George Steinbrenner - Dead

[howie14]

11 pennants and 7 world series titles and we puff our chests out over 6 pennants and 3 world series titles.

At the time (late '70s, early 80's) we were very proud of the fact that our system was continuing to beat, or at least hold off, Steinbrenner's checkbook ownership. Those who grew up totally in the money era accept it as the way things are meant to be, but those of us who grew up in the '60s and '70s are a little more likely to believe that the big money teams do it the easy way.

And you aren't claiming that Yankee fans don't puff out their chests constantly, are you?

[Snutchy]

Why does all the harm he did to baseball go away just because he died? Does any of the good go away? Nope. So, whatever good he did should be remembered and talked about and valorized, and the bad he did should be recalled and discussed and demonized. There are no ball fours just because you pass on. Your legacy is what it is--good and bad.

I get what you're saying.

Maybe I should clarify my point better.

All the banter and bad names this man has been called because of how he ran a baseball team is petty. All of it. Even when he was alive.

[Snutchy]

I'll say it; I'd rather the Orioles had him as owner than Angelos.

I have given out too much rep. I will hit you back.

[TonySoprano]

The Orioles can't be compared to the Yankees. New York is a much bigger market with better economics. Steinbrenner's genius was that he figured out how to capitalize on that. I have little doubt that he would have done a better job with the Orioles than Angelos has done, but it's not like Baltimore has the same favorable economics as New York.

The truth is, I don't really puff my chest out based on the 3 World Series and 6 pennants any more. That ended an awfully long time ago. Of the 14 AL teams, 12 of them have been to the World Series more recently than the Orioles, including 8 teams that have gone more than once since 1983. Besides us, only Texas hasn't been to a World Series since 1983 among AL teams.

No World Series for Seattle, either.

Talk about economics, Camden Yards outdrew Yankee Stadium every year from 1992-2000, yet the Yankees spent more on payroll with the exception of 1998.

The difference, of late, is the YES network, but it didn't get its start until 2002. Yankees went from $112M in payroll to $200 M thanks to YES.

[Snutchy]

Have the Mariners played in a World Series?

Despite several successful seasons, especially between 1995 and 2001, they have never won an AL Championship, and are one of only three MLB franchises (the others being the Washington Senators/Texas Rangers and the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals) never to have played in a World Series.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle_Mariners

[howie14]

No World Series for Seattle, either.

Talk about economics, Camden Yards outdrew Yankee Stadium every year from 1992-2000, yet the Yankees spent more on payroll with the exception of 1998.

The difference, of late, is the YES network, but it didn't get its start until 2002. Yankees went from $112M in payroll to $200 M thanks to YES.

Even without YES his team still had a huge advantage in local revenue streams outside of ticket sales. You are right that YES made the disparity that much larger.

[Birds of B'more]

I think this is worth posting:

http://www.freep.com/article/20100713/SPORTS12/100713011/1320/Source-George-Steinbrenner-dead-at-80

Died this morning of a heart attack.

Of course, never a good thing. But to relate it to the Orioles, does anything change up in New York?

Doubt it. His sons had already taken over operation of the franchise. My hunch is there was already a plan for them to assume ownership too once the time came.

[lint06]

Ah, I see where you are coming from now. Carry on, sir.

[byrdz]

RIP King George

BTW, this thread title is eloquent in it's brevity.

[Boy Howdy]

The most accurate adjective used to describe Steinbrenner was "complicated".

Most of the negative things said about him were true, maybe even understated, but he also had a strong sense of loyalty and charity that was every bit as real.

Steinbrenner himself made me root against the Yankees even more strongly, but I imagine he'd take that as a compliment. His missteps over the years provided a lot of entertainment and timeless stories, and I'm glad I got to live through his era even though it's largely been a tough one for my Orioles.

I wrote him a handful of letters over the years in search of an autograph for my collection, and I'll always be grateful for the postage-paid 8x10 that arrived a few springs ago personalized to me. What an American life the infamous George Steinbrenner led.

[DrungoHazewood]

I think we can all say that the world would be a better place if every major league team outside of Baltimore was owned by a circa 1983 George Steinbrenner.

[paulcoates]

after watching non stop coverage on ESPN about him, I will say this:

1)The guy really contributed to his community. There is a children wing on the Tampa hospital where he lays now named as him.

2)He was loyal to many guys that were once Yankees by continuing to pay them salaries even after they left the franchise and move on with their lives. Certainly, he didn't have to do that, but he did have a soft spot for HIS people. Once you leave a company now, they couldn't care less about you.

3)Say what you want about spending, but the bottom line is this guy spent them money he made and reinvested it back into the team unlike certain owners

4)He recognized that as long as he continued to win, he could make a mistake on signing a free agent due to the profits he reaped between winning and YES.

5)He understood that winning is supported and creates money for his franchise. I wish Angelos would have understood this about 15 years ago.

Hated while alive, but now the truth comes out about what kind of guy he was. Just goes to show that some people don't need to be applauded and that they do things behind the scenes (and not for show)

[SammyBirdland]

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LOL at "Buck Showalter" at the end

[scOtt]

It's sad that a man's legacy will not change until he is gone. Often hated, he will now be known as one of the smartest, most controversial owners in the game. Cut-throat business man. His importance to the game cannot be questioned.

Now that he is gone it all seems petty. No more hate and ridicule for this man.

He obviously had alot of money and he was pure business. He knew what he wanted and got it. It obviously won his team 7 championships during his ownership.

Be well my friend. I will have a moment of silence for you tonight when your Yankees and the rest of the allstars take the field.

Pretty much sums it up for me. RIP

[Old#5fan]

Why does all the harm he did to baseball go away just because he died? Does any of the good go away? Nope. So, whatever good he did should be remembered and talked about and valorized, and the bad he did should be recalled and discussed and demonized. There are no ball fours just because you pass on. Your legacy is what it is--good and bad.

I agree, and in fact I will be the first to say it. I don't give a damn if he's dead or alive he ruined the game of major league baseball. I won't forgive him for that because he's dead! He wasn't as bad as Robert Irsay but he put his goal of winning ahead of the game and that is why I could never stand him.