Big Stein Sits In
Via Kat O’Brien -
The Yankees completed their second day of organizational meetings Friday, with the key difference in the two days the involvement of principal owner George Steinbrenner this time.
The meetings focused on the Yankees’ offseason plans with regard to free agency and the trade market. On Thursday, Steinbrenner’s sons Hal and Hank, who are club co-chairmen, were the representatives for ownership. All three Steinbrenner men were in attendance Friday, as were general manager Brian Cashman, manager Joe Girardi and club president Randy Levine, among others.
“It was purely informational, just like yesterday,” Hal Steinbrenner said by phone. “The only difference is today we got George involved. That was important.”
Important?
You know…George Steinbrenner is the only Yankees owner that I’ve ever known. And, while he’s had his bad moments, I still think he’s a Hall of Famer and I appreciate everything that he’s done to make the Yankees what they are today. Yet, with all due respect, Big Stein – given his current condition – has about as much business being at these meetings as Pop Abernathy did being at Felix Unger’s barnacle glue sales pitch meeting.
Truly…a poorly constructed Mr. Potato Head would add more value to the conversation than George, at this stage. And, if Hal (and Hank) feel that it’s important to have their father there, still, for input…then the rudder on this Yankees ship is even more busted than some have recently suggested…
Big Stein wants AJ and Peavy? Those are two accidents waiting to happen! JUst adding high priced free agents will not make this team 10 years younger, gutty, grittier or hungry for a championship. The Yanks will become the personification of Yankees Inc when they spend gazillions on free agents and the Rays and Red Sox have young gritty players. ONe of the reasons the Yanks are in this position because George got rid of Zimmer(that was idiotic) and the Yanks went back to the big free agent (Giambi). They need to pick the right free agents (people who are not like AJ or Peavy) to bolster this team.
I don’t quite understand your attitude, Steve. We don’t know what afflicts George, but I’m not convinced that he’s lost his marbles yet. If he wants to sit in and say “sign Sabathia, let Giambi go, offer arbitration to Abreu”, why not?
If the lights are on but nobody is home, I don’t think he’d attend, and they’d certainly not be listening to him.