Results tagged ‘ George Steinbrenner ’

Lou: ‘The Boss’ liked a show

A quick note from this morning at the Winter Meetings – 

Lou Piniella was among a group of four long-time managers who were honored by Commissioner Allan H. “Bud” Selig at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort. And like Joe Torre, Piniella had gratitude for George M. Steinbrenner, who allowed him to begin his managerial career in 1986 with the Bombers. 
It was under Steinbrenner that Piniella – already a fiery personality during his playing days – learned a little something he’d carry with him forever. When Piniella was managing the Yankees, Steinbrenner called him into his office one day.
“He said, ‘There’s a little more to managing than just winning baseball games. You’ve got to put fannies in the seats.’ He said, ‘When you go out there and get kicked out of  a ballgame, put on a nice show.’ I took it to heart.”
As anyone who witnessed one of Sweet Lou’s epic tirades can attest, he sure did. Piniella also had this to say about the Hall of Fame committee that enshrined Pat Gillick – a colleague of Piniella’s with Seattle – but not Steinbrenner:
“I was very happy for Pat. Pat is a wonderful baseball executive and wonderful human being. I have the highest regard for Pat Gillick. Mr. Steinbrenner, I thought he’d get in. I was disappointed, I really was. I think Mr. Steinbrenner in due time will get his enshrinement in the Hall of Fame.” 

Steinbrenner takes his place in Monument Park

steinbrennermonument.jpg

The Yankees unveiled their permanent tribute to George M. Steinbrenner tonight in a pre-game ceremony, with members of the Steinbrenner family on hand for the event along with Commissioner Allan H. “Bud” Selig and, making his first appearance at the new Yankee Stadium, former Yankees manager Joe Torre.
The 7-foot-wide, 5-foot-high bronze monument has been installed in the middle of Monument Park beyond the center field fence, and weighs 760 pounds. It also has a granite base that bears Steinbrenner’s signature and the Yankees insignia.
The entire Yankees roster marched along the warning track from the dugout to a ramp erected in center field, followed by four golf carts that carried the Steinbrenner family to the unveiling. 
Mariano Rivera lingered longer than most, appearing emotional as he read each word of the Steinbrenner monument. Here is the text:

GEORGE M. STEINBRENNER III
July 4, 1930 – July 13, 2010
New York Yankees Principal Owner
“The Boss”
1973 – 2010
Purchased the New York Yankees on January 3, 1973.  
A true visionary who changed the game of baseball forever, 
he was considered the most influential owner in all of sports.
In his 37 years as Principal Owner, the Yankees posted a Major League-best .566 winning percentage,
 while winning 11 American League pennants and seven World Series titles,
becoming the most recognizable sports brand in the world.
A devoted sportsman, he was Vice President of the United States Olympic Committee, a member of  the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors and a member of the NCAA Foundation Board of Trustees.
A great philanthropist whose charitable efforts were mostly performed without fanfare, he followed a personal motto of the greatest form of charity is anonymity.
Dedicated by the New York Yankees
September 20, 2010

Yankees unveil Steinbrenner image in bleachers

This just sent from the Yankees as well:

gmsmural.jpg

YANKEES HONOR GEORGE M. STEINBRENNER III
 
The New York Yankees today unveiled an image of George M. Steinbrenner III inside Yankee Stadium in honor of the late Principal Owner who passed away on July 13.  Mr. Steinbrenner celebrated his 37th anniversary as Principal Owner of the New York Yankees in January.  Under his leadership, the Yankees posted a Major League-best .566 winning percentage (3,364-2,583-3 record) while winning 11 American League pennants and seven World Championships (the most in the Majors).
Measuring 40 feet wide by 13 and a half feet tall, the image has been placed in right field, just behind the Bleachers.  It features a photo of the Yankees’ late Principal Owner on a Yankees blue background with the trademark Yankee Stadium frieze across the top, with his name, the years 1930-2010 and the phrase “The Boss.”
The listing of the Yankees’ 27 championship years – seven of which were won under Mr. Steinbrenner – will be relocated to the facing of the H&R Block Suite level around the Stadium bowl, in view of the field, prior to the next homestand.
Information on a Tribute for Mr. Steinbrenner will be announced at a later date.

Yankees to pay tribute to Steinbrenner, Sheppard Friday

The Yankees will pay tribute to the late George M. Steinbrenner III and Bob Sheppard prior to Friday night’s game against the Rays, the team announced Thursday.
The pregame ceremony will include a video tribute to Steinbrenner, who passed away at age 80 on Tuesday morning, as well as moments of silence for The Boss and Sheppard. Additional ceremonies will also take place during Old-Timers’ Day on Saturday.
During Friday’s ceremony, a wreath will be placed in front of Steinbrenner’s statue in the Gate 2 Executive Lobby of Yankee Stadium, and another will be placed in front of Sheppard’s plaque in Monument Park. United States Army Sergeant First Class Mary Kay Messenger will sing the National Anthem, and the West Point Color Guard will present the colors.
The game starts at 7:05 p.m. ET, but the team encourages fans to be at their seats by 6:45.

Yankees to wear commemorative patches to honor George M. Steinbrenner and Bob Sheppard

The Yankees will wear uniform patches to honor the lives of George M. Steinbrenner and Bob Sheppard for the remainder of the 2010 season, beginning with Friday’s game vs. Tampa Bay at Yankee Stadium.

The Steinbrenner commemorative patch will be worn above the interlocking NY on the left breast of the Yankees’ home jerseys, and above the letters ‘YORK’ on the left breast of the Yankees’ road uniforms. Both locations are over the heart.
The Sheppard commemorative patch will be worn on the left sleeve of the Yankees’ home and road jerseys. At tonight’s Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Anaheim, all Yankees uniforms were affixed with black armbands on their left sleeves in honor of Steinbrenner’s passing.
GMS Memorial Patch.jpgSheppard Memorial Patch.jpg

Reaction to the passing of George M. Steinbrenner

Outside Yankee Stadium, a banner with George M. Steinbrenner’s name and profile photo are being displayed, with the dates, “1930-2010.” At City Hall Plaza, New York mayor Michael R. Bloomberg is lowering the flags to half staff to honor Steinbrenner, whom he called a “larger than life New York figure.” 
Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig: ”On behalf of Baseball, I am very saddened by the passing this morning of George Steinbrenner.  George was a giant of the game and his devotion to baseball was surpassed only by his devotion to his family and his beloved New York Yankees.  He was and always will be as much of a New York Yankee as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford and all of the other Yankee legends.  I have known George ever since he entered the game in 1972.  He was my dear friend for nearly four decades.  Although we would have disagreements over the years, they never interfered with our friendship and commitment to each other.  Our friendship was built on loyalty and trust and it never wavered.  We were allies and friends in the truest sense of the words. My wife, Sue, and I pass on our deepest sympathies to the Steinbrenner family, to the New York Yankees and to all of his friends. We will miss him, especially tonight when the baseball family will be gathered at Angel Stadium for the All-Star Game.”
New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg: “Our hearts and prayers go out to the entire Steinbrenner family. This is a sad day not only for Yankee fans, but for our entire City, as few people have had a bigger impact on New York over the past four decades than George Steinbrenner. George had a deep love for New York, and his steely determination to succeed – combined with his deep respect and appreciation for talent and hard work – made him a quintessential New Yorker. George invested his heart and soul into the Yankees, and his competitive fire helped usher in new eras of Yankee greatness, reclaiming the team’s long tradition of excellence and its position as the most successful franchise in the history of American sports. He was a champion who made New York a better place, and who always gave back to the city he loved. He has left an indelible legacy on the Yankees, on baseball, and on our city, and he leaves us in the only way that would be appropriate: as a reigning world champion.”
Yankees Hall of Famer Yogi Berra: “This is a very sad day for me and Carmen and all of baseball. My sympathies go out to the Steinbrenner family. George was The Boss, make no mistake. He built the Yankees into champions and that’s something nobody can ever deny. He was a very generous, caring, passionate man. George and I had our differences, but who didn’t? We became great friends over the last decade and I will miss him very much.”

Al Leiter, former Yankees pitcher and current YES Yankees analyst: “You couldn’t ask for a better owner than George Steinbrenner.  He always provided everything you needed to win a championship.  His passion, intensity and his attention to detail were legendary, and he expected nothing but the best from you. No one outworked him, and no one wanted to win more than he. He had a unique aura, a unique presence about him.  When he walked into a room, his presence was felt immediately. I thoroughly enjoyed my times with the Yankees.  It was, and is, a sports franchise like no other. Mr. Steinbrenner will be terribly missed.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the Steinbrenner family.”
John Sterling, Yankees WCBS broadcaster: “I’ve heard one million George Steinbrenner stories of things he did for people that would bring a tear to your eye.  So he was a combination. Was he a tough boss? Boy, you bet he was. But he also had the softest side to him. In my own way, I really loved him.  He took care of so many people in so many ways. I’m really very sad today, but he did phenomenal things for the Yankees.”
Suzyn Waldman, Yankees WCBS broadcaster: “Anybody who knows what the Yankees were like before there was a George Steinbrenner certainly knows what he did on the field.  He was a remarkable man. He had one thing in mind always and that was building a team and bringing championships to the city of New York. His legacy is going to be something that is so far reaching, and you’re going to read in the coming days about what he was like.  I don’t think we’re ever going to see a person like this again.”
Ken Singleton, former Baltimore Orioles player and current YES Yankees analyst: “George Steinbrenner was a legend, a once-in-a-lifetime figure.  He had tremendous vision, and the sports landscape – not just the baseball landscape – will never be the same.   He had an outsized personality. While I was playing with the Orioles, and later as a Yankees analyst, I witnessed first-hand the passion for winning he exhibited, and the way New Yorkers appreciated the resources he put into producing a championship team.  We’ll never see another owner like him.  I will always appreciate the opportunity Mr. Steinbrenner gave me to broadcast Yankee games.  I will miss him dearly.”
John Flaherty, former Yankees catcher and current YES Yankees analyst: “New York and sports lost a great figure this morning.  There is nothing like putting on the pinstripes and playing for the Yankees, and that is a tribute to the way George Steinbrenner resurrected the franchise in the 1970s.  He treated the Yankees players extremely well.  He was always very generous. He gave you all the resources you needed to win. All he wanted to do was win and to bring world championships to the people of New York, and he was extremely successful in doing that. I will always treasure my time with the Yankees.  My condolences go out to the Steinbrenner family.”
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel: “It’s a very tough day for baseball. I knew George, and when we would win our division he would send me a personal letter. First time I met him was in 1984. They had a Double A team in Nashville, and I had a good conversation with him. Then after that I talked to him some at his restaurant in Florida. Great gentleman.”
Red Sox principal owner John W. Henry: ”I had the good fortune to call George Steinbrenner both partner and friend. I had the privilege to watch George as he built a system that ensured his beloved Yankees would have a strong foundation for sustained excellence. And then we fiercely competed in the American League. George Steinbrenner forever changed baseball and hopefully some day we will see him honored in baseball’s Hall of Fame as one of the great figures in the history of sports.”
Darryl Strawberry, on ESPN’s ‘SportsCenter’: “Greatness. Nothing but greatness. When people finally look back, now that he’s passed and his day has come, and they look back at what he built for the New York Yankees, remarkable. The impact that he’s had on baseball, the impact that he’s had on young people, the impact that he’s had on other people’s lives, there is a man that’s resting today that can rest in peace that has took his life on and did tremendous greatness with it and gave it back to help that struggle to show them the way.”
Dave Winfield, on ESPN’s ‘SportsCenter’: “His legacy, they’re going to have to look at him as one of the top owners in the history of sports. They will. You just look at the record, where they came from, with the championships and stuff, they’ll look at him as one of the most forceful, or the guy with the most impact in professional sport
s. That’s where they’ll start, that’s where they’ll finish. There will be much said in between, but they’ll say he was one of the top executives or owners in all of sports.”

Boss: Win it for the fans

A Q&A with George Steinbrenner, via Steve Serby:

Q: If you were to give these Yankees a pregame pep talk — what would you tell them?

A:
You had a great year, now finish like Yankees. Think of those 50,000
people in the stands and everybody watching on TV. They are the most
loyal and dedicated fans in sports. We built you guys a beautiful new
stadium. We are counting on you to break it in the right way — by
making it the home of the 2009 world champions. It’s a long off season,
so leave it all on the field and give it your best.

Yankees passed on Pedro – twice

Remember the other day when Pedro Martinez said that he embraced the ‘Who’s Your Daddy?’ chants at Yankee Stadium, because the Yankees fans really wanted him on their side?

Quick refresher: “I know they really want to root for me.  It’s just that I don’t play for the Yankees, that’s all.  I’ve always been a good competitor, and they love that.  They love the fact that I compete.  I’m a New Yorker, as well.  If I was on the Yankees, I’d probably be like a king over here.”

Well, the Bombers had the chance — twice — to make Pedro into ‘royalty,’ and passed both times. Here’s good stuff from Christian Red in the New York Daily News:

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that in both instances, there was a slim chance that Martinez was going to sign with the Yankees, but for very different reasons. Five years ago, Martinez’s monetary demands were one hurdle for George Steinbrenner and Cashman, but the more serious concern was the righthander’s long-term durability.

“At that time we had internal information about his health that turned out to be accurate,” Cashman said yesterday after the Yankees’ workout at Citizens Bank Park. “We thought he was going to break down and he did.”

… A source familiar with the meeting said that Steinbrenner even teased Martinez about his unruly hair at the time, and said that if the righthander did sign, he would have to get a haircut. Instead, Martinez went across town to Flushing, where he helped the Mets win the NL East in 2006, but was a disappointing 8-7 over the final two years of his deal.

This past summer, Cashman said Martinez was asking for $5 million for half a season, which was too rich for even the Yankees. Martinez eventually signed with the defending champion Phillies for $1 million, plus incentives.

“We took a look at him, but he didn’t throw well in front of us. They said he was throwing 95. He was throwing 87, 88,” said Cashman. “What he showed us wasn’t what we were told. He was looking for $5 million. When he recalculated his demand, he didn’t tell us about it. We might have had interest.”

From the desk of George M. Steinbrenner

This statement dropped in not too long ago:

“This has been a tremendous year for our team as we have settled into our new home.  The New York Yankees are proud of our rich history of outstanding players and this year’s team has worked hard to  prove that they are worthy of the great distinction of calling themselves Yankees.

“We look forward to finishing what we started this season and never losing sight of our goal – to bring another championship to the best fans in the world  and the great city of New York.”

The Boss is No. 1

Heard this little story in the dugout today during batting practice:

one-last-time-cover.jpgLast week, Ray Negron published his latest illustrated children’s book, “One Last Time: Good-Bye to Yankee Stadium.”
Yankees principal owner George Steinbrenner and memories of Yankee Stadium are the focus of the book.

The cover depicts Steinbrenner in an illustration wearing his familiar white
turtleneck and navy blue sport coat, giving a thumbs up sign with
his hand on the shoulder of a batboy.

Well, this week, Negron bumped into Steinbrenner here at the stadium and was congratulated on the book, which hit No. 1 in its category on Amazon.com.

“You hit No. 1,” Steinbrenner told Negron. “I’m happy for you.”

“No, Boss,” Negron replied. “I couldn’t have hit No. 1 without you. You’re on the cover. I’m happy for us.”

Here’s the Amazon.com page for “One Last Time,” and you can read more about Negron’s charitable efforts at batboyhelps.com.

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