Sometimes I think we all have to admit that the Boss, Mr. George Steinbrenner, spoiled us as Yankees fans. You see George thought of the Yankees as a hobby, his passion, where as it seems like his sons, Hank and Hal, think of the team as a business. Truth be told Major League Baseball is a business and the other 29 owners and franchises are probably run like a business with maybe the exception of the Los Angeles Dodgers. When George was running the show you never had to wonder where he was or what he was doing, he was in the middle of everything for better or for worse. Maybe the spoiled Yankee fan in me is coming to the surface on this early Saturday morning but where the hell has Hal Steinbrenner been this season?
You don't see Hal at the stadium in the luxury boxes, you barely see his presence at the Bernie Williams Days and the Jorge Posada Days and the latter and the only time you hear about him is when he reportedly is blocking a trade or an acquisition due to the financial ramifications. If the Yankees aren't trying to get under the luxury tax you don't hear a thing out of Hal unless he's apologizing for missing the postseason again with a "World Series caliber" team.
It's fine, this isn't a rant or anything, I'm just wondering where in the world is Hal Steinbrenner-Diego.
totally disagree. George ran it as a business-made hundreds of millions and wasted tens of millions on stupid signs while limiting the roster flexibility. I like Hal letting the baseball people run the team, getting younger and resetting the luxury tax and stop paying other teams to beat them.
ReplyDeleteSo running the Yankees like a business included running the team in the red for multiple seasons consecutively? Sounds like a crap business model.
DeleteStanley and etc., I like what you have said but you also forgot to mention the fact that King George spent millions of his own money on many of the signings on his way to drag the team out of mediocrity...the pits of hell.
DeleteYes, he has wasted money on the team but, it was his money along with team money.
Hal Steinbrenner is a joke to Yankee baseball. George made a 10 million dollar investment and turned it into a 3.2 Billion dollar machine. George was one of the first owners to launch his own network. Did he make some bad decisions along the way.. the answer is yes? However he also made the Yanks relavent throughout his ownership.
ReplyDeleteThe Coupon Clipper sits there and lies to all the fans faces by saying its WS or bust. That he is in it for the family which feels winning the WS is the only thing that matters. Bullshit, the only thing that matters is the bottom line. Hal sold more than half of the ownership in the YES network to Ruppert Murdoch, why is that? Answer is simple its all about the Benjamin's. He wasn't making any moves by adding salary during the trade deadline. He was going to the farm system no matter if he had the nice additions like Severino and Bird or the likes of a Cotham and the other scrub relievers added at the end of the season.
Most of you guys think it is using our farm system, however it is about subtracting money off the budget so the coupon Clipper and the rest of the Stein's can pad their bank accounts. Once the big ticket items come off the books, you will continue to see marginal talent additions like Chris Young and the rest of the underachieving farm system we have. Yes Reed I still think out farm system is in the bottom third in MLB. Yes it has added some pieces but where are the drafted stud pitchers? No Severino is not a drafted pitcher so guys please don't go there.
Until the Stein's sell this team you will see no real movement in the division except possibly down. The Yanks finishing second is clearly a result of Baltimore also being cheap as well as Tampa not being able to pay their players and having a selloff.
About time, someone read what I have been writing for the last 4 months or even last year. "Follow the money", always!
DeleteKen H, I do believe you may be on the minority side in your perception of our Farm System. No, we don't have many superstars (IF any) in our system (as of yet) but we have many very good players.
There is no reason that I can see for them to get under the cap, and at the same time not play the guys from the farm, who knows we may find a diamond in the rough. It is killing two birds with one shot...no pun intended.
This franchise needs to be sold to an owner that gives a crap about the franchise as well as the fans. The product that was put out on the field this year was average at best. The Yanks should just thank the lord that the AL Least is watered down.
DeleteWith the exception of your thoughts on the farm system, which is not necessarily wrong I just disagree with it, you're 100% correct Reed. George screwed up a ton along the way but he had the minds in place, the money and the balls to fix those mistakes rather than just wait them out like this team is currently doing.
DeleteI agree a Burch and that's why I want this team sold.
DeleteIf it got sold I definitely wouldn't be upset about it. You just have to be careful what you ask for, what if a Jeffrey Loria buys the team? Or a Mark Cuban who has spent the money in Dallas but received very little to show for it?
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