| Robert Kornhauser. 23rd December, 2007 - 12:27 pm
 Whether you hate or love George Steinbrenner - and those really are you’re only two options - it’s always entertaining to listen up when the crotchety old boss blows off some steam. Whether he’s calling out players, insulting baseball bureaucrats or describing his bread bowl-chili system on Seinfeld (“You'd eat the chili, then you'd eat the bowl. Nothing more satisfying than looking down after lunch and just seeing a table”), his ramblings and insulting banter have always elicited a smile from sports fans' faces. But the newest Steinbrenner stealing the headlines isn’t everyone’s favorite grumpy, turtle-necked owner. This proclamation came straight out of the mouth of the new “boss” of the Yankees, and though he may share his father’s sharp tongue and penchant for aviator sunglasses, Hank Steinbrenner is not his father.
In what many have dubbed this the off-season that will define the New York Yankees future for years to come, and just like dad, the newly crowned Hank Steinbrenner isn’t making any friends. Hank has used his Steinbrenner muscle to bully around just about anyone who has gotten in his way. His negotiations this winter, from setting deadlines to posing the question to A-Rod “Does [Rodriguez] want to go into the Hall of Fame as a Yankee or a Toledo Mud Hen?” have flashed strokes of father’s same classic, hot-headed antics. He refused to negotiate with Rodriguez’s agent Scott Boras, allowed A-Rod to openly test the market for his services and even at one point bid adieu to baseball’s best hitter and next player in line to become baseball’s home run king. He may talk the talk and walk the walk, but strangely enough, Hank’s choices this off-season have revealed an element of level headedness that Big George has never shown.
Hank’s choice of Joe Torre’s replacement as manager, Joe Girardi, does not fit the mold of a bold Steinbrenner move. Instead of picking Don Mattingly, both fan favorite and bench coach to Joe Torre, Hank and Brian Cashman chose the more established and comparatively more low-profile Girardi to succeed the Hall of Fame bound Torre. Mattingly has done literally nothing to prove his worth as a manager though he was the best player on Yankees for years. Hank made the most rational decision he could. Girardi, who also dawned the pinstripes as a former player, is a young, up and coming manager in the majors. What he did with Marlins of 2006 (guided the team with the lowest payroll in baseball into wild card contention while winning Manager of the Year in the NL) was nothing short of amazing. Just think what he can do with a Yankees' team that sports one of the best lineups in the league. Wait a second… the Boss is turning down Donny Baseball? You bet he just did.
The treatment of Minnesota’s Johan Santana has also raised some eyebrows among the fans and media, as well. On the verge of acquiring baseball’s most talented and most available ace, Hank broke off negotiations in the middle of the baseball Winter Meetings. The deal allegedly cooled after the Twins’ insistence that Ian Kennedy and other Yankee farm hands be placed in the package already containing Phil Hughes and Melky Cabrerra. Am I hearing this correctly? The Yankees are walking away from Johan Santana, baseball’s best pitcher over the last half decade, because of some guys named Ian Kenndy and Alan Horne? Is Hank leaving open the door for the Boston Red Sox or cross-town rival Mets to swoop in and rip Santana out from the Yankees grasp? You can bet your bread bowl he just did.
Now judging from the negotiations with Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees are not out of the picture in the Santana sweepstakes and still have a good shot at acquiring the two-time Cy Young winner. But these sensible moves that Hank Steinbrenner has made since the Red Sox hoisted up baseball’s championship trophy go to show us that things are changing in the Evil Empire. But the question is are they changing for the better, and who does this Hank guy think he is?
To date, Hank’s first offseason as Boss has been a triumph. He and the Yankees' front office have successfully signed all of their important free agents. Rivera, Posada and now Andy Petite will all return to pinstripes next year to make a run at dethroning their archenemies from Boston. Regardless of Hank’s “backing down” in the A-Rod talks, Steinbrenner was able to sign baseball’s biggest player at discount (even though there is nothing discounted about $275 million). Would Big George ever go back on his word? Absolutely not, but the fact that Hank is willing to stay flexible and make rational decisions has left the Yankees in a much better position. For anyone to argue that the Yankees are better off without the best overall player in the game is just plain foolish. Ignoring pressure from his father and other Yankees' faithful, Hank chose experience over the big name handed over the reigns of the team over to Joe Girardi. Replacing Joe Torre is an extremely difficult task, but Girardi’s aggressive style mixed with his ability to manage young players seem to fit the needs of this developing Yankee team.
The emphasis placed the young Yankee talent in the Johan Santana talks is also very un-boss-like, but this little episode makes a statement about how the Yankees will be doing business from here on out. Though Santana’s greatness cannot be argued, it is refreshing to see Hank back out of making “the one big trade” that will supposedly guarantee champagne in October. Phil Hughes has remained one baseball’s best pitching prospects since his ascent in the Yankee farm system. He flashed signs of greatness this year and was one of the lone Yankees to notch a win in the playoffs this year. Joba Chamberlain (who Brian Cashman has deemed untouchable in negotiations) dazzled fans with his 100-mph. heat during the playoffs and will look to a spot in the starting rotation when the season opens. He has quickly become a fan favorite and will help stabilize the Yankee’s pitching for years to come. If we want to decide on whether this philosophy will pay off, we simply will look to the team’s past dominance to find the answer.
Of the four championships the Yankees won from 1996-1999, two themes remained constant: good pitching and good, homegrown talent. These are elements the Yankees have ignored in the past few championship-less seasons (going on eight years now, which is apparently an eternity to Yankees’ fans). Hank, along with Brian Cashman, is sending a message by making rather un-Steinbrennian moves. Whether or not Hank’s bark is worse than his bite, it is still clear that the oldest son of our favorite grumpy, turtle-necked owner is conducting business a bit differently. And it seems to me that this could a good thing. Hank’s stinginess with his young talent, as well as his ability to make seemingly levelheaded decisions by taking the time to think them through, could pay off for the Yankees and their fans. Patience will be the key. And fans shouldn’t fret; you don’t have to tune into Seinfeld reruns just to get your dose of Steinbrenner. The call outs will be there, as will the insults and ridiculous standards- they will just be accompanied with a new business plan. |
