, which I thought was a sweet story although I couldn’t help but wonder how the family got selected for such an extensive profile.

Female baseball fans of all ages should enjoy reading this special edition of Yankees magazine. But set aside some time because reading it will take a while.

Thanks to White House photographer Eric Draper via Wikipedia for the photo of Rachel Robinson.

NY writers celebrate baseball, charity

I didn't really know what to expect last night when I attended the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s annual dinner. But I had a nice time chatting up other avid baseball fans willing to shell out $225 bucks to get a glimpse of their sports heroes.

It was an interesting night, with sportswriters coming together to honor many of the athletes and baseball officials they've spent their lives covering. Of course, they poked a lot of fun at the honorees. Mark Feinsand, chair of the New York chapter and host of the evening, had a great deal of fun at Brian Cashman’s expense, joking about the general manager’s desperate search for another starting pitcher. Fans of the New York Yankees will be happy to know that Cashman signed righty John Denny (who retired in 1986) to a four-year, $60 million deal, according to Feinsand.

The Yankees were well represented during the festivities, with Robinson Cano honored for his tremendous year and thrilled to receive his first Gold Glove. Cano was introduced by Bernie Williams, who told the story about Cano coming up to Williams in the Yankees clubhouse when he was first called up and informing the Yankees then-centerfielder that he was his favorite player growing up, instantly making Bernie feel like an old man.

Phil Hughes was supposed to be honored with the Good Guy award for his interactions with the baseball writers. But the young righty had an apparent conflict and had to answer to a higher authority than the Steinbrenners or his manager Joe Girardi: his mom Dori Hughes.

Hal Steinbrenner gave a very nice speech in accepting an award for his father George Steinbrenner's community service. In referring to his father’s quiet acts of kindness, unacknowledged until after his death last year, Hal Steinbrenner offered wonderful words of wisdom that we should all live by: that an act of charity is not charity if more than two people know about it.

Joe Torre gave what I thought was the most conciliatory speech I've ever heard. Torre was being honored with two other retiring managers Bobby Cox and Lou Piniella for their Hall of Fame careers. He expressed his great joy to be back in New York and thanked New York fans for their support through the years. In front of Cashman and Hal Steinbrenner, he also expressed his gratitude to the Boss for giving him a chance to manage his ballclub. Torre and the Yankees endured a nasty divorce that left Torre with bitter feelings towards his old employers and led to his writing a book that created a rift between him and the Yankees hierarchy. But between the invitation extended to Torre to attend last year's memorial to the Boss at Yankee Stadium and last night's expressions of gratitude by Torre, it seems like all is forgiven.

Yankees happy to say goodbye to 2010

The New York Yankees must be thrilled that 2010 is finally over, considering all the miserable events they suffered through.

At the top of the list has to be the death of iconic owner George Steinbrenner, even if his passing was perfectly timed to escape the estate tax that could have forced his heirs to sell the team. Love him or hate him, the Boss’ willingness to outspend every other team in baseball and pursue the best players with unmatched vigor played a critical role in the success of the Yankee franchise. But the Yankees also lost their heart & soul with the death of legendary announcer Bob Sheppard.

The stated goal of the Yankees every year is to win the World Series so the loss to the Texas Rangers in the American League Championship Series ranks as the worst on-field moment. After easily stomping over their perennial doormat Minnesota Twins, the Yankees were embarrassed by the Rangers. They looked old and inflexible and manager Joe Girardi took his questionable in-game decision making to new levels.

The Yankees have also been losing the offseason battle to the Boston Red Sox, a team that has showed a determination to get back to the playoffs by pulling off a trade for one of the brightest stars in the game in Adrian Gonzalez and signing another young superstar in Carl Crawford. In just those two moves, the Saux created a mighty lineup that promises to wreak havoc in the American League.

In contrast, the Yankees offseason has been characterized by an ugly contract dispute with Derek Jeter in which the team publicly questioned their captain’s ability to continue to perform at a high level and portrayed him as another greedy athlete, a portrayal that resonated with a lot of fans likely due to their personal financial struggles. Ironically though, Jeter was just ranked as the most beloved athlete in New York, suggesting that the shortstop emerged from the clash without any permanent scars.

What does all this mean for 2011? With Girardi returning to pencil in nearly the same lineup every day (with the exception of Jorge Posada becoming a full time designated hitter), the prospects for improving on last season’s performance don’t look terribly promising. If the Yankees fail to make a major move before spring training, they will go into another season hoping that a fresh start will be enough to dispel the memory of a miserable 2010 season.

Thanks to the New York Yankees and MLB via Wikipedia for the photo.

Has the Boss lost best shot at Hall of Fame?

George Steinbrenner is not headed to the Baseball Hall of Fame, at least not yet. But has the Boss lost his best chance at election?

When someone passes away, it is human nature to focus on the good in that person’s life and the positive impact he or she had on the world. For Steinbrenner, that means focusing on the great things he did in baseball such as his constant demand for greatness from his teams and forever changing the sport’s revenue model. It also means more attention paid to his charitable contributions, including all the kids he put through college without them even realizing he was their benefactor.

With his July death fresh in the minds of voters, I thought that sentimentality might carry him across the finish line and into the hallowed halls of Cooperstown, overwhelming any reservations they had about Steinbrenner's notorious misbehavior. But his recent death seems to have had the opposite effect, with some members of the Veterans Committee thinking it was too soon for the Boss to be enshrined. The Boss will get another chance at the Hall in 2013, but all that sentimentality will be long gone by then.

Does that mean that the Boss won't get into the Hall of Fame? Not at all. Time could actually be on his side, as memories of his various misdeeds fade away while his imprint on the game remains permanent and gets more attention with every major free agent the New York Yankees sign. His credentials dictate that he should be in the Hall, with seven World Series championships under his reign, but the felony conviction and two suspensions from baseball will continue to haunt his candidacy.

Steinbrenner’s candidacy has a lot of support from many of the right people. His good friend and sometime-adversary Commissioner Bud Selig gave it a resounding endorsement and I don't see him backing down. Dave Winfield, one of those most wronged by Steinbrenner, has forgiven the Boss and advocated for his induction. I also fully expect to see future first-ballot Hall of Famers Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera continuing to campaign for their Boss to be enshrined with them (perhaps if Jeter hadn't been so distracted by his nasty negotiations with the Steinbrenner sons, he could have been more vocal about their dad's credentials).

I'm on the record as saying that I don't think the Boss should be enshrined, but it's not my call. He'll get another chance and perhaps his odds will improve with the passage of time.

Steinbrenner, Martin shouldn't make the Hall

George Steinbrenner and Billy Martin could be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame next month, but I don't think either of them should be.

I think Steinbrenner has a better shot due to his recent passing, with the good stories shared by those who worked for, played for and even tussled with him all fresh in peoples' minds. Steinbrenner also will receive a lot of credit (or blame) for the way he forever changed the game, with his spending habits and hands-on ownership leaving a permanent mark. Even Bud Selig, in an uncharacteristic move for the commissioner of baseball, endorsed Steinbrenner's Hall of Fame candidacy, which means a lot when you consider that he's been reluctant to even consider allowing Pete Rose into the Hall (as Selig should be since Rose agreed to the lifetime ban and finally admitted he bet on baseball).

Working against Steinbrenner will be his two suspensions as well as the stomach-turning stories about his bullying treatment of his players and employees and his disdain for baseball's hierarchy. There will also be a lot of resentment toward Steinbrenner for the way he forever changed the business of the sport, forcing other teams to pay top dollar or risk losing their star players to the New York Yankees.

As for Martin, he was a solid player on the Yankees during their championship years in the 1950s. But he is probably most well-known for his tumultuous relationship with Steinbrenner, who hired and fired him five times. He was a good manager in his own right, leading several teams to division titles and capturing a World Series title as a manager in 1977. But his hard-partying ways and propensity for physical brawls with his own players make it impossible to appreciate him.

Even though I wouldn't vote for him, I think Steinbrenner will make it into the Hall, but I don't think his old frenemy Martin will join him.

Yankees revamp can't just revolve on Lee

The New York Yankees are setting themselves up for potential trouble if their entire plan to revamp the team revolves around Cliff Lee.

Most of the baseball world assumes that Lee will take the biggest contract he can get, which undoubtedly will come from the Yankees. But what if, after vanquishing the Yankees, Lee sees the Bronx Bombers as a team on the decline, with an aging roster and many problems despite their massive payroll? What if new owner Nolan Ryan, a legendary pitcher himself, knows what he has in his ace, has visions of a possible dynasty and refuses to let him leave, emptying his pockets with a contract offer that Lee finds reasonable? What if Lee decides he has finally found his baseball home in Texas after multiple trades and pulls a Roy Halladay, signing for a lot less than he can get on the open market?

Lee wouldn't be the first stud pitcher to reject the Yankees. Future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux declined to wear the pinstripes, preferring to remain in a more sedate baseball home in Atlanta. Roger Clemens famously spurned the Yankees, even after lifting weights with George Steinbrenner, until he realized he couldn't win that elusive World Series ring without them.

Lee is widely depicted in the media as a hired gun aiming for the biggest score. What if it's not true? What if Lee is not willing to let money be the biggest factor in deciding where he will play the next five years of his baseball career? If that's the case, the Yankees better put away the wallet and come up with a back-up plan, one that doesn't revolve getting the best guy on the market.

Thanks to artolog and Fui in terra aliena via Wikipedia for the photo.

Girardi very lucky the old Boss is long gone

Joe Girardi is very lucky George Steinbrenner is not around anymore or he might be checking the managerial want ads.

In truth, had the old Boss been in charge of the New York Yankees for the last few years, neither Girardi nor Brian Cashman would have survived missing out on the 2008 playoffs, the first time the Yankees were completely out of the postseason since Steinbrenner wisely hired Joe Torre to manage his team. And even with his team winning championship after championship, Steinbrenner constantly felt the need to show Torre who was the Boss.

The old Steinbrenner would have really blown a gasket about the way Girardi mismanaged his team during the 2010 postseason. The old Steinbrenner was never shy about second guessing his managers and he would have had a field day with Girardi's extremely questionable decision making.

Steinbrenner always took things too far, but the one good thing about him is that players and managers knew they had to answer for their mistakes. There doesn't seem to be the same level of accountability with Cashman, Hal Steinbrenner and Hank Steinbrenner running the team.

The Boss would have sent his manager and team a stern message about their poor postseason. But Cashman was quick to assure the baseball world that Girardi would return as manager of the Yankees. My question is why? I don't think Girardi deserves to be fired, but couldn't Cashman have made him sweat a little bit or at least ponder whether his mistakes would cost him his job? If there is no accountability for Girardi's poor choices this postseason, what's to stop him from doing things the same way next year?

Steinbrenner died only a few months ago, but the old Boss has really been gone for a long time. Girardi should be incredibly grateful for that.

Random Yankee thoughts: playoff edition

You would think that the Steinbrenner family and New York Yankees have more important things to worry about these days: their team's lackluster play in the baseball playoffs, perhaps? But they are acting like real bullies in preventing a 77-year-old woman from releasing letters she received as a teenager from a young George Steinbrenner.

Lonn Trost, the COO of the Yankees, cited the potential embarrassment and harm to business interests that would be caused by the release of the letters, whose content has been described in several news articles. I'm amazed by such a claim about innocent letters passed between teenagers. If anything I would think releasing the letters would make Steinbrenner look better, especially after Bill Madden's biography cast new light on his terrible treatment of players and employees. The Steinbrenner family's behavior is shameful, but not surprising because the Boss was the ultimate bully.

* Austin Kearns is not in the lineup for Game 5 of the American League Championship Series despite the devastating injury to Mark Teixeira, which brings me back to my original question: why is he on the postseason roster? After striking out against the world in September, it is clear that Joe Girardi has no confidence in him. At this point, he’s just taking up space in the dugout. If the Yankees do make the World Series, they may want to consider making a roster move.

* Melky Cabrera, a key cog in many thrilling Yankee comebacks last year, was released by the Atlanta Braves. I guess that Javier Vazquez trade didn't really work out for either team.

* Johnny Damon last week expressed an openness to returning to the Yankees despite last year's bitter divorce. With the way the offense has been struggling this postseason, the Bronx Bombers really could have used his clutch bat this October.

* Minka Kelly, best known as Derek Jeter's girlfriend, was named Esquire's Sexiest Woman Alive in 2010. For a guy like Jeter who values his privacy, I'm sure he was thrilled by the attention.

Forgiveness for Joe Torre only goes so far

For a guy retiring in two weeks, Joe Torre can't seem to get out of the limelight.

After two years of virtually ignoring his existence, the New York Yankees finally invited Torre back into the family, inviting the soon-to-be-ex Dodgers manager to attend the ceremony honoring George Steinbrenner and receive the loudest ovation from fans who still love him. Brian Cashman, obviously deeply hurt by the things said about him in Torre's book the Yankee Years, was willing to let bygones be bygones.

But does that mean they are willing to finally give Torre his rightful place in Monument Park? Not anytime soon. The Yankees can't be sure Torre means it when he says he is ready to walk away from baseball. They can't be sure Torre won't completely embarrass them by managing their cross-town rival Mets, despite Torre supposedly closing the door on that opportunity. And if he was somehow able to turn things around in Queens, a plaque in Monument Park would be a constant reminder of that. I don't think Torre is going to get the Yankee Stadium recognition he deserves until he is retired for a few years and it becomes clear he is not coming back to baseball.

One person not willing to forgive and forget is David Wells, who called Torre a terrible manager and a coward because he had Yankees pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre tell Wells he would be passed over for a postseason start. I don't buy that particular criticism because Torre isn't the only manager to leave dealing with pitchers' fragile egos to the coach closest to them. But Wells made a legitimate point about Torre not treating all his players the same. By Torre's own admission, he played favorites with guys such as Derek Jeter over Alex Rodriguez.

I can also understand why Wells is still upset about Torre's book. I was very surprised by the manager's infamous quote: "The difference between Kevin Brown and David Wells is that both make your life miserable, but David Wells meant to.” Boomer may be responsible for some of Torre's hair loss, but he also played a big role in getting one of those four World Series rings that will take Torre to the Hall of Fame. Brown, on the other hand, contributed to Torre's biggest professional failure as a manager, losing the American League Championship Series to the hated Red Sox after being up three games to none.

Forgiveness only goes so far.

Yankees blow chance to put Rays away

The New York Yankees had a chance to put the Tampa Bay Rays away in the division race this week and couldn't pull it off.

A baseball series that started with such hope and promise, with good will and good feelings flowing all around the ballpark Monday night, ended with an ugly thud. The Yankees unveiled the new monument to George Steinbrenner in a moving, emotional ceremony and followed that with an exciting victory. They won again on Tuesday behind Phil Hughes and things looked like they were finally heading the Yankees way, with a 2.5 game lead over the pesky Rays.

But everything fell apart very quickly. For once, the downslide cannot be blamed on AJ Burnett, who suffered a tough loss after a monsoon ended his night way too early. I was ready to blame Mother Nature for the loss and write it off. But CC Sabathia got smacked all around the ballpark yesterday while his counterpart David Price pitched well enough to win.

Even aces are entitled to a bad game every once in a while, but this CC clunker hurt because the Yankees had a chance to basically put the Rays away in the division. Now if they really want the American League East title as much as they claim they do, they are going to have to play hard against two tough division rivals in the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays while the Rays get to smack around the dregs of the American League.

Bottom line, the Yankees blew a golden opportunity to put the Rays away. Let's hope it doesn't come back to haunt them in the playoffs.

Random Yankee thoughts

I'm sick and tired of the New York Yankees acting like Alex Rodriguez's home run total actually means something. ARod was honored for hitting his 600th home run before yesterday's game. I guess the Yankees figure if they have to pay him for all the records he's going to break, they must act like his conquests are legitimate. Perhaps they were concerned about potential public relations fallout since they conducted that wonderful ceremony last year honoring Derek Jeter’s breaking of the Yankees all-time hits record and Mariano Rivera’s 500th save. But those are two iconic Yankees and ARod is a carpetbagger. I hope no one in the organization actually believes ARod’s records should be celebrated.

* I adore Mariano Rivera for many reasons, the latest being his insistence that the Yankees should not celebrate simply making the playoffs. The great closer prefers to wait until his team wins the American League East to celebrate the regular season. I completely agree. Relying on the wild card for a berth in the playoffs when there is a chance to win the division is a copout, something Mo obviously understands. You don't get to his level, and really no one else ever has, by cutting corners. The good thing is that when he speaks, the Yankees listen so I don't expect to see any party footage until they clinch the division.

* George Steinbrenner is getting the last laugh. The Boss, never one to walk away from a good controversy, must love the uproar caused by the size of his monument. Sure, it's ostentatious and worships the Boss over immortal Yankee players, but did we really expect anything less? By the way, I disagree with Bud Selig that Steinbrenner deserves to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame. I don't blame Selig for lobbying for his friend's induction and there's no question that Steinbrenner had more of an impact on the game than any other owner of his generation, but he also did a lot of damage to the sport.

Steinbrenner family celebrates Boss legacy

Boss tribute brings crowd, Yankees to tears

I couldn't stop the tears from flowing from my eyes when George Steinbrenner's wife Joan cut the rope unveiling his monument in Yankee Stadium. I wasn't the only one.

Joan Steinbrenner and her daughters couldn't hold back their tears as they received a standing ovation when the covering came down to reveal the Boss in all his glory and the words honoring their husband and father were read out loud to the crowd. I can't even imagine what that felt like.

The Yankee players, current and old timers, were equally emotional. Having the entire team walk the Steinbrenner family out to Monument Park was a wonderful touch. Mariano Rivera was the last current player to leave Monument Park, staring at Steinbrenner's monument. To see the great Mariano, never overcome by anything that happens on the mound, transfixed in that moment was telling. Everyone talks about Derek Jeter's relationship to the Boss, but it is clear that Rivera is taking his loss as hard as anyone in the organization.

The ceremony didn't resolve my mixed feelings for the Boss. I'm grateful to him for making the Yankees the team that they are, one of the top organizations in all of sports, not just baseball. However, his behavior toward his staffers during his first tenure still bothers me, more so after reading about the horrible things he did in Bill Madden's biography. But at least for one night, all was forgiven in the Bronx and I was grateful to be a part of that tribute. I cried, not in anger or frustration, but in sadness over the loss of our Boss and in solidarity with the family he left behind.